Area digest 9/21/02

Southeast wins home OVC opener over EKU

It took three games but Southeast (6-7, 1-0) got the job done in its Ohio Valley Conference season opener Friday against Eastern Kentucky at Houck Field House.

The first two games each were decided by two points, with Southeast winning jthe first game 31-29 and dropping the second 30-28. Southeast came out strong in the third and deciding game and came away with a 30-21 game-three win.

Emily Johnson had a big game for Southeast with 23 kills and 15 digs. Bobbi Carlile was solid once again with 14 kills.

Southeast will host Morehead State at noon today in another OVC contest.

OVC reaches deal to televise several games

The Ohio Valley Conference will have at least eight basketball games in the upcoming season, including both men's and women's championship games. ESPN and ESPN2 will carry three games, while Fox Sports South will air five others.

ESPN2 will televise the men's championship on March 8. ESPN also will air a regular-season game between Austin Peay and Murray State on Jan. 11 and will kick off the season with Eastern Illinois playing Boise State on Nov. 18.

Fox Sports South will air five games, including the Southeast Missouri State University game against Austin Peay on Jan. 25, a game between Murray State and Austin Peay on Feb. 8 and a game between Murray State and Tennessee Tech on Feb. 6. It will start its OVC schedule Jan. 4 when Morehead State plays Tennessee Tech.

Fox Sports South also will air the OVC women's championship.

Otahkians' gymnastics coach in hall of fame

Southeast gymnastics coach Patty Stotzheim will be inducted into Hamline University's Athletic Hall of Fame today.

Before she graduated from Hamline University in 1991, she was a star athlete on both the gymnastics and softball teams. She also served as coach for the gymnastics team after graduation.

After spending her first collegiate year at Winona State University. Stotzheim lettered in softball for the 1988-89 and 1989-90 season as a utility player at Hamline University. She also lettered as an all-arounder for the Piper gymnastics team in 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Stotzheim returned to Hamline's gymnastics program as an assistant coach from 1994-95 and as head coach from 1995-99.

"I am honored to be inducted,"she said. "I'm so proud of being a Hamline alumnus and so grateful to have worked with such talented athletes during my years as a coach."

-- From staff reports