Football, basketball reflect highs, lows

Southeast Missouri State University's two marquee sports represented some of the highs and lows for the school's athletic program in 2002.

While the football Indians set numerous records on the way to their first winning season since 1994 -- and best record since 1969 -- the basketball Indians plummeted to one of their worst seasons ever.

Joining the football team in reaching impressive heights was the baseball squad, which made its second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance and recorded its first Division I Tournament victory.

A look at Southeast athletics in the past year:

Football

It was a stunning return to glory for a Southeast football program that had floundered since posting its last winning record in 1994.

Coach Tim Billings' third season directing the Indians turned out to be a charm as Southeast went 8-4, including a third-place 4-2 Ohio Valley Conference finish that left the Indians just one game out of first place.

Along the way, the Indians upset Middle Tennessee for their first win over a Division I-A opponent and also posted their first victory over perennial OVC power Eastern Kentucky.

Southeast received its first regular-season national ranking on the Division I-AA level and ended the year rated in both major I-AA polls.

Billings won the OVC Coach of the Year award and was a finalist for national coaching honors; wide receiver Willie Ponder made several first-team All-American lists; and the Indians broke or tied 28 school records, led by Ponder and quarterback Jack Tomco, who each shattered a host of records.

Men's basketball

After leading Southeast to a three-year mark of 62-28 and the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, coach Gary Garner's Indians graduated their four leading scorers and lost other key personnel for a variety of reasons. The result was a 6-22 record, one of the worst in school history. The Indians finished eighth in the OVC.

A highlight of the season was guard Derek Winans, from nearby Shawnee (Ill.) High School, winning the OVC Freshman of the Year award.

The Indians showed significant improvement during the early part of the 2002-2003 season and won five of their first 11 games as the year came to a close, including blowout victories over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Southwest Missouri.

Women's basketball

The season marked the end of coach Ed Arnzen's stellar career as he retired with a 340-202 record in 19 years.

Arnzen's final season with the Otahkians produced a 16-12 record and fifth-place OVC finish.

B.J. Smith, who directed Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College to a second-place national finish last year, was hired to replace Arnzen. Smith brought an exciting, up-tempo style of play to Southeast, and the Otahkians won six of their first 10 games as 2002 came to a close.

Baseball

After finishing second in the OVC the previous three years, Southeast finally broke through with its first regular-season title and followed that by winning its second conference tournament championship.

The Indians, who had a 37-20 record, were sent to the NCAA Regional hosted by Alabama and stunned the heavily favored Crimson Tide in the first round before losing their next two games.

Southeast's Mark Hogan was the OVC Coach of the Year, and Brad Purcell won the league's Pitcher of the Year award.

Soccer

Another impressive season ended in disappointment for coach Heather Nelson's Otahkians, who went 14-5-1 and won their second consecutive OVC championship before losing in the finals of the conference tournament for the second straight year when Eastern Illinois prevailed in a penalty-kick shootout.

Southeast's Jenny Hamilton won OVC Defender of the Year for the second straight time, while teammate Valerie Henderson was the league's Player of the Year.

Volleyball

The Otahkians posted their 14th consecutive winning season under coach Cindy Gannon, going 20-12 and tying for second place in the OVC. Southeast lost in the finals of the conference tournament.

Softball

Coach Lana Richmond, who has more than 600 career victories in 20 seasons with the Otahkians, was saddled with her first losing record as Southeast went 14-27 and finished fifth in the OVC.

The Otahkians did excel in the classroom with the nation's second-best team grade-point average (3.468) according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Track

Southeast finished second in both the men's and women's OVC outdoor meet, while the men were second and the women third indoors.

There were notable individual performances. Freshman Heather Jenkins, a Central High School graduate, qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the discus. Laura VanHoevelaak received the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, one of six given out by the league. She also made second-team Academic All-American.

In addition, longtime coach Joey Haines was inducted into the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Cross country

Freshman Lindsay Zeiler won the OVC individual title to earn Runner of the Year honors as Southeast's women finished second in the conference meet.

Southeast's men were fifth in the OVC.

Gymnastics

The Otahkians went 9-11 and had two NCAA regional qualifiers in Ashley Godwin and Michelle Walker.

But the big news came later in the year as the Otahkians, after several anxious months, learned that the program survived budget cuts and would continue past the 2003 season.

Golf

Jimmy Blose finished second in the OVC meet, marking the Indians' highest individual performance since 1994. Blose helped Southeast place fifth in the team standings.

Tennis

Mike Stevens, an assistant at North Carolina State, was hired as the Otahkians' first-full time women's coach in several years following a season that saw Southeast's struggling program win just two matches.

mmishow@semissourian.com

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