OTAHK GYMNAST FLOOR FOES

After struggling on its second and third events, bars and beam, Southeast Missouri State University's second performer on the final event, floor, reinjured a knee early in her routine. It was a big blow in an event that probably would decide the sixth annual Cap'n Crunch Invitational.

So how did Southeast respond to the mounting adversity?

A school-record three straight 9.900 performances.

The Otahkians strong finish propelled them to their second-straight Cap'n Crunch title Saturday before 3,200 at the Shoe Me Center.

Southeast won with a 192.275, its top score of the year, and improved to 9-4 overall. Illinois was second with a 191.650, Bowling Green was third (190.625), Alaska-Anchorage fourth (187.825) and Yale fifth (184.600).

The three straight 9.9s on floor, which won the event, came from Malia Roberts, Kate Farrington and Erin Chenier. Southeast's previous best this season on floor was a 9.8 by Farrington and Roberts.

While on bars and beam, where one fall led to falls by the next couple performers, a positive snowball effect came on floor when Southeast needed it most.

"There was nowhere for the judges really to take off on any of the [three floor] routines, and I thought it was awesome. That was about as good as I can get," said Farrington, the team's lone senior.

"We made some mistakes, but some people stepped up and helped us out and helped cover those mistakes with good routines."

Farrington also won vault with a 9.800. She won two of the three events in which she was entered.

"Our big-scoring bar routines all had trouble and then we were not real good on beam," said Southeast coach Bill Hopkins. "We made one mistake on bars and the next one made a mistake, so I was not happy at all with that kind of domino effect. After beam I thought we were not in good shape.

"And then we rocked floor, it was really hot. I was pleasantly surprised."

Hopkins credited the team's first performer on floor, junior Cristie Logan, with setting the tone for the event. Logan scored a 9.825.

Although she didn't approach the school-record 39.275 all-around score she posted at the Otahkians' last home meet, Chenier was still solid and won the all-around with a 38.325. Chenier was second on vault with a 9.775.

While Southeast wasn't strong overall on beam, two freshmen performed well. Roberts, from Maui, Hawaii, added the beam title to her floor performance with a 9.875, and Ericka Harrison, who recently returned from injury, was second with a 9.850.

Southeast's Rebekah Brajcki, a junior, reinjured her knee early in her floor routine. Hopkins said he didn't know the severity of the injury.