OTAHK GYMNASTS BEAT MU WITH BALANCED ATTACK

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team has had several outstanding individual performances this season:

Erin Chenier's 39.275 set a school record in the all-around, the trio of Chenier, Kate Farrington and Malia Roberts set a school record with three straight 9.9s on floor and the Otahkians have recorded five 9.9s overall.

Southeast had no outstanding individual performances in its meet against Missouri Saturday at Houck Field House, but for the first time this season the Otahkians put together four solid events with relatively few mistakes.

Southeast (11-4) avenged a loss to Missouri last season by topping the Tigers. The Otahkians scored a 194.550, over two points better than the Tigers' 192.125.

The 194.550 by Southeast easily bettered its previous season high of 192.800 at Texas Woman's last Saturday. It was the third-highest score in Southeast history; the record is 194.725.

"That was easily the best meet of our season so far," said Southeast coach Bill Hopkins. "It was a very good team meet. This will jump our team average up and help us nationally with our rankings."

Chenier, who won the all-around and placed in the top three in all four events, said she was surprised the team scored so highly.

"I didn't expect to get a 194 in this meet," Chenier said. "It was spectacular and we were so close to the school record. As the season goes on we keep getting better and better and I think we're going to break that record."

The Otahkians had no individual score over 9.85, but Southeast had only one fall that counted towards the team score. In each event, only the top five scores are counted.

"We really hit four events as a team for the first time," Hopkins said. "We've been pulling off three good events and then having trouble with one where we're counting two and three falls.

"Some of our individual performances have been better, but this was the first time that we put it together as a team."

Southeast was led by Chenier, a sophomore from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Chenier won the all-around with a 39.200. The score was just .075 off her school record set late last month.

"It was kind of a surprise to me," said Chenier. "I wasn't expecting to get that high of scores, but I'm very pleased with my performance and the whole team's performance."

Chenier won floor with a 9.85, tied for first on vault (9.85), tied for third on bars (9.7) and tied for third on beam (9.8).

Southeast's Farrington was second all-around with a 38.700. Farrington tied Chenier and Missouri's Charise Schrupp for first on vault and was second on floor (9.825).

On bars, the Otahkians' Kristin Frohlich won with a 9.8. Missouri's Shannon Brown, who was third in the all-around with a 38.550, was second on bars (9.75) and the Tigers' Chandra Harlow tied for third.

Missouri's Amanda Peterson and Schrupp tied for first on beam (9.825). Southeast's Ericka Harrison and Brown tied Chenier for third (9.8).

Southeast swept floor as Malia Roberts followed Chenier and Farrington with a 9.8. Southeast was ranked 20th in the nation on floor entering the meet.

Southeast will go for its fifth-straight meet win when it hosts Eastern Michigan Thursday at the Show Me Center.