OTAHKIANS PLACE SECOND IN FIRST HOME APPEARANCE

The Southeast Missouri State women's gymnastic team finished second overall in a four-team meet held at Houck Field House on Saturday.

Illinois State -- coming off a team-record performance against Western Michigan last weekend -- captured the team championship with 193.975 points, followed by Southeast with 190.750 and third-place Centenary, 189.050. Wisconsin-Oshkosh finished last with 182.225 points.

The Otahkians hosted Illinois State, Centenary (Louisiana) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh in their season's second competition. Southeast fell to the No. 22-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in the opener.

Southeast's second-year coach Patty Stotzheim was pleased with the performance of her young squad.

"We lost five seniors off last year's team who led us, particularly, in the uneven bar and balance beam events," said Stotzheim, "so we are gaining experience as the season progresses."

Individually, Southeast freshman Ashley Godwin (39.000) finished a close second to Illinois State's Heather Mohler (39.025) in the all-around competition. Otahkian teammates Michelle Walker (37.875) and Jessica Bagwill (37.575) placed sixth and seventh, respectively.

Godwin, placing no lower than eighth in any event, earned her highest finish with a second in the balance beam.

Walker placed first in the floor exercise with a 9.90, helping Southeast to a first-place finish in the event as a team. Juniors Stephanie Furman and Elenor Wilson tied for second place at 9.875. Southeast totatled 48.950 in the event.

As a team, the Otahkians scored 47.750 in the vault to place second. They finished third in the uneven bars and balance beam with scores of 47.450 and 46.600, respectively.

Furman, who earned a trip to the NCAA regionals in 2000, scored 9.875 to tie for first in the vault with Illinois State's Denise Houda.

The floor was the only event that Illinois State did not win as a team. The Redbirds were the only team to score over 48.000 in all four events.

The relatively easy win for Illinois State did not particularly impress the Redbirds coach Jill Hollembeak.

"We opened with such a great win last week and it was so exciting that today was a little flat for us," said Hollembeak. "We just had a good, consistent meet, not a great meet."

Southeast will meet the Missouri Tigers at Columbia on Jan. 21.