Redhawks gymnasts place 3rd in conference meet in Chicago

Jena Nguyen won the floor exercise and Southeast Missouri State's gymnastics team took third place Saturday at the Midwest Independent Conference Championship in Chicago.

Southeast finished with a 193.3, behind Illinois-Chicago (193.9) and Illinois State (193.375).

Nguyen scored a 9.775 on the floor as she was the only event winner for the Redhawks. Sandra Blake took third in the vault with a 9.775. No other southeast gymnast finished in the top five in an event.

Blake was third in the all-around with a 38.8. Maureen Grimaldi was fifth with a 38.475.

Also on Saturday, Southeast head coach Tom Farden and assistant coach Brogan Jacobsen-Evanson were named coach of the year and assistant coach of the year, respectively, in the conference. Southeast freshman Rikara Turner was named freshman of the year.

Southeast softball loses

The Southeast softball team committed eight errors and allowed six unearned runs in a 10-9 Ohio Valley Conference loss to visiting Eastern Kentucky.

The Redhawks fell to 9-16 overall and 3-4 in the OVC. The Colonels are 14-16 and 7-2.

Saturday's second game of the doubleheader was halted due to rain in the top of the fifth inning with the Colonels leading 8-2. It was resume at noon today, followed by the third and final contest of the series.

Eastern Kentucky took a 9-8 lead with a run in the sixth inning, and the teams exchanged runs in the seventh.

Southeast had 14 hits, including home runs from Stacia Dopudja, Michelle Summers, Megan McDonald and Amber Peterson. Dopudja, a freshman, leads the Redhawks with seven homers.

Dopudja, McDonald and Peterson all had two hits and two RBIs. Adding two hits for the Redhawks were Summers, Jennifer Vasquez, Elise Sperakos and Stephanie Mata.

Losing pitcher Elaine Fisher allowed 12 hits and four earned runs in seven innings.

Southeast tennis falls

The Redhawks tennis team could not take advantage of strong play from Bryce and Drew Kristal and lost a road match 4-3 to IPFW.

Bryce Kristal and Drew Kristal each won singles matches at No. 1 and No. 2, and teamed to win the No. 1 doubles match. Southeast took the doubles point with a win from the No. 2 team of Julia Masotti and Elise Nattier.

IPFW 4, SOUTHEAST 3

Singles -- 1. Bryce Kristal (SEMO) def. Sachi Janek 6-1, 6-1; 2. Drew Kristal (SEMO) def. Stacy Lish 6-4, 7-6(0); 3. Ashley Coulson (IPFW) def. Julia Masotti 7-5, 3-6, 6-1; 4. Hanna Hager (IPFW) def. Elise Nattier 6-4, 6-3; 5. Lisa Bartelheim (IPFW) def. Kimmy Anderson 6-0, 6-3; 6. Mollee Carpenter (IPFW) won by default

Doubles -- 1. Kristal-Kristal (SEMO) def. Lish-Coulson 8-4; 2. Massotti-Nattier (SEMO) def. Hager-Bartelheim 8-4; 3. Janek-Rang (IPFW) def. Luz Garcia-Anderson 8-6

Hearne, Berry win events

Jon Berry and Lindsay Hearne brought home first-place finishes at the Mississippi State Invitational for the Southeast track squad.

Berry captured the title in the long jump with a distance of 24 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Hearne led a top-three sweep in the javelin for the Redhawks with a throw of 135-3.

The Redhawks also won the men's 1,600-meter relay. Chris Williams, David Reid, Chris Poindexter and Miles Smith ran on the relay.

Smith, a senior All-American, has returned after missing virtually all of the indoor season with a hamstring injury.

Southeast's women finished third with 89 points, and the Redhawks men were fourth with 53 points. Mississippi State swept the meet.

Men

Team standings -- 1. Mississippi State 249, 2. Memphis 117, 3. Alabama 57, 4. Southeast 53

400 -- 5. Chris Williams 48.54

3,000 -- 6. Brandon Karcher 8:51.79

3,000 steeplechase -- 2. Brad DeMattei 9:53.23

High jump -- 5. Ryan Doty 6-2 3/4, 6. Jon Henfling, 6- 3/4

Pole vault -- 5. Lance Altenthal 14-6

Long jump -- 1. Jon Berry 24-8 1/4

Discus -- 3. Brandon Colbert 172-7

Hammer throw -- 4. Andy Croxford 152-3

Shot put -- 6. Colbert 50-11 1/2

1,600 relay -- 1. 3:11.44 (Williams, David Reid, Chris Poindexter, Miles Smith)

Women

Team standings -- 1. Mississippi State 228, 2. Memphis 143, 3. Southeast 89

400 -- 3. Natasha Fortenberry 57.73, 5. Stymill Conley 59.21

800 -- 6. Linnea Woldtvedt 2:21.85

100 hurdles -- 4. Orie Ibie 14.88, 6. Whitney Thomas 15.84

400 hurdles -- 4. Elizabeth Pruit-Allen 1:08.60

3,000 steeplechase -- 2. Juli Koenegstein 11:05.58

High jump -- 4. Funtasia Clark 5-1

Pole vault -- 4. Audrey Harwood 10-6

Discus -- 3. Ashley Brewer 140-10

Javelin -- 1. Lindsay Hearne 135-3, 2. Rebecca Martin 127-9, 3. Brewer 124-9

Shot put -- 5. Brewer 41-9 1/4, 6. Martin 39-6 1/2

400 relay -- 3. 48.10 (Conley, Precious Elliot, Fortenberry, Thomas)

1,600 relay -- 3. 4:01.02 (Fortenberry, Jerica Hamm, Conley, Thomas)

Track athletes honored

Southeast track athletes Bilal Hameed and Rebecca Martin earned field athlete of the week honors in the OVC for a pair of first-place finishes at the Rhodes Invitational on March 24.

Hameed finished first in the triple jump with a jump of 48-2 1/2 inches. Martin, a Jackson graduate, was first in the javelin with a throw of 141-1. The throw is the top OVC mark this spring.

-- From staff reports