Redhawks gymnasts vault to No. 23

A second straight strong performance to start the season has vaulted the Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team into the top 25.

The Redhawks are ranked 23rd nationally in the GymInfo poll released Monday. The Redhawks also have moved into seventh in the South Central Regional.

Southeast was ranked 27th last week after opening the season with a score of 192.625 during a home upset of then-No. 18 Kentucky.

Friday's 194.450 score during a home victory over Illinois State moved the Redhawks up four notches as they have an average score of 193.537.

"It's always nice to move up a few spots," Southeast coach Tom Farden said.

Farden said the next goal for the Redhawks is to crack the top 20. Current No. 20 Arizona State has an average score of 194.087.

"We'd like to break into the top 20 and we'd like to hover around that vicinity the rest of the year," Farden said. "But it's a long season."

At one point last season Southeast was No. 22 for the program's highest ranking in more than a decade.

Considering that the Redhawks didn't break the 194-point mark until mid-March a year ago, they appear on their way to surpassing last season's ranking.

"We're off to a good start," said Farden, whose squad has only one senior. "We're a young team, but we've got talent and depth. We can use some different lineup combinations."

The ultimate goal for the Redhawks is to finish ranked at least 36th, because the top 36 squads earn regional berths.

Southeast qualified in 2006 for the first time since 1997. Last year the Redhawks narrowly missed a team regional berth, although they did qualify four individuals.

The Redhawks will try to improve their average score Saturday as they have their third straight home meet, a 2 p.m. dual with Iowa at Houck Field House.

Iowa is ranked 31st with a 192.750 average.

"Our student-athletes are looking forward to Iowa," Farden said. "They got a taste of the big time against Kentucky, and this is another school from a major conference coming in here."

Ishee to miss game

As had been reported previously, Southeast women's basketball coach John Ishee will not be on hand Saturday when the Redhawks host Tennessee-Martin in a 3 p.m. contest that will be nationally televised by ESPNU.

The Ohio Valley Conference announced Monday that it has issued a one-game suspension to Ishee for receiving two technical fouls and being ejected from Saturday's game at Murray State.

OVC rules stipulate that the penalty for being ejected from a contest is an automatic one-game suspension.

Southeast (14-6, 9-2) has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Redhawks are in second place in the OVC and tied with league leader Eastern Illinois on the loss side.