SE GYMNASTS ON COURSE FOR NCAA BERTH

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team continued its march toward a likely NCAA Regional berth by turning in another impressive performance Tuesday night.

Competing on the road in Normal, Ill., the Otahkians scored 193.85 points to defeat host Illinois State, which had a 191.50.

"It wasn't the best meet we've had, but it was a really good team meet," said Southeast coach Bill Hopkins. "We had a very good team effort."

Highlighting the meet was another perfect 10 score turned in by Kate Farrington, the squad's lone senior. Farrington hit 10 in vaulting for the fourth perfect score of her brilliant Southeast career.

Farrington has four of the five perfect scores ever recorded by the Otahkians and four of Southeast's 10s have come this season, with Erin Chenier turning in the other.

Chenier, the Otahkians' sophomore standout, won the all-around competition Tuesday with a score of 39.125. Farrington was second at 38.850.

The Otahkians will close out the regular season Saturday night at the Midwest Independent Championships in DeKalb., Ill.

Then Monday the Otahkians will find out if they qualify for the NCAA Central Regional meet that will be held April 5 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Southeast currently ranks fourth in the Central Regional and the top seven teams qualify for the meet, so it appears as if the Otahkians will make regionals for the sixth time since 1990.

"Things are looking really good for us for the regionals," said Hopkins. "It would take some phenomenal scores by several other teams for us to drop all the way out of the top seven. It's possible, but not very likely."

The Otahkians already have a berth in the National Invitational Tournament that will be held April 12 in Iowa City, Iowa.

"Our big goal at the beginning of the season was to make both the NIT and regionals," Hopkins said. "That would be quite an accomplishment. The team has just been red hot. They're hitting great."