SEMO digest 7/8/04

Two football players earn preseason honors

Southeast Missouri State tight end Ray Goodson and guard Dan Bieg were named to the preseason All-American team by the Sports Network.

Goodson, a senior, was a second-team selection. He led the Indians in receiving last year with 66 catches for 623 yards. The former Jackson player was named first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference last season.

Bieg, a junior, was named to the honorable mention list by the Sports Network. He earned all-conference honors last year with grades of 94 percent on pass blocking and 87 percent on run blocking. He averaged three knockdowns per game.

Southeast opens the season Sept. 2 with a Thursday game at Southern Illinois.

Southeast baseball announces six signings

The Southeast baseball program on Wednesday announced the signings of six players. The group includes five players from Missouri.

As reported previously, Jackson grad Josh Parham, a left-handed pitcher, was signed following a year at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas; and Levi Olson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound catcher, signed following two years at Santa Barbara City College in California. Olson is the lone out-of-state player in the recruiting class.

The prize of the group may be Jamie McAlister, a Clearwater, Mo., native who played two seasons at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo. McAlister, a 6-3 right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 28th round of the 2002 draft. McAlister was an all-state selection in 2000 and 2001.

The class includes: Casey Johnson, a 6-3 left-handed pitcher who grew up in Cape Girardeau and graduated from Eureka High School in St. Louis County; Dustin Pritchett, a third baseman from Kennett, Mo., via Forest Park Community College; and Jordan Payne, a Bolivar, Mo., native who played two years at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo.

Gannon named assistant director of athletics

Cindy Gannon was named the assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator at Southeast, the school announced Wednesday.

Gannon, who has been the head volleyball coach since 1989, will continue to coach that team as well. She was an assistant to the director of athletics as well as senior woman administrator last year.

"We look forward to her assuming more administrative duties," Don Kaverman, the school's director of athletics, said in a statement.

Gannon will oversee the gymnastics, tennis and men's and women's track and field.

Lana Richmond, who also had been an assistant to the AD last year, has relinquished that role to concentrate on her duties as the women's softball coach.

Lee-Ann Wiggs, the business manager, will assume Richmond's duties, which included game management for all home athletic events.

-- From staff reports