SEMO GYMNASTS WIND UP FOURTH IN NIT MEET

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Southeast Missouri State University's Otahkians were seeded fourth out of eight teams entering Saturday's National Invitational Tournament of women's gymnastics.

And fourth is exactly where the Otahkians finished during the season-ending meet. Southeast had a score of 191.600.

Top-seeded Central Michigan won the championship with an impressive 194.275 total.

Host Iowa finished second (193.325), followed by Illinois-Chicago (191.650) and Southeast.

Rounding out the field were Auburn (190.475), Illinois State (188.600), Northern Illinois (188.425) and Eastern Michigan (185.250).

Southeast's Erin Chenier had a strong meet as she just missed out on winning the all-around championship.

Chenier, a junior, finished as the all-around runnerup with a 39.050 total.

All-around champion Nicole Liphardt of Central Michigan had a score of 39.075.

Otahkian sophomore Malia Roberts tied for fifth in the all-around competition with a 38.625.