Southeast gymnasts finish fifth at regional

The Southeast Missouri State women's gymnastics team placed fifth among six squads at Saturday night's South Central Regional in Norman, Okla.

Southeast, ranked 36th nationally and one of 36 squads selected for an NCAA regional, scored 193.850 points to finish ahead of No. 19 Arizona State (193.200).

Fourth-ranked Alabama won with 197.300 points and host Oklahoma, ranked 10th, was second with 195.875. Those two squads qualify for the national meet April 24 through 26 in Athens, Ga.

No. 24 Illinois finished third with 195.425 points and No. 16 Boise State was fourth with 194.400.

"I was very pleased," Southeast coach Tom Farden said. "We didn't count a fall tonight. To beat Arizona State, and we were right behind Boise State. ... our students came in and they were focused. They did a great job."

In addition to the top two teams qualifying for nationals, the top two all-arounders not on a qualifying squad and each event winner not already qualified with a team or as an all-arounder advance.

Southeast's top finisher was junior Sandra Blake, who tied for fifth in the all-around with a score of 38.975.

"She did amazing," Farden said.

Blake also led the Redhawks in three of the four events as she tied for 16th on bars (9.775), tied for 20th on vault (9.75) and tied for 20th on floor (9.775).

Sophomore Jena Nguyen led the Redhawks on beam by placing 14th (9.725).

Also, it was announced Saturday that Farden was voted the coach of the year by his peers for the entire South Central Region.

Softball splits pair

The Southeast softball team bounced back from a lopsided loss to split Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader with Samford in Birmingham, Ala.

Samford won the opener 8-0 in five innings, but the Redhawks rallied for a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

Southeast is 19-20 overall and 8-8 in the OVC. Samford is 14-23 and 6-10.

The Redhawks trailed 3-2 entering their final at bat in the top of the seventh inning of the second game.

Whitney Dupuis led off with a single and Michelle Summers blasted her 11th home run of the season to put the Redhawks ahead. Summers is Southeast's career and single-season home run record-holder.

Megan McDonald's two-run homer in the first, her sixth of the season, gave Southeast a 2-0 lead. McDonald had two of the Redhawks' seven hits.

Elaine Fisher pitched a six-hitter for the win as she improved to 14-13.

Fisher took the loss in the opener, allowing five runs and six hits in three innings. The Redhawks had only two hits.

Southeast and Samford close out their three-game series at 1 p.m. today.

Softball signs two

On Friday, Southeast softball coach Lana Richmond announced the signing of two players for the 2009 season.

Giana Zimmerman is a two-time all-state pitcher at Wheat Ridge High School in Colorado. She was all-state in both 2006 and 2007.

Zimmerman went 15-3 with a state-best 0.31 ERA as a senior. She struck out 242 and walked just 24 in 128 innings.

Offensively, Zimmerman batted .403 with three home runs, seven doubles, five triples and 24 RBIs as a senior.

A 4.0 student, Zimmerman is a recipient of the Southeast Presidents Academic Scholarship.

Ashlee Hebel is a freshman at Mesa Junior College in San Diego, who will have three years of eligibility at Southeast. Hebel is currently batting just .250, but she hit .500 for a top summer league team.

Zimmerman and Hebel join early signees Renee Kurtz and Shelby Stein in Richmond's recruiting class for next season.

"Our 2009 class has the potential to come in and contribute right away," Richmond said in a release.

Tennis has finale

The Southeast women's tennis team ends its season today with its final home match, at 2 p.m. against Eastern Illinois.

Southeast was 5-13 overall and 2-6 in OVC play prior to Saturday's match at Tennessee-Martin. No results were available.

Redhawks senior twin sisters Bryce and Drew Kristal will play their final collegiate matches today.

— From staff reports