Southeast gymnasts recover for victory

Southeast Missouri State gymnastics coach Tom Farden recently talked about the resiliency of his team.

The Redhawks needed that trait Friday night when a poor bars routine placed them in an early hole.

But the Redhawks made Farden proud by regrouping to win a triangular meet at Houck Field House.

A near-capacity crowd of about 800 fans saw Southeast rally past Southern Utah 194.450 to 193.625.

Centenary was a distant third with 189.475.

Southeast Missouri State's Brianna Gaddie closes her first-place floor routine Friday during a gymnastics meet against Southern Utah and Centenary at Houck Field House.ELIZABETH DODD edodd@ semissourian.com

"I was really proud of the girls," Farden said after the Redhawks, ranked 30th nationally, improved to 6-1. "We were down and we had to fight back. They showed a lot of heart and passion."

Southeast posted season highs in three of the four events, but a season-low 47.800 on bars found the Redhawks trailing Southern Utah after two events.

The Redhawks still were down heading into the final event, but they overtook the 34th-ranked Thunderbirds with a dazzling floor routine.

Southeast turned in the fifth-highest floor performance in program history, 49.275.

"Everyone just kept fighting," sophomore Brianna Gaddie said. "The whole team came back."

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comSoutheast Missouri State's Lauren Dinan performs her bar routine during Friday's meet.

Gaddie led the way on floor with a first-place 9.925 that ties her for seventh on Southeast's all-time list.

"That's really exciting," Gaddie said.

Other events saw Southeast score 48.675 on vault and 48.700 on beam.

"We started off really well on vault, then we had some uncharacteristic falls on bars. I think we were a little too tense," Farden said. "Then we settled in on beam and floor the best I've seen all year."

Southeast's other individual winner was junior Rikara Turner, who captured the beam with 9.825.

Turner also was second on vault (9.825), while sophomore Lauren Dinan placed second on bars (9.750).

Senior Sandra Blake was third on vault (9.800), third on floor (9.875) and tied for third on beam (9.775).

Turner (39.100) and Blake (38.900) were second and third in the all-around, behind Southern Utah's Elise Wheeler (39.175).

Wheeler also won bars (9.775), while the other event winner was Centenary's Courtney Hawkins on vault (9.850).

"It was a great meet in front of a great crowd," Farden said. "Southern Utah has a very good team."

Gaddie said the Redhawks always enjoy competing at home. Friday marked Southeast's second meet of the season at Houck Field House.

"The crowd was great," Gaddie said. "It was a lot of fun."

Southeast scored at least 194.450 for the third straight meet. Farden likes that consistency, but continues to push the Redhawks to go even higher.

"We want to get that 195," Farden said. "I think our best gymnastics is still to come."

The Redhawks' next meet will be Feb. 6 at 13th-ranked Missouri.

"They'll be a great opponent for us," Farden said.