Cape Girardeau, Mo. (January 2, 2002) - The 2002 edition of the Southeast Missouri State University Otahkian Gymnastics team will open up its season at the seventh-ranked University of Florida Gators Friday in the Dodge Premier. Southeast will also be joined by Central Michigan at the meet.

With this being the first meet of the season, the team will look to get the kinks out and round out their routines.

The Othaks will be missing two seniors as the season starts as Jessica Bagwill and Co-Captain Stephanie Furman are both out due to injury. Furman should be back before the end of January, but a return date for Bagwill is yet to be announced.

Florida is coming off a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships and start the season as the seventh-ranked team in the country. They return two All-Americans in Hillary Thompson and Kara Waterhouse, and should be some of the toughest, if not the toughest, competition the Otahks will see all season long.

Central Michigan is coming off a 15-10 season last year that saw them finish second in the Mid-American Conference and will be looking to capture that championship this season. They are led by All-Mac Performers in captains Sarah Dame and Kelly Duce.

The meet will begin at 7 p.m. and is being held at Florida's Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Next up for the Otahks will be Sunday January, 13 at 2 p.m. at Illinois State University. They will open up the home schedule five days later at Houck Field House playing host to Northern Illinois and Wisconsin - La Crosse.