KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeast Missouri gymnastics team took second place in the Ozone Classic on Saturday night. The squad finished with a season-high 192.550 after recording a score of 48.125 or better in three events.

"I'm really pleased with our performance tonight," said Southeast head coach Kristi Ewasko. "We had less falls and continued working on the little things. Despite losing Chelsi Hamilton in warm-ups, this team continued to stay focused, and I'm really proud of them for believing in themselves and not giving up. I think it says a lot about that drive and commitment this team has week-in and week-out. I am really looking forward to big things continuing to happen for us."
 
The Redhawks kicked off the tournament on vault. They accumulated a team score of 47.700, which put them in fourth after the first rotation. Sophomore Alexis Brawner led the way with a season-best 9.725. Freshman Allyson Bell debuted on vault and scored a 9.375.
 
Southeast won the second rotation after posting a 48.550 on bars, while Air Force recorded a 47.425 on floor, Iowa State posted a 47.725 on beam and Pitt accumulated a 48.100 on vault. Sophomore McKenna Stanley led the Redhawks with a season-high 9.775, which was the third highest in the event.
 
After another strong performance in the third rotation, the Redhawks jumped up into second place, behind the Cyclones, with a score of 144.425 after scoring a 48.175 on beam. Four Redhawks scored a 9.700 or higher, including a 9.750 by Stanley, junior Ashley Thomas and freshman McKinzie Jones.
 
Southeast closed out the meet with a solid performance on floor. They would not relinquish second place after accumulating a 48.125. Jones bested last week's career-high with a team-best 9.875. Thomas' 9.725, on floor, was enough to give her the all-around title with a new season-high score of 38.775. Brawner finished right behind her with a 38.600.
 
The Redhawks are back in action on Jan. 22. in Shreveport, Louisiana. They will compete in a dual meet against Centenary, before heading to Denton, Texas for a quad meet against Texas Woman's, Air Force and Centenary on Jan. 24.