vs. Illinois StateDate: Friday, Feb. 19, 2016Time: 6:30 p.m., CTVenue: Houck Field HouseCoaches: Kristi Ewasko (Seventh Season);ISU - Bob Conkling (Eighth Season)
Media CoverageLive Results:Â Live ResultsTwitter Updates:Â @SEMOgymnasticsMeet Notes: Southeast MissouriComing HomeThe Southeast Missouri gymnastics team will host their first home meet since Jan. 29 when they take on Illinois State on Friday night. The Redhawks are coming off a third-place finish against Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan. The Redhawks are currently 7-6 on the season and currently a 192.746 in seven meets. Southeast and Illinois State will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Looking at the OpponentsLast week, ISU went up against Winona State in a dual meet. They won the meet by a significant margin, posting a 192.275-186.825 victory. The Redbirds visit Southeast Friday for a Midwest Independent Conference matchup before hosting a quad meet against Michigan State, Wisconsin-Stout and Western Michigan on Feb. 28.
Pink Up NightSoutheast Missouri will host Illinois State during its annual Pink Up meet on Feb. 19. The Redhawks will wear pink leotards to raise breast cancer awareness. Fans who wear pink attire will receive a free popcorn at the meet. The meet is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. from Houck Field House.
Second in the All-AroundSophomore
Alexis Brawner currently sits in second-place in the conference with an average all-around score of 38.650 in seven meets. She sits behind Lindenwood's Kierstin Sokolowski, who averages a 38.775 in two meets as an all-arounder. In the individual events, Brawner sits in fifth on vault (9.732), fourth on bars (9.736), 27th on beam (9.443) and fourth on floor (9.739).
Jones Leading the PackFreshman
McKinzie Jones joined the team as a walk-on, prior to the 2016 season. That hasn't stopped her from putting on stellar performances on a weekly basis in two categories. On beam and floor, Jones leads the conference with average scores of 9.707 and 9.832, respectively. She currently has 13 event scores of 9.700 or higher to go along with six event titles
Israel Claims First Weekly HonorJunior
Lauren Israel had a career night posting a career-best all-around mark (38.825) for the second consecutive week last Friday. She won the bars title to go along with the all-around. Israel also set or tied season-high marks on bars (9.825), beam (9.775) and floor (9.750). She placed in the top-five in all but one event.
Brawner Wins First Weekly HonorSophomore
Alexis Brawner brought home her first Midwest Independent Conference Gymnast of the Week award in her young career. She shared the honor with Centenary's Ashley White. Brawner had a big weekend setting a career-best in the all-around (38.900), won four event titles, placed in the top-five in all but two events and posted five scores of 9.725 or higher, including three scores of 9.800.  Â
Thomas Goes Back-to-BackJunior Ashley Thomas kicked off the season with a solid performance against Lindenwood earning the first Midwest Independent Conference Gymnast of the Week award of the season. Two weeks ago, she secured the all-around title at the Ozone Classic and earned her second-straight weekly award. Thomas has now earned three weekly MIC awards in her career.Southeast Drops Opener to Defending MIC ChampionsLindenwood University edged the Redhawks by a 0.7 margin in the season opener on Jan. 8, 192.675-191.975. The squad won the second and fourth rotations, but came up just short in the end. Southeast and Lindenwood will meet again when they head to Columbia, Missouri to take on the University of Missouri in a tri-meet on Feb. 5.Thomas and Jones Take Weekly HonorsThomas and Freshman McKinzie Jones polished off a solid first-week performance against defending Midwest Independent Conference champions Lindenwood University, by capturing MIC weekly honors. Thomas won Gymnast of the Week after posting the highest all-around score in the conference and posting four scores of 9.600 or better, including tying a career-best on bars with a 9.775. Jones earned a share of the Specialist of the Week award after claiming both event titles that she competed in. She posted a 9.750 on beam and 9.825 on floor. The 9.825 was the highest individual score during the meet.Senior SpotlightTaylor Penzien is the lone senior on the roster this season. The 2013 MIC Newcomer of the Year looks to finish her career on high note this season. In Penzien's time at Southeast, she has accumulated 35 scores of 9.700 or higher, including career-bests of 9.875 on bars (vs. Centenary, 3/6/15) and 9.825 on the balance beam (at Illinois-Chicago, 3/15/15) last season.Thomas Looks to Build Off 2015Earning a scholarship prior to the 2015 season after coming in as a walk-on a season prior, Ashley Thomas begins her junior campaign as the active leader in scores of 9.700 or higher (56) and event titles (10). She earned first-team conference honors on vault and second-team on the floor and in the all-around, qualifying her for the NCAA Regionals in Norman, Oklahoma where she placed ninth in the all-around with a score of 39.100.Redhawks End Preseason on High NoteSoutheast held its final intrasquad on Dec. 11, allowing the gymnasts to showcase their routines for family and friends one final time before heading into the regular season. The squad finished with a team score of 193.475. Alyssa Tucker and McKinzie Jones finished the meet with the highest individual scores of 9.900 on the balance beam and floor exercise, respectively.Probable LineupÂ
