at Illinois State
Meet Information 
Date: Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
Time: 7 p.m., CT
Location: Normal, Ill.
Venue: Horton Field House
Series: Southeast leads the All-Time Series 61-31, 2-0 in 2018
Coaches: Ashley Lawson (First Season at SEMO);
Bob Conkling (13th Season at ISU)
 
Media Coverage
Watch: YouTube
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
Follow the Redhawks on Twitter @SEMOGymnastics for in-meet updates.
 
Meet Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
 
Redhawks Head to Illinois State for MIC Dual Friday
Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics travels to the Land of Lincoln for a Midwest Independent Conference dual meet at Illinois State Friday at 7 p.m. at the Horton Field House in Normal, Illinois. 
 
San José State Dual Recap
Gabrielle Adams and Anna Kaziska combined for three individual event titles as Southeast posted a team score of 189.800 in its home opener Friday night against San José State in front of a packed Houck Field House crowd of 665. 
 
Adams tallied a vault of 9.775 to lead the Redhawks in the opening rotation and win her first event title in 2019. It was also her first score of 9.700 or higher this campaign.
 
In the third and fourth rotations, Kaziska registered event winning performances in the SEMO anchor position. Kaziska had a 9.825 on beam in the second to last rotation and then had a personal-best floor mark of 9.900 to tie for the top floor spot at the meet. Kaziska placed second in the all-around with a career best 38.850. Mackenzie Slee (37.850) and Michael Sanders (37.050) also had personal high totals in the all-around.
 
The Redhawks had their best rotation of the night on floor to close out the dual with a 48.425. Slee was second behind Kaziska with a career best 9.800 to tie for third at the meet. Kenna Skepnek opened the discipline with a career-best score of 9.750 for fifth at the meet and Adams was sixth with a 9.725.
 
Kaziska Named MIC Newcomer of the Week for Second Straight Week
Freshman Anna Kaziska was named MIC Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive week, the league announced Wednesday after she captured two event titles in SEMO's home opener with San José State. Kaziska registered career-best marks on floor (9.900) and in the all-around competition (38.850).
 
Looking at the Opponent
Illinois State
The Redbirds totaled 191.275 last Friday at Iowa State (194.150) at the Hilton Coliseum. Gabrielle Cooke won the all-around competition with a score of 38.600. Meredith LaRoche came in a three-way tie for first in vault with a 9.825. Kylie Meyer tied for first in beam with a 9.800. Savannah Remkus and Meyer also tied for fifth on beam with scores of 9.725. The Redbirds tallied a meet-high vault score of 48.450 in the second rotation. ISU also posted a 48.300 on beam in the final rotation. 
 
2018-2019 Signees 
Southeast Head Coach Ashley Lawson announced Monday the addition of signee Taylor Fishkin to the 2020 team. Fishkin, a Manlius, New York native, will graduate from Fayetteville-Manlius High School in 2019. She will join early signing period signees Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso, Jordan Jones and Mallory Desch this upcoming fall ahead of the 2020 season.  
 
New Coach, New Era
Ashley Lawson returns to Southeast after competing for the Redhawks from 2001-2004 and holds the school record in four (bars, beam, floor, all-around) of the five individual event titles. Lawson coaches beam as well as co-coaches the vault and floor teams with assistant coach Chris Licameli.
 
Lawson was previously an assistant coach at Lindenwood University in 2018. There, she was the balance beam coach, helping lead the Lions to their fourth-straight Midwest Independent Conference title. Lindenwood also finished second in the team finals of the 2018 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships.
 
Lawson also served as a member of the Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics coaching staff for one year in 2009-10. As an assistant coach at SEMO, Lawson was the head balance beam coach that helped coach three gymnasts to qualify for the 2010 NCAA Regionals. Also, while acting as the head balance beam coach, Lawson turned Southeast's weakest event into its second-best event in just six months.
 
From 2001-2004, Lawson competed on the Redhawks gymnastics squad at Southeast Missouri. She holds the school record in four of the five individual event titles. She holds the bars (9.925), beam (9.975), floor (10.000), and all-around (39.550) records. She is one of just three gymnasts in school history to record a perfect ten in an individual event.
 
Roster Breakdown
Southeast returns 10 athletes from 2018 but is relatively young with eight underclassmen. Allyson Bell is the lone senior. Juniors Megan Dennis, Kenna Skepnek, Mackenzie Slee and Kendra Benak round out the upperclassmen.
 
Sophomores Gabrielle Adams, Lindsey Bates, Alana Fischer, Samantha Gallet and Michael Sanders were regular contributors to the 2018 lineup and had to grow up quickly in their inaugural collegiate season. Bates competed as an all-arounder in four meets and led the freshman class with five event titles in 2018. Adams captured one event title last season. Both Adams and Bates earned MIC Newcomer of the Week laurels.
 
Freshmen Anna Kaziska, Makenzie Marciniak and Maya Tran complete the 13-member 2019 team. Kaziska will make an impact on all four events as an all-arounder. 
 
2018 in Review
Southeast finished fourth at the MIC Championships in 2018 with a team score of 193.875. Gabrielle Adams tied for third on vault at the MIC Championships to earn First-Team All-MIC honors. SEMO posted a 7-17 overall record in 2018.
 
Gabrielle Adams, Megan Dennis, Alana Fischer and Samantha Gallet each qualified for the USA Gymnastics National Championships in 2018.
 
Looking Ahead
Southeast next faces Northern Illinois in their second home meet of 2019 on Friday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Houck Field House.