LEBANON, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics posted its second-highest team score in school history Friday to overcome Northern Illinois, 195.800-194.775, in the Tennessee Collegiate Classic held at the Wilson County Expo Center.
Southeast last notched a team score of 195.700 or higher against Air Force in 2009 (3/14) and the top team score in school history was set in 1997 (196.025, 3/14).
SEMO also posted season highs on vault (49.075), bars (49.050) and beam (48.775) in addition to the team score during the historic meet hosted by Meet Authority Productions and USAInvitationalGymnastics.com.
The vault mark Friday ranks first in SEMO program history and surpassed the record set against Seattle Pacific in 1995 (2/18). The bars score is the third highest in the Redhawks record books and the beam score ties for 11th overall in the record books.
"Tonight was epic," head coach
Ashley Lawson said after the meet. "We had an amazing night and went 23 for 24. The energy was electric. We kept building from event to event and the momentum stayed high the entire meet. I am so proud of this team and the immense growth they have shown from the first meet of the season until now. The potential of this team is still not being maximized and the grit of these Gymhawks is inspiring."
Jolie Miller won her first career individual event title with her second career score of 9.700 or higher. In the opening bars rotation, the freshman from Aurora, Colorado, posted a career-best 9.875 in the second position.
Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso captured the all-around title with a personal-best score of 39.350. The mark ties Lawson (Godwin, 2/21/04) for fifth all-time in SEMO history.
The freshman from Courtice, Ontario, Canada, tallied a pair of personal-best 9.850s on vault and bars before concluding the meet with 9.825s on beam and floor (PR).
Anna Kaziska was second in the all-around competition with 39.100.
Southeast opened the dual with a 49.050 on bars which ranks third in the SEMO record books ahead of 49.025, compiled in 2014 (Illinois State, 3/9).
Miller led the way with a personal-best 9.875 to win the event. Solorzano-Caruso (9.850) finished second overall and
Alana Fischer (9.800) was third at the meet as the pair also added career-highs. Kaziska hit a 9.775 and
Jordan Jones rounded out the scorers with a 9.75.
The Redhawks then notched their program-best vault score of 49.075 in the second rotation. SEMO bookended the rotation with a pair of career-best 9.850s courtesy of
Gabrielle Adams in the leadoff position and Solorzano-Caruso in the anchor position. The marks tied for second overall at the meet.
Mackenzie Slee and
Anna Kaziska hit consecutive 9.800s in the fourth and fifth Redhawks lineup slots.
Molly Maxwell chipped in a career-best 9.775.
Southeast then danced its way to a 48.900 on floor. Solorzano-Caruso (personal-best) and
Anna Kaziska tallied consecutive 9.825s to end the rotation which tied for second overall at the dual. Slee posted a 9.775 and Maxwell compiled her third career 9.750.
Lindsey Moffitt was the fifth and final scorer with a 9.725.
SEMO then concluded the dual with the Huskies with a season-high 48.775 on beam which ties for 11th in the record books.
Solorzano-Caruso paced SEMO with a 9.825 for third at the meet and Fischer matched a personal-best 9.800 to start the rotation.
Maxwell had a 9.750 for third on the team. Jones and Kaziska both added 9.700s to complete the top-five scorers.
Southeast competed against Northern Illinois in the Tennessee Collegiate Classic Friday hosted by Meet Authority Productions and USAInvitationalGymnastics.com.
"This meet was about a bigger purpose and showing the state of Tennessee what college gymnastics is all about, and I think we did that tonight," Lawson said of the event.
The Redhawks continue their weekend trip Sunday when they head south to Shreveport, Louisiana, to take on Midwest Independent Conference foe, Centenary, at 2 p.m. at the Centenary Gold Dome.
