In 2020-21, Southeast Missouri won its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Cup, the league's ultimate symbol of overall athletic excellence in Conference-sponsored championships.
 
While competing in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, the Redhawks celebrated a dominating spring season bolstered by first-place finishes in women's tennis, women's track & field, softball and baseball, and a second-place finish in men's track & field. SEMO also posted third-place finishes in women's basketball, soccer and volleyball. The Redhawks accumulated 119 points, 7.5 points ahead of second-place Belmont (111.5) to claim this year's OVC Commissioner's Cup.
 
Throughout the summer, we'll take a closer look at the most successful year in SEMO Athletics Division I history.
 
Track & Field // Notes 
 
• Southeast Missouri women's track & field captured the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship with 148 total points. The outdoor Championship is the 10th in program history for the SEMO women and the first title since 2014
 
• The SEMO men finished as the team runners-up at the 2021 OVC Track & Field Championship with 172 points
 
• Kaitlyn Shea was named the OVC Women's Track Athlete of the Year and Luke Hatfield-Jackson was awarded OVC Men's Athlete of the Championship at the conclusion of the meet. Shea is the 10th OVC Outdoor Athlete of Year at SEMO and Hatfield is the sixth men's Championship MVP in program history
 
• Head coach Eric Crumpecker was tabbed the 2021 OVC Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the Championship. It marked SEMO's ninth OVC Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year honor and the first for Crumpecker
 
• In his 12 seasons as head coach at SEMO, Eric Crumpecker has been awarded OVC Coach of the Year seven times including twice on the women's side (1 indoor and 1 outdoor) and five times for the men (3 outdoor and 2 indoor)
 
• Six SEMO athletes qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships West Preliminary at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Dylan Clark, Terrico Garrett, Luke Hatfield-Jackson, Josiah Kilgore, Carli Knott and Kaitlyn Shea represented the Redhawks at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary
 
• Kaitlyn Shea, the 2021 OVC Women's Track Athlete of the Year, won Gold in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:23.48) and the 5,000 meters (17:00.60) at the Championship. She also nabbed Bronze in the 1,500 meters (4:33.11) in the final day of the competition. Shea won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in an OVC Championship record time of 10:23.48 and is the first SEMO athlete to win the event since Juli Koenegstein won the race in 2009 and 2010
 
• Carli Knott captured a pair of Medals at the 2021 Championship. Knott successfully defended her 1,500 meters Championship, taking Gold in 4:27.07 after winning the event at the 2019 OVC Championship in Cape Girardeau. Knott secured Silver in the 800 meters in 2:12.48 and was fourth in the 5,000 meters (17:37.32)
 
• Katie Wegmann, a 2020-21 Second-Team All-OVC Cross Country performer, garnered Gold in the 800 meters at the 2021 Championship, crossing the finish in 2:12.38. She is the first SEMO runner to win the 800 meters Championship since Brooke Woodruff in 2004
 
• Kendall Long grabbed first in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:00.98 for Gold in the final day of the 2021 Championship. She is the first SEMO athlete to win the OVC 400-meter hurdles Championship since Miya Dorsey in 2017. Long was also a member of the fourth place finishing 4x400 meter relay team (3:53.64) with Breanna Miles, Lauryn James and Claire Morrill
 
• Serena Williams finished third overall in the triple jump at the Championship to garner Bronze. Williams compiled a jump of 39-5.75 (12.03m) on her second attempt. She also was a member of the fourth place 4x100 meter relay team (46.30) with Lauryn James, Sandrea Cogio and Breanna Miles. Williams also scored for the Redhawks with a career-best total of 4,373 points in the heptathlon (sixth) and in the 100 meters (12.10, eighth)
 
• Jaden Kight secured Bronze in the javelin at the 2021 Championship. The Whitewater, Missouri native, registered a personal-best throw of 136-9 (41.68m) in her fourth attempt for third overall in the field event
 
• Ellie Gamradt surpassed a career-best matching high jump feat of 5-6.50 (1.69m) to earn Bronze in the field event. Gamradt has now captured Bronze at the past two OVC Championships (2021 Outdoors and 2020 Indoors)
 
• Katie Schumer garnered Bronze in the pole vault with a career-best height of 12-7.25 (3.84m) at the 2021 Championship. The height ties Sierra Maddox (2016) for second all-time in SEMO program history
 
• Nicole Humphreys scored for the Redhawk women in all three of her throwing events including Bronze in the hammer throw (191-11, 58.50m, PR). In the SEMO record books, Humphreys ranks second in the hammer throw. She also notched personal-bests in the discus (147-0, 44.81m, fourth) and shot put (44-3.25, 13.49m, fifth)
 
• Lauryn James and Breanna Miles were members of both fourth place finishing 4x400 meter and 4x100 meter relay teams. James also scored in the triple jump, notching a mark of 19-3.25 (5.87m) for fifth. Miles took seventh in the 400 meters in a personal-best time of 55.82 to score for the SEMO women
 
• Ciara Potter scored for the Redhawks in both jumping field events she competed in at the 2021 Championship. She notched personal-bests in the long jump (18-7.25, sixth) and triple jump (36-11, 11.25m, seventh)
 
• Anya Tonga and Makenzie Williams added to the SEMO women's team point total in both the hammer throw and discus at the 2021 Championship. Tonga was seventh in hammer (165-9, 50.53m) and eighth in the discus (136-2, 41.51m). Williams took fifth in the discus with 145-3 (44.28m) and notched a personal-best hammer mark of 165-4 (50.40m, eighth)
 
• Jane Boessen (10,000 meters, 39:04.00, seventh, PR), Kristen Carter (100 meter hurdles, 14.50, seventh) and Claire Morrill (800 meters, 2:14.17, sixth) also scored for the 2021 OVC Champions
 
• Briann Jenkins finished 12th in the heptathlon with 3,992 and Tayler Gudde totaled 3,874 points (14th), which are new personal bests
 
• Luke Hatfield-Jackson, the 2021 OVC Men's Athlete of the Championship, captured Gold in both the high jump (7-1.75, 2.18m) and long jump (25-2.50, 7.68m) while also grabbing Silver in the triple jump for a haul of three medals in his first season as a Redhawk. Hatfield-Jackson secured the 2021 OVC high jump crown with a SEMO program-best and PR mark of 7-1.75 (2.18m) on his third and final attempt at the height. He also posted a personal-best triple jump feat of 48-9.50 (14.87m) for second overall in the third and final day of the Championship
 
• Dylan Clark also won three medals at the 2021 Championship. Clark nabbed Gold in the hammer throw (208-7, 63.59m) and secured Silver in both the shot put (54-2, 16.51m) and discus (164-10, 50.25m). Clark won the hammer throw with a career-best mark of 208-7 (63.59m) which ranks third overall in SEMO program history for the field event. He also notched a PR shot put mark of 54-2 (16.51m)
 
• The SEMO men have won the individual hammer championship at each of the past two OVC Outdoor Championships with Logan Blomquist setting a Redhawk and league Championship record of 213-5 (65.06m) at the 2019 edition in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
 
• Nick Bryant, the 2020 OVC Male Freshman of the Year, won the 400 meters at his second-straight OVC Championship (2021 Outdoors and 2020 Indoors) in 47.65. Bryant qualified first overall for the event in the prelims before grabbing the Gold at the 2021 Championship. He is the first SEMO 400 meters Gold Medalist since Jarred Pasley in 2016. Bryant was a member of the Bronze medalist 4x400 meter relay team (3:18.36) with Terrico Garrett, Brock Wood and Austin Perkins. Bryant also scored in the 200 meters, finishing fourth in 21.67

• Justin Breault captured Gold in the men's javelin with a heave of 190-3 (57.99m) on his second of five attempts at the 2021 Championship. Josiah Kilgore grabbed Bronze with a throw of 186-0 (56.70m) in his final attempt
 
• Shea DeGraaf won the 2021 Decathlon Gold medal with an OVC Championship-record 6,886 points. DeGraaf surpassed Yoshua Reed's (Eastern Kentucky) mark of 6,778 points set in 2018. DeGraaf, the 2020 OVC heptathlon Silver Medalist, is the first SEMO OVC decathlon champion since Eric Gordon (6,291 points) in 2016. Jon Bissell earned Bronze in the two-day competition with a personal-best 6,268 points and Isaac Readnour accumulated a career-high 6,127 for fourth at the Championship.
 
• Shea DeGraaf overtook his SEMO multis coach Chris Navarro (6,577 points, 2014), the 2014 and 2015 OVC decathlon champion, for second all-time in program history for the decathlon with 6,886 points. Jon Bissell ranks fourth (6,268 points) in the SEMO record books for decathlon and Isaac Readnour is sixth all-time (6,127 points) in the multi event
 
• Terrico Garrett captured Silver in the 800 meters at the 2021 Championship, crossing the finish in 1:52.92. He also earned Bronze in the 4x400 meter relay. Griffin Bailey also scored for SEMO in the 800 with a time of 2:04.57 for eighth
 
• Clay Alewelt won Bronze in the discus throw with a career-best mark of 159-11 (48-74m) at the 2021 Championship. He also scored for the Redhawks in the shot put (49-4.25, 15.04m, eighth) and hammer throw (163-1, 49.70m, eighth)
 
• Anthony Forrest, a freshman from Big Bear City, California, finished the 110-meter hurdles in 14.68 for Bronze at the 2021 Championship
 
• Dillon Lay scored in all three track events he competed in at the 2021 Championship. Lay took fifth in the 100 meters (10.85), was eighth in the 400 meter hurdles (58.26) and also was a member of the sixth place finishing 4x100 meter relay team (42.49) with Colin Schwab, Brock Wood and Victor Mathuthu
 
• Shea DeGraaf also scored for the Redhawk men at the 2021 Championship in the pole vault (14-3.5, 4.36m, fifth), javelin (167-1, 50.93m, sixth), high jump (6-5.5, 1.97m, sixth) and 110 meter hurdles (15.08, eighth). Jon Bissell added to the men's team total in the pole vault (14-3.5, 4.36m, sixth). Isaac Readnour also scored for SEMO with personal-bests in the triple jump (46-0.75, 14.04m, seventh) and long jump (22-11.25, 6.99m, eighth)
 
• Brock Wood added to the SEMO men's team total with a fourth place finish in the 400 meter hurdles (53.22, PR) along with top-8 finishes with the 4x400 meters (3:18.36, Bronze) and 4x100 meters (42.49, sixth) relays
 
• Jack Rinehart (pole vault, 14-9.5, 4.51m, fourth), Tallyn Brazell (high jump, 6-6.75, 2.00m, fifth), Victor Mathuthu (triple jump, 46-2.5, 14.08m, sixth) and Colin Schwab (400 meters, 49.72, eighth) also scored for the Redhawk men at the 2021 Championship
 
• Dylan Clark, Terrico Garrett, Luke Hatfield-Jackson, Josiah Kilgore, Carli Knott and Kaitlyn Shea represented the Redhawks at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary
 
• Dylan Clark, the 2021 OVC Hammer Champion, finished 23rd overall in the hammer field event at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary with a toss of 202-2 (61.63m)
 
• Josiah Kilgore notched a javelin distance of 177-4 (54.05m, 45th) in his first throw at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary. The 2021 OVC Javelin Bronze Medalist, competed in the second of three flights at the Preliminary in Texas
 
• In the long jump, Luke Hatfield-Jackson registered a feat of 24-9.75 (7.56m) for 21st overall in the event at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary. He also cleared a high jump height of 6-7 (2.01m) on his first attempt for 40th overall in the third day of the Preliminary
 
• Terrico Garrett was clocked at 1:52.31 (39th) in the first round of the 800 meters at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary
 
• Carli Knott, the 2021 OVC 1,500 meters Champion, finished the race in 4:31.54 for 38th overall at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary
 
• Kaitlyn Shea, the 2021 OVC 3,000-meter steeplechase Gold medalist and SEMO record holder, completed the event in 10:51.30 for 44th overall at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary
 
• Six Redhawks earned OVC Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors in 2021. Nick Bryant was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Week and Nick South earned OVC Male Field Athlete of the Week on March 18. Kaitlyn Shea was awarded OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week laurels three times including consecutive weeks March 25 and April 1 as well as April 29. Luke Hatfield-Jackson was tabbed OVC Co-Male Field Athlete of the Week on April 8 and Josiah Kilgore earned the accolade the following week on April 15. Carli Knott was selected as the OVC Co-Female Track Athlete of the Week on April 22.
 
• Luke Hatfield-Jacksonn set a new SEMO program mark in the long jump with a feat of 25-8.25 (7.83m) at the 2021 Joey Haines Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He also won the 2021 OVC high jump crown with a SEMO program-record and career-best mark of 7-1.75 (2.18m)

• Carli Knott broke the SEMO program-mark for the 1,500 meters at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational in April with a time of 4:23.89. The mark surpassed Laura Byrne's time of 4:24.15 set in 1989
 
• Kaitlyn Shea set the SEMO program-records for the 3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters in 2021. Shea posted the 3,000 meter steeplechase record in 10:19.14 at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational in April. Shea improved upon her program-best 3,000 meters steeplechase time compiled (10:34.88) at the 2021 Ole Miss Classic on March 27. She also set the 5,000 meters at the Drake Relays with a career-best time of 16:20.44. Shea improved upon her SEMO school record set earlier at Bill Cornell Spring Classic (16:27.27) on March 21 in Carbondale, Illinois
 
• Nine Redhawks received their degrees in 2021. Griffin Bailey, Tallyn Brazell, Kristen Carter, Chris Durr, Trevor Falco, Carli Knott, Nicole Humphreys, Kaylee Johnston and Kendall Long graduated from SEMO in the Spring and Summer of 2021
 
• Trevor Falco received the 2021 SEMO Jewel Award after compiling a 3.8 cumulative GPA as a student-athlete at SEMO. The award is given each year to a male senior athlete with the highest GPA for his career and is named for SEMO Biology Professor Don Jewel. Falco graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and accepted a mortgage originator position at Montgomery Bank in Cape Girardeau
 

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