KENT, Ohio – Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics, the defending 2021 USA Gymnastics National Champions, opened its 2022 season with a team score of 191.500 Sunday afternoon at Kent State's tri meet held at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.
Anna Kaziska, the reigning 2021 USAG Beam Champion, won the event with a 9.875 in the final routine on beam Sunday.
Lydia Webb finished third in the all-around competition with 38.150 and
Molly Maxwell took fourth with a total of 37.175.
Webb, a sophomore from Wylie, Texas, competed in the all-around for the first time in her career Sunday after serving as a floor specialist in 2021.
SEMO opened the tri meet with a 47.850 on floor. Kaziska paced the Redhawks with a 9.775 (seventh overall). Her former club teammate from Champion Gymnastics in Kentucky, freshman
Madison Greene, was second on SEMO with a 9.625 in her collegiate debut.
Maxwell and Webb each tallied matching 9.500s on floor.
Lindsay Ockler and
Nyah Reader also made their SEMO debuts on the event, with scores of 9.450 and 8.850, respectively.
The Redhawks then compiled a 47.775 on vault. Ockler, a freshman from Huson, Montana, led SEMO with her first career score of 9.700 plus with a 9.750 on the event. She finished sixth overall on the event at the tri.
Maxwell added a 9.600 and Kaziska tallied a 9.525. Webb and Reader both had 9.450s to round out the scorers.
Ashley Albrecht returned to the vault lineup and posted a 9.100 in her first meet back from injury since Feb. 22, 2021 against Lindenwood.
In the third rotation, SEMO posted a 48.050 on bars, which was the highest event score of the four events for the Redhawks Sunday.
Jolie Miller and Ockler led SEMO with consecutive 9.800s in the final two lineup slots, which tied for fifth overall Sunday.
Albrecht added a 9.675 and Webb tallied a 9.650.
Jordan Jones had a 9.125.
Janelle Lopez competed as an exhibitionist on bars.
SEMO wrapped up the tri meet with a 47.825 on beam. Kaziska won the event with a 9.875 in the final routine on the apparatus Sunday. Jones was the second highest Redhawk, notching a 9.725 to take seventh overall at the meet.
Maxwell and Webb both chipped in 9.550 on beam. Miller concluded the SEMO scorers with a 9.125.
Host Kent State won the tri with a team score of 195.300. Northern Illinois was second with 194.150. SEMO was third at the tri with a mark of 191.500.
Kent State's Rachel DeCavitch captured the all-around crown with 38.800 followed by NIU's Tara Kofmehl (38.450).
SEMO was slated to host Centenary this past Friday (Jan. 14) but the meet was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Centenary gymnastics program. The Redhawks added the Kent State tri meet on Tuesday (Jan. 11) this week.
Illinois pulled out of the competition at Kent State due to COVID-19 protocols within its program.
SEMO next takes on Northern Illinois Friday, Jan. 21 at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic in Lebanon, Tennessee.
