DENTON, Texas – Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics seniors Anna Kaziska and Makenzie Marciniak both garnered Midwest Independent Conference honors Thursday night ahead of the 2022 Championship. Kaziska was named the MIC Senior Athlete of the Year while Marciniak was selected as the recipient of the Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award.
 
Kaziska is SEMO's first Senior Athlete of the Year since Ashley Thomas earned the laurel in 2017. Kaziska, who was named the MIC Newcomer of the Year in 2019 and Gymnast of the Year in 2020, is the third Southeast Missouri student-athlete to capture Senior Athlete of the Year. 

"Anna stepped into a team full of uncertainty and helped to rewrite the culture and put SEMO  back on the map," head coach Ashley Lawson said of Kaziska. "I am extremely proud of ALL of Anna's accomplishments and have truly enjoyed watching her shine as a Redhawk!!! The grace and leadership she processes will continue to take her far in life and we're so honored for Anna to be named the Senior Athlete of the Year." 

Kaziska paces the Redhawks in 2022 with 10 individual event titles (five beam and five floor) and 19 scores of 9.700 or higher. The Louisville, Kentucky, native, has earned Midwest Independent Conference Performance of the Week three times in 2022 and MIC Gymnast of the Week once.
 
She was also named a nominee for the 2022 AAI Award (the Heisman Trophy for Women's gymnastics) on Feb. 21.
 
On beam, Kaziska has registered a 9.775 or higher in each of the last eight competitions this season and nine times this campaign. She has tallied four 9.875s this season and added a season-best 9.900 to win the event title against Illinois State on Feb. 25. 
 
Kaziska has most recently tallied consecutive 9.775s at Texas Woman's quad on March 6 and in the regular-season finale at Illinois State on March 12. 
 
On floor, she has totaled nine scores of 9.775 or higher in 2022. In the last eight meets, Kaziska hasn't scored lower than a 9.800. She hit a 9.900 at Lindenwood on Jan. 29 before adding a 9.925 at home against Lindenwood on Feb. 11. 
 
Kaziska then posted a career-best 9.950 to earn the title against Illinois State on Feb. 25. She ranks fifth all-time in SEMO program history for floor with Alexis Traylor (2004) and Kate Farrington (1995).
 
She matched her career high 9.950 on floor to capture her 10th event title in 2022 (47 career titles) in the regular-season finale at Illinois State on March 12. It was Kaziska's second 9.950 in just over two weeks.
 
Kaziska also notched a season-high vault of 9.750 at #13 Arkansas on Feb. 6. 
 
She has a floor NQS score of 9.900 (48th) and a beam NQS score of 9.870 (68th) in 2022. 
 
Kaziska has competed in 42 career meets over all four events at SEMO. She has captured 47 career event titles and 99 scores of 9.700 or higher. 
 
Kaziska won the 2021 USA Gymnastics National Beam Championship and has represented the Redhawks in two NCAA Regionals. 
 
Her career highs are 9.8 or higher on each event. Kaziska ranks second in the SEMO Gymnastics record books with a career-best beam score of 9.925. She also is fifth all-time on floor exercise with a pair of personal-high 9.950s.
 
Kaziska is a nine-time USA Gymnastics All-American and seven-time MIC All-Conference gymnast.
 
In the classroom, she has been named a WCGA Academic All-American, a USA Gymnastics Scholar Athlete, a MIC Scholar-Athlete and selected to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Kaziska will graduate in May with a Bachelor's in Medical Laboratory Science and minors in Mathematics and Biology.
 
Marciniak is the first Redhawk in school history to be awarded the Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award. The Award was established in 2019 in memory of the former Centenary gymnast, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver when she stopped to help a motorist in need. It recognizes the athlete who best exemplifies the characteristics of work ethic, dedication, encouragement, loyalty, selflessness, leading vocally and by example, and making a positive impact on everyone she meets.

"Z is a ray of positivity and shines brightly for everyone to see," Lawson said of Marciniak. "In a circumstance that she could so easily be dim and bitter, she has provided this team with unwavering love and support both near and afar. Her determination to do whatever she can for our team is truly inspirational. She has blessed our program far beyond we could have ever imagined."

Marciniak is best described by her teammates as the one who is always smiling, willing to do whatever for her teammates, and always finds the good in a bad day. She has exemplified the word perseverance and the movie "Pure Luck" describes Marciniak's luck, but her willingness and determination to push through anything life throws at here is admirable.
 
Marciniak, a senior from Nixa, Missouri, medically retired from gymnastics prior to the 2022 season. She has battled a multitude of injuries in her career at SEMO including Guillain-Barré Syndrome and undergoes vestibular therapy after a season-ending injury suffered during her freshman season. Even though she isn't suiting up for the Redhawks, Marciniak still gives her all to this team.  
 
She has appeared in 12 career meets at SEMO, having appeared in the vault and bars lineups. Her career-bests include a 9.750 on bars and a 9.575 on vault. She was awarded the USA Gymnastics Mari Rae Sopper Spirit Award in 2021. 
 
In the classroom, she has been named a WCGA Academic All-American, a USA Gymnastics Scholar Athlete, a MIC Scholar-Athlete and selected to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Makenzie will graduate from SEMO with a Bachelor's in Health Sciences.
 
Fourteen Redhawks were honored with MIC Scholar-Athlete awards Thursday. 
 
Ashley Albrecht, Mallory Desch, Taylor Fishkin, Madison Greene, Jordan Jones, Janelle Lopez, Makenzie Marciniak, Molly Maxwell, Jolie Miller, Lindsay Ockler, Nyah Reader, Anna Speller, Sophia Studdard and Lydia Webb were named MIC Scholar-Athletes after they achieved a 3.25 GPA or higher during the fall 2021 semester.
 
SEMO will compete in the 2022 MIC Championship Friday at the Kitty Magee Arena in Denton, Texas. First rotation will begin at 5 p.m., CT. The Redhawks will start on beam.
 
2022 MIC Awards
Assistant Coach of the Year: Kristen Harold, Texas Woman's University
Athlete of the Year: Angelica Labat, Illinois State
Coach of the Year: Bob Conkling, Illinois State
Newcomer of the Year: Alana Laster, Illinois State
Senior Athlete of the Year: Anna Kaziska, Southeast Missouri
Sylvia Keiter Award: Makenzie Marciniak, Southeast Missouri
Woman of the Year: Isabel Goyco, Texas Woman's University