COLUMBIA, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Gymnastics (0-0) will commence the 2024 season on Saturday, Jan. 6, in Columbia, Mo. as a part of the Mizzou Invitational hosted by Missouri. The meet will feature the host, MIC-member Lindenwood, and Northern Illinois of the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC). Competition will begin at 6 p.m. at the Hearnes Center.
THE Head Coach
Head Coach
Ashley Lawson enters her sixth season at the helm of SEMO Gymnastics and returns 13 gymnasts from a season ago. Last season, Lawson was selected as the 2023 Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Head Coach of the Year for the third time in her career. She was also selected as the 2023 USAG Ken Anderson Coach of the Year ahead of the 2023 USAG National Championship meet, her third recognition of the award.
The Squad
The Redhawks will return 13 gymnasts from a season ago, including
Taylor Ingle,
Lydia Webb,
Lindsay Ockler,
Nyah Reader, and
Madison Greene who were All-MIC selections after the conference championship meet.
Ockler, who finished as the 2023 MIC Bars Champion, is the two-time defending bars champion in the conference after winning it in 2022 as well.
SEMO also welcomes in five freshman to the 2024 squad.
Courtney Henry,
Ava Johnston,
Amelia May,
Jordan Napolitano, and
Savannah Poulos will be in Cape Girardeau for the first season.
Coaching Staff
Assistant Coach
Andavea Alexander will be at Coach Lawson's side for her fifth season in Cape Girardeau. Alexander was the 2022 Assistant Coach of the Year in the MIC.
The Redhawks will also feature a new assistant on the sidelines in 2024. The program announced the hiring of Kayleen Burns for the 2024 season in August. Burns spent the last two seasons at her alma mater as a part of the SUNY Brockport (DIII) Gymnastics coaching staff as both a volunteer in 2021 and an official staff member in 2022.
Prior to coaching, Burns was a gymnast for the Golden Eagles from 2015-2019 and competed in all four events for head coach John Feeney.
Burns earned her bachelor's degree in biology ('19) and Clinical Laboratory Science ('21) from Brockport.
Last Season
SEMO Gymnastics placed third in the USAG National Championship meet, posting a 194.850 in the final day of the two-day competition. The Redhawks posted a 48.950 on the Beam rotation, a season-high in 2023.
SEMO also placed third in the Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Championship meet with a 195.525 trailing only Lindenwood (196.275) and the conference champion Illinois State (196.375).
The Redhawks set a program record against Texas Woman's University at a dual meet in Cape Girardeau on January 27. SEMO registered a 196.175 to defeat TWU for their second overall victory of the season. In the same meet, SEMO set a new rotation score on the Bars, led by
Lindsay Ockler who registered a 9.925 which tied her for first all-time in SEMO history on the rotation. As a team, SEMO set a program record 49.325 surpassing the previous record of 49.250 (March 3, 2014).
SEMO finished last season with a 10-13 overall record and were an impressive 7-3 at Houck Field House.
2024 Schedule
Following the Mizzou Invitational, SEMO Gymnastics will open the three-meet home slate on Friday, January 12, when they welcome in MIC-member Centenary. All Redhawks home meets will begin at 6:30 p.m. inside Houck Field House.
On January 19, the Redhawks will return to Lebanon, Tenn. where they will take place in the Tennessee Collegiate Classic. Last season, SEMO recorded a 195.350 at the meet registering a season-high at that point in 2023. The meet will commence at 7 p.m., CT.
Gymnastics will return home on Friday, January 26, to host their first tri-meet of the season when they welcome in Winona State and Talladega College to Cape Girardeau.
Five days later, SEMO will have their first road meet in the Midwest Independent Conference as they will travel to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State. The meet is slated to begin at 6 p.m., CT.
A road trip to the Centennial State will be next as the Redhawks will begin their trip with the Air Force Tri-Meet in Colorado Springs, Co. on Friday, February 9. SEMO will compete against the United States Air Force Academy and Sacramento State at the United States Air Force Academy.
SEMO will wrap-up the Colorado trip two days later on Sunday, February 11, in Denver, Co. to take on University of Denver and Big 12-member Iowa State. The Denver Tri-Meet will begin at 2 p.m.
The Redhawks will return to host their third and final home meet of 2024 when they welcome in Illinois State and Fisk to Houck Field House on Friday, February 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The final three meets of the season will begin on Sunday, March 3, when the Redhawks travel to the Cornhusker State to take place in the Nebraska Quad-Meet hosted by Nebraska. SEMO will compete against the host, Illinois State, and ACC-member North Carolina. The meet will begin at 1 p.m., CT. in Lincoln, Neb.
SEMO will return to Columbia, Mo. a week later to compete in the second Mizzou Quad-Meet of the season. The meet will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature the host, Denver, and the University of New Hampshire.
The final meet of the regular season will take place at Illinois where the Redhawks will compete in the Illinois Quad-Meet. SEMO will face Illinois, Missouri, and PAC-12-member Arizona. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
Following the trip to Illinois, the Redhawks will turn their focus to postseason competition on Saturday, March 23, for the Midwest Independent Conference Championships. The meet will take place in St. Charles, Mo. and will be hosted by Lindenwood. The start time is TBA.
Scouting the Opponent
Missouri
The Tigers were picked to finish 12 in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Preseason Poll after finishing the 2023 season at No. 14 and placing third at the regional final.
This season's roster features five freshmen, four sophomore's, four juniors, five seniors, and two graduate students.
Three returners earned All-SEC honors last season: Juniors Amari Celestine, and Jocelyn Moore, and graduate student Sienna Schreiber. Moore was also named a WCGA All-American.
Last season Mizzou finished 10-3 with a 4-3 SEC record and placed sixth at the SEC Championships with a score of 197.000 to punch a ticket to their eighth straight regional appearance.
Head Coach Shannon Welker returns for his eleventh season at the helm of the Mizzou gymnastics program. Lacey Rubin was added as an assistant coach in the offseason.
Lindenwood
The Lions enter their last season as defending USA Gymnastics National Champions. They come into the season returning 15 of their 17 athletes from last year, while adding four freshman and one sophomore.
The Lions went 6-6 on the year but earned the top seed at the MIC Championships and scored a 195.325 to secure their first USAG title since 2019.
Notable returners include Graduate student Gayla Griswold, Sophomores Jaly Jones and Nya Kraus, and Junior Kaylee Cooper.
Griswold was named MIC Woman of the Year and compiled three scores of 9.900 on floor while placing second on the vault in individual finals.
Jones captured the all-around crown during the USAGs with a 39.025 score.
Kraus won the beam individual finals scoring 9.888 in the event and Cooper took first on the bars with a score of 9.875.
Northern Illinois
The Huskies come into this season returning 17 athletes and they signed seven freshmen to their squad. Their roster also includes six sophomores, six juniors, and five seniors.
Alyssa Al-Ashari is back for the Huskies after earning 2023 All Mid-American Conference gymnastics team and competed in the NCAA Regional on the bars and beam.
The all-arounder Isabella Sissi is also back for Northern Illinois this season and was the only Huskie to earn a spot on the MAC All-Tournament team last year.
Last season Northern Illinois had an overall record of 8-5 and a 3-3 record in conference matches. The Huskies finished seventh at the Mid-American Conference Championships last season with an overall score of 193.925.
Sam Morreale will be returning for his 13th season as the head coach of Northern Illinois. Morreale led the Huskies to their first ever MAC championship in 2019 and he has been MAC coach of the year twice.
Looking Ahead
The Redhawks will host their first home meet of 2024 on Friday, January 12, when they host MIC-member Centenary at Houck Field House. Competition is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m., CT. in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
