Meet #2
Windy City invitational
 
Meet Information: 
Date: Friday, January 16 
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Venue: Navy Pier
Teams: Southeast Missouri, Fisk University, Illinois State, Wilberforce, Centenary
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Ashley Lawson (Eighth Season)
Fisk: Nuriya Mack (Second Season)
Illinois State: Cassandra Ringer (First Season)
Wilberforce: Dr. Morgan Byrd (Second Season)
Centenary: Dr. Meg Crowley (Fourth Season)
 
Follow the Gymhawks: 
X: @SEMOGymnastics
Live Stats: ScoreCat App
 
Media Guide (PDF)

Gymhawks Head to Windy City Invite Friday Night
Southeast Missouri Gymnastics will continue the 2026 campaign on Friday, January 16, as they head to Chicago, Illinois to take part in the 'Windy City Invite' in the Land of Lincoln. The competition is slated to begin at 7 p.m., CT. in Gym B at the Navy Pier. 
 
Who's There
The competition will feature five teams including the Gymhawks, Illinois State, Centenary, Wilberforce, and Fisk. SEMO most recently faced off with Fisk in the season-opener at the Show Me Center last Friday night. The Gymhawks defeated Fisk by a final score of 192.800 to 188.600. 
 
MIC Showing
The Gymhawks will get their first opportunity to battle against their conference foes this Friday night. SEMO will square off with Illinois State and Centenary College from the Midwest Independent Conference (MIC). Illinois State won the MIC Championship last season while the Gymhawks defeated Centenary in every matchup during the 2025 campaign. 
 
Season-Opener
The Gymhawks took second place in the first meet of 2026 turning in an overall score of 192.800 at the SEMO Tri-Meet last Friday night. Central Michigan, who won the meet, turned in a 194.750 as Fisk rounded out the competition with a 188.600. Senior Taylor Ingle helped the Gymhawks on all four apparatus as she turned in a 38.700 as the only Gymhawk in the all-around. Graduate Nyah Reader recorded a career best on the floor with a 9.850. 
 
Weekly Awards
Graduate student Nyah Reader, senior Taylor Ingle, and sophomore Reagan Sams each picked up a MIC Weekly Award following the first week of the season. Reader was selected as the Coaches Choice Award winner, Ingle the MIC's Gymnast of the Week, and Sams was named the MIC Newcomer of the Week for their performances at the SEMO Tri-Meet. 
 
17-Straight
Taylor Ingle was the lone Gymhawk who competed in the all-around last Friday night, turning in a 38.700 overall including an impressive 9.875 on the bars which resulted in a second-place finish. Ingle has now competed in the all-around in 17-straight meets dating back to last season, including her competition in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.
 
Veteran Presence
Nyah Reader returned to the SEMO lineup after missing most of 2025 due to injury. Reader, who competed in the final meets of the season last year, had a standout performance in the first meet of the 2026 season. She finished with a career-high 9.850 on the floor, and a scored a 9.800 on the beam to win the event. 
 
Soarin'
Junior Amelia May made her first appearance in a SEMO lineup on Friday night. May competed on the bars and was slotted at the number two spot in the lineup for the first time in her career, having previously competed as an exhibition gymnast. She turned in a career-high 9.650 in her lone event of the evening. 
 
Bars on Fire
The Gymhawks' best rotation of the night last Friday was the bars as the lineup turned in a 48.750. Senior Kailyn Hamilton hit a 9.700 in the third spot of the lineup, which sparked an impressive run of four-straight bars scores of 9.700 or higher. Sophomore Gracie Jones (9.725), junior Ava Johnston (9.800), and senior Taylor Ingle (9.875) closed out the rotation in great fashion. 
 
Steady
Junior Jaidan Kossuth continued to be a constant presence in the vault and beam lineup(s) in the season-opener. Kossuth recorded the second-highest score on the vault for the Redhawks with a 9.725 resulting in a fifth-place finish.  She then turned around for a 9.700 on the beam which was good enough for fourth place.