Meet #12
2026 Midwest Independent Conference Championship
 
Meet Information: 
Date: Friday, March 20
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Normal, Ill. 
Venue: CEFCU Arena
Participants: Southeast Missouri, Texas Woman's, Illinois State, Centenary
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Ashley Lawson (Eighth Season)
TWU: Lisa Bowerman (13^th Season)
ISU: Cassandra Ringer (First Season)
Centenary: Dr. Meg Crowley (Fourth Season)
 
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Live Stats: Virtius
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Media Guide (PDF)
 
Gymhawks Set for 2026 MIC Championship Meet Friday 
Southeast Missouri Gymnastics will turn to the postseason on Friday, March 20, as they compete in the 2026 Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Championship meet. The meet will take place in Normal, Illinois from CEFCU Arena at 6 p.m. on Friday evening. 
 
Trip to the Desert
The Gymhawks concluded the regular season this past weekend with two meets in the state of Arizona beginning on Friday night at Arizona. SEMO scored a 194.225 at the Arizona Quad-Meet placing fourth overall behind Texas Woman's (194.325), Arizona (196.300), and Ohio State (196.300). SEMO then traveled East to Tempe, Arizona on Sunday afternoon and competed in the Arizona State Tri-Meet at Desert Financial Arena where they finished third with a 193.750. Arizona State won their home meet with a 196.500 followed by Utah State with a 196.300 in second place. Taylor Ingle competed in the all-around for the Gymhawks on Sunday afternoon for the 25th-straight competition as she scored a 39.050 and finished in third place for the meet. 

The MIC
Friday night's meet will feature the four teams that make up the Midwest Independent Conference Championship. The Gymhawks, Texas Woman's, Illinois State, and Centenary College will all compete for the title. SEMO and TWU are neck-and-neck at the top of the conference as the Pioneers hold a 194.940 National Qualifying Score (NQS) with SEMO at a 193.978. Illinois State and Centenary are in third and fourth with a 193.322 and 187.769 NQS, respectively. 
 
Remember When
2026 marks the 50^th season of SEMO Gymnastics and have been members of the MIC since the 1992 season. The Gymhawks have won the conference championship four times including 1997, 2009, 2011, and most recently, 2014. Eighth year head coach Ashley Lawson is seeking her first MIC title this Friday night. 
 
Earlier This Season
The Gymhawks enjoyed their previous trip to Normal, Illinois this season. SEMO competed at Illinois State on Saturday, February 14, where they defeated the Redbirds by a final score of 194.150-192.475. The victory marked the first win at Illinois State in 11 seasons for the Gymhawks and completed the regular season sweep of ISU. 
 
The All-Arounder
Senior Taylor Ingle competed in every single all-around competition this season competing on vault, bars, beam, and floor. She has competed in the all-around in 26-straight competitions dating back to the 2025 season and marked a season-high 39.150 earlier this season. Ingle has scored 9.850 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.800 on beam, and a 9.875 on the floor for her highest scores this season. 
 
Ranks
SEMO Gymnastics enters the 2026 MIC Championship meet ranked 50^th in the country, according to road to nationals.The Gymhawks have scored a season-high 194.850 back on February 6 and rank 57^th on floor, 54^th on vault, 52^nd on bars, and a team-best 39^th on beam. 
 
Top Bars
Junior Ava Johnston has the highest score on the bars this season for the Gymhawks. Johnston, who primarily anchors the bars lineup, scored a 9.875 on February 1 for her career-high on the bars. She has competed on the bars in all 11 meets this season and has five scores of 9.725 or higher. 
 
Top Beam(s)
Juniors Jaidan Kossuth and Leah Parton are tied for the team lead on the beam this season. Parton scored her 9.875 at Illinois State (Feb. 14) earlier this season before Kossuth recorded hers six days later on February 20.  Kossuth has scored a 9.800 or higher six different times this season while Parton has scored it four times. 
 
Top Floor
Senior Taylor Ingle leads the floor this season for the Gymhawks having scored a team best 9.875 two different times. Ingle scored the 9.875s in back-to-back meets on February 1 and 6. Ingle has scored a 9.850 or higher in three meets and has scored 9.800 or higher nine different times in 2026. 
 
Top Vault
Ingle also leads the Gymhawks on the vault having scored a 9.850 two different times this season. Ingle has scored a 9.800 or higher seven different times and has captured a 9.700 or higher in all but one meet this season. 
 
Read(er) All About It
Graduate student Nyah Reader has been a staple in the Gymhawks lineup on vault, beam, and floor this season. Reader is amongst the top five Gymhawks on beam and floor having turned in the third highest beam score (9.850) and second highest floor score (9.850) in her final season of collegiate gymnastics. She has competed in all 11 meets this season so far after returning from injuries in 2024 and 2025. 
 
Incredible Run
Kennedy Fisher, a freshman from New York, has been inserted in the beam lineup in the last three weeks and has excelled with three scores of 9.700 or higher. She recorded her career-high 9.775 at the Arizona Quad-Meet in just her second competition in her collegiate career. She is coming off a 9.700 performance on Sunday afternoon at Arizona State where she finished second on the beam for the Gymhawks. SEMO score a 48.675 as a team on the beam at ASU. 
 
Season-High
Sophomore Gracie Jones has been on the bars in all 11 meets this season and is coming off a career-high day at Arizona State. Jones recorded a 9.800 and led the Gymhawks on the apparatus for the first time this season. The score marked the first score of 9.800 or higher for Jones in her career as she has scored north of 9.700 five times this season. 
 
Eleven Eleven Eleven
The Gymhawks have made history this season and are looking to continue that trend this Friday at the conference meet. SEMO began the season with their highest team score to start a campaign in 11 years (192.800) back on January 9. The Gymhawks then defeated Illinois State in Normal, Illinois for the first time in 11 years. SEMO is seeking its first MIC Championship title since 2014 which would mark their first title in 11 years due to the 2020 MIC Championship being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.