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HISTORY & TRAD.
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Women's Gymnastics Win 2009 Midwest Independent Conference Championship
March 21, 2009
Story by Matthew C. Worthington, Gymnastics Contact NORMAL, Ill. - The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks captured its first Midwest Independent Conference Championship in over a decade this afternoon in Normal, Ill. The win caps a perfect, 11-0, conference record for the Redhawks this season. "I am very proud of this team," said head coach Tom Farden. "They really worked hard and deserved to be the conference champions." Southeast (14-3, 11-0 MIC) posted a team total of 193.825 en route to the championship. Finishing in second was Illinois State (192.775) while Texas Women's University (192.725) placed third. Centenary College (191.300) placed fourth followed by the University of Illinois-Chicago (190.975). Senior Sandra Blake (Tri-City, Wash./Mid-Columbia Gymnastics) earned her first individual title of the afternoon on vault as she scored a career-high 9.900, leading the team to a 48.775. The team total is tied for ninth in school history, while Blake's performance ties the third-highest school total. Sophomore Brianna Gaddie (East Grand Forks, Minn./Red River Valley Gymnastics) tied in sixth-place with a 9.775, while teammate Rikara Turner (Hastings, Minn./Twin City Twisters) tied with a ninth-place 9.750. On bars, the Redhawks tallied a 48.600. Sophomore Christina Sundgren (Richland, Wash./Mid-Columbia Gymnastics) led the way for Southeast with a third-place tying 9.800. Freshman Emily Mann (Lincoln, Neb./Solid Rock Gymnastics) also finished in the top ten as her score of 9.725 was good enough to tie for eighth-place. The Redhawks struggled on the beam and were only able to score a 47.600. Blake tied for the individual title after scoring 9.775, but was the only Southeast gymnast to finish in the top ten. The best score of the afternoon for Southeast came on the floor exercise as they totaled a 48.850. Blake tied for second with a 9.825 while Gaddie turned in a fifth-place 9.800. Turner scored a sixth-place 9.775 followed by teammates Sundgren and Christa Soekamto (Grapevine, Tex./Top Flight Gymnastics) who tied for tenth with a 9.725. In the all-around competition, Blake turned in her third-straight all-around title after scoring a remarkable 39.175. "We had an awesome season," Farden said. "Our turning point was when we beat Iowa, and from then on we never looked back." In addition to winning the conference championship, the Redhawks are bringing home conference awards. All-MIC First Team:
All-MIC Second Team:
Junior Rikara Turner (Hastings, Minn./Twin City Twisters) was awarded MIC Gymnast of the Year for her magnificent performances this season. Turner earned five all-around crowns and completed the all-around in every meet this season. She also holds the second-highest team-score on vault (9.825) this season. Turner racked up nine individual titles including two shared titles, and was awarded MIC Gymnast of the Week, an impressive, three times. Turner finished the season first in conference on beam (9.795) and the all-around (38.930) Also awarded was head coach Tom Farden. Farden was named the MIC Head Coach of the Year for an unbelievable fourth-straight year.
The six-year head coach has been dynamic in leading the Redhawks to excellence both in the gym and the classroom. Not only did his team with the MIC Championship, but they are also the reigning and two-time defending Academic National Champions. Farden's team has maintained the top spot in the MIC on bars, beam and floor, while boasting the top gymnast in the conference on bars, beam and the all-around. The team reached a national ranking of No. 25 and finished the regular-season No. 36. The Redhawks will learn of their NCAA Regional fate on Monday afternoon. Stay tuned to www.GoSoutheast.com for tomorrow's release. |
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