Feb. 18, 2005

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Thursday, February 17, 2005) The Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team heads to Ohio for two matches in three days. On Friday, February 18 they face host Bowling Green and Wisconsin Oshkosh in a three-team dual meet. On Sunday they will take on another Mid-American Conference school in Kent State.

The Redhawks look to get back on track after dropping their last three duals. In their last meet they fell to 8th-ranked BYU and Midwest Independent Conference foe Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas.

In that dual six Redhawks gymnasts set new career-highs and the team set season-highs on the vault and on the floor.

Bowling Green (3-4, 3-3 MAC) is currently ranked 35th in the latest polls and 9th in the Central Region with an average score of 192.243. They have won two-straight duals with conference victories over Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.

MAC Specialist of the Week Jessica Guyer leads the Falcons. She tops the team on the beam with a 9.825 and on the floor with a 9.900.

Wisconsin-Oshkosh won their third-straight Gershon/McLellan Inviatational last weekend with a score of 182.150.

The Redhawks own a dual record of 6-3 against the Falcons. Last season Southeast defeated the Falcons in Cape Girardeau, 194.175-191.425. Southeast's score was the 10th best team score in school history. Katie Bloom (Snellville, Ga./ Gwinnett Gymnastics Center) led the team to victory as she set a career-high in the all-around with a score of 39.100.

Kent State (5-1, 3-0) is ranked 33rd in the polls and 8th in the Central Region with an average score of 192.765. Their lone dual loss this season is against 9th-ranked Oklahoma.

The Golden Flashes are one the best teams in the country on the beam, averaging a score of 48.275. Three of their gymnasts rank in the top-ten on the beam in their region, led by Erika Linnersten. Kristin Peters is the Flashes top gymnast on the bars with an average of 9.831.

The Redhawks hold the all-time advantage against the Golden Flashes, winning their only match-up.