SEMO wins 2021 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championship

A year of hardship and uncertainty finally came to a crescendo on Saturday at the Show Me Center.

Southeast Missouri women's gymnastics ended the dramatic day as winners of the 2021 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships with a team score of 195.025.

“It’s pretty special for sure,” SEMO head coach Ashley Lawson said. “We focused on this at the beginning of the year and we made it come into fruition."

Lindenwood finished as the runner-up with 194.875. Air Force finished third with a score of 194.000. Texas Woman's (193.700) and Centenary (190.875) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

“It has been a crazy year,” Lawson said. “We had to start and stop a lot, and that’s not very easy on a gymnast’s body. So with COVID and having an outbreak on our team, we’re beat up. Their bodies are hurting and they gave every ounce of fight and grit that they had tonight to make this happen.”

Dahlia Solorzano-Caruso, the 2021 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National All-Around Champion, Solorzano-Caruso won the all-around crown with 39.225, which tied for 11th in SEMO history.

“When the time comes, they know how to turn it on,” Lawson said, “and that’s the best part of all of this.”

Lawson was also named the Ken Anderson USAG Coach of the Year for the second-straight season, an award that is voted by the coaches.

“We have a great group of colleagues here,” Lawson said. “Every one of these coaches out here is deserving of these awards. To be nominated for that, it’s priceless. I appreciate the respect that they have and the same for them. I guess when you put your mind to something and you work really hard at it, this is possible.”

Southeast Missouri State assistant coach Andavea Alexander waves to the crowd after being selected as the USAG Assistant Coach of the Year on Saturday in the Show Me Center.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Andavea Alexander was selected as the USAG Assistant Coach of the Year. This was her first season as Lawson’s top assistant, serving as the bars and beam coach, as well as choreographer.

“She is my rock,” Lawson said. “She is the calm to my crazy insaneness. She is a competitor herself and she’s been here with Lindenwood so for her to be on the coaching side with us and to be able to do this, she was instrumental in that beam team.

SEMO trailed Lindenwood 145.725-145.650 entering the final rotation on the balance beam. SEMO scored a 49.075 on floor, 48.900 on vault, and 47.675 on bars. The Redhawks tied a program-best 49.375 on beam to pull ahead and secure the championship.

“It came down to that event,” Lawson said. “She knew what to say. She had the right people in place and everything just kind of fell into place and here we are, national champs.”

Freshman beam specialist Anna Speller added a career-best 9.900 to tie for sixth all-time in school history. Molly Maxwell, Jolie Miller, and Alana Fischer also had career-best 9.850s.

Southeast Missouri State senior Alana Fischer is embraced by assistant coach Andavea Alexander after the completing the beam routine in the 2021 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships on Saturday at the Show Me Center.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Fisher, a senior, was emotional after completing what could have been her last event as a college athlete.

“It was an emotional night,” Lawson said. “There was a lot on the line and our three seniors, this was their last time competing inside the Show Me Center, the last time putting on a leotard. There was a lot of emotions but they kept it together and they did their job and now we get to celebrate.”