OTAHKIAN GYMNASTS PLACE FOURTH

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --- Competing in an elite field on the campus of the defending state champion Alabama, Southeast's gymnastics team placed fourth in a four-team meet Saturday night.

Alabama, ranked second in the nation, won the meet with a 196.850 point total, followed by Michigan State (193.750), West Virginia (192.525) and Southeast (191.650).

Erin Chenier was the lone Otahkian to break into the top three in any event, finishing third in the all-around with 39.250.

For the first time this season, the floor exercise was not the Othakians' best event. Southeast scored 48.350 in the bars, followed by floor (48.175), beam (47.00) and vault (48.125). The Otahkians suffered two falls in the floor exercise.

Southeast was coming off a school-record total in its previous meet.

"I'm disappointed we took a dip tonight from what we had been doing," said Southeast coach Bill Hopkins. "This is the first time we've slipped and didn't improve from the previous meet. I think the 10,000 fans had too much of an effect on the girls."

Southeast also saw Amanda Gdovicak injure a knee in the vault. She will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury.