Competing in her first ever NCAA regional, sophomore Ashley Thomas of the Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team tied for ninth at NCAA Norman Regional on April 4.

Thomas compiled a score of 38.825, finishing ahead of two gymnasts from Penn State, one from Arizona State and one from Midwest Independent Conference champion Lindenwood.

"The thing about Ashley is that she did Ashley," Southeast coach Kristi Ewasko said. "She went there and didn't let six of the top programs in the country influence her and change her. She went out and did the gymnastics that she is capable of."

This was the first time Thomas qualified for the NCAA regionals and she was the only athlete to go for the Redhawks.

"I didn't have my team behind me," Thomas said. "Southern Utah cheered for me, but it is not the same as my own teammates."

Thomas said that usually she would go to one of the girls and they would calm her down and they weren't there this time.

Thomas explained that even though she had Coach Ewasko there with her it was not the same without any of her teammates to talk to during the meet.

Thomas began the meet in the floor exercise where she scored a 9.65. Vault was next where she put up a 9.725.

Thomas's third event was the uneven bars where she stuck the dismount and earned a 9.7 before closing with a 9.75 on the balance beam.

"I was very satisfied with how I did," Thomas said. "There could be some better things. Following six girls on every event was hard because I followed the best girl from Southern Utah every time."

Thomas said that she could dance better on the floor and the little things that they had worked on all time could have been better but nothing too major.

"For the most part staying on beam, the hitting floor routines by that time of season your body is just done," Ewasko said. "Her biggest vault of the season came at regionals. She had a big step on her landing, but it showed how big the vault was."

The NCAA Regionals was the toughest competition Thomas had ever seen and Thomas said that she wasn't really intimidated by the competition.

"I knew that what I had to do didn't really have anything to do with the other girls," Thomas said. "So, I just did the best that I could and wherever I finished I was fine with. Their going to do what they're going to do, I don't have any influence on that, so I wasn't to intimidated."

The NCAA Regional is a bigger meet with higher expectations and was a new atmosphere for Thomas.

"It was really crazy, but it was cool," Thomas said. "There was lots of gymnastics going on and these teams are the teams that go to nationals. It was really cool to see them."

Thomas said she was relaxed at the meet because she wasn't competing with a team.

"I just kind of had to focus on me and not worry and cheer on other teammates," Thomas said. "Southern Utah helped make me calm and everything."

Ewasko said the peak of excitement is just being there at the NCAA regionals.

"When you walk in on practice day even you walk in and see all the NCAA banners and the signs and you see Southeast Missouri up there next to your Oklahoma's and your Southern Utah's and Oregon State's," Ewasko said. "That's the kind of excitement that even though we are not there as a team we have athletes that are there and capable of doing just as good of gymnastics as their athletes."

Thomas had a great time competing at the NCAA regionals and said that sticking her bars dismount was her favorite part.

"That is one of the things that I struggle with," Thomas said. "We do a lot of them in the gym so hopefully I can stick it in the meet, but it doesn't always work like that and I haven't stuck too many in the meets."

After qualifying for her first NCAA Regional Thomas said that she hopes to go back.

"I want to go back really bad," Thomas said. "It's different being an NCAA sanctioned event. The only thing that would have made it better was if the team was there. Hopefully we can get there next year."