Northern Illinois University Athletics

The 1998 Mid-American Conference Uneven Bars champion, Sandy Menard is the only Huskie women's gymnast to earn a bid to the NCAA Championships. Menard twice competed at NCAA Regionals, helping the Huskies make their second-ever trip as a team in 1995, while competing individually in 1998. 

As a freshman in 1995, Menard achieved a mark of 39.40 in the all-around at the 1995 Midwest Individual Championships, a mark that was then a school-record and still ranks tied for second-best in NIU history. She posted scored of 38.0 or higher nine times that season. In 1996, Menard scored a 9.925 on the vault, a score that remains a school record today, won the Midwest Independent Conference bar title with a 9.9 and scored 9.925 at the 1996 National Invitational Tournament on bars. Menard posted all-around scores of 38.0 or higher 10 times during her sophomore season. 

An ankle injury cut short Menard’s junior season in 1997 but she came back with an outstanding senior season in 1998 to finish her Huskie career. As a senior, Menard scored 38.0 or better in the all-around nine times, including a 39.0 at the State of Illinois meet to finish second. She became just the third MAC Champion in NIU history as she posted a score of 9.825 on the uneven bars and, as of her graduation, had posted five of the six best all-around scores in school history.