Jan. 23, 2011
Final Stats
Complete Results in PDF Format
DeKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois gymnastics team posted its highest team totals of the year on vault, uneven parallel bars and balance beam to earn its first win of 2011 as the Huskies defeated Bowling Green, 188.675-186.600, at the NIU Convocation Center Sunday. Northern Illinois improved to 1-3 overall and evened its MAC record at 1-1 with the win while Bowling Green fell to 1-1, 0-1.
Northern Illinois' 188.675 score Sunday represented a significant increase of 1.850 from a week ago, when the Huskies suffered a disappointing loss to Eastern Michigan. The key to NIU's performance versus Bowling Green, according to Huskies' head coach Mark Sontag, was confidence.
"A lot of what we worked on this week was confidence," Sontag said. "It was outside of the actual physical training. We worked on how to control the mind, thoughts, excitement, adrenaline, and disappointments. We worked on how to do the routine every day in the gym and bring that to the floor when it counts. I think we took a big step [today] in learning how to be a team and how to compete."
The Huskies opened the meet by scoring a season high 47.100 on vault behind junior Shonda Clore (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview HS), who took second on the event with a 9.650 in her first vault of the season. On the uneven parallel bars, Northern Illinois totaled a 48.000 as all six NIU gymnasts "hit" on bars, led by Clore and Ashley Guerra (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg HS), who tied for second with matching 9.700s. They were followed closely by all-arounder Holly Reichard (Palatine, Ill./Fremd HS) in fourth with a 9.650, freshman Maggie Cimarolli (Belleville, Ill./Althoff Catholic HS) (9.525) and Jessica Watanabe (Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS) and Keiko Tanaka (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley HS), who tied for sixth with a 9.425.
NIU gymnasts also took the top four spots on balance beam, led by Reichard's 9.625. Guerra and Tanya Rachan (Lowell, Ind./Hanover Central HS) tied for second with scores of 9.550 while Sarah Hurley (Geneva, Ill./Geneva Community HS) took fourth place with a 9.475. Reichard scored a 38.000 in the all-around for her season-best score.
Sontag was pleased with the performance of his team, especially considering several Huskies are coming off of injuries.
"Holly [scored] 38 for the first time, even with a miss on vault, so it's good to see her getting heated up," Sontag said. "Ashley Guerra has been right on it for three meets in a row. Maggie [Cimarolli] did a great job and is stepping up as a freshman. She's getting the job done and I am very, very proud of what she's doing. Shonda came out on her first vault of the year after being injured and went 9.700, and she hit her bar set again. Tanya has been out with an injury and she goes 9.55 on beam."
Rachan, one of two all-arounders missing from the Huskies' line-up a week ago, returned to action on the beam after missing last week's meet, while Clore was out much of the preseason with an ankle injury and just returned to vaulting. Northern Illinois is still missing all-arounder Kim Gotlund (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren Township HS) and is without freshman Megan Melendez (Stafford, Va./North Stafford HS), who is out with a knee injury.
Following the Huskies' third meet of the year, Sontag was encouraged by his team's progress and by its potential.
"The overall performance today was more solid and more confident," Sontag said. "We moved the team forward and took a step in our ability to compete, in our confidence level and in our experience. We still have a few people out that we'll be getting back. And we still have a bunch of freshmen on this team. If we can get them to settle down and be as comfortable as the upperclassmen, we'll be in great shape. What we are doing now shows how deep and talented we are. If we continue to build our confidence, and this meet was a great step in that direction, we'll be off and running with this team."
Northern Illinois returns to action next Sunday, Jan. 30 versus Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant for a 1 p.m. dual meet. The Huskies return to the NIU Convocation Center in four weeks, on Sunday, Feb. 20 for the annual "Pink Meet."
-- NIU --
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