March 5, 2011
Results in PDF Format
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Competing for the third time in eight days, the Northern Illinois gymnastics team posted its second-straight 193-plus score of the season while falling to No. 16 Iowa Saturday night in Iowa City, 195.950-193.425.
The Huskies, who hit the 193-mark just once a year ago, surpassed its 2010 season best score for the second straight meet. Head Coach Mark Sontag said it's a sign that his team, which has battled adversity due to injuries to several starters throughout the season, is on the right track heading into the State of Illinois Meet next Saturday (March 12) and the Mid-American Conference Championships on March 19.
"To be able to go on the road and go 193.425 shows that we are legitimately competing at a much higher level," Sontag said. "This was a great meet to set us up for the two meets ahead. Anytime you go into a meet and a team like Iowa is across the floor...if you don't let that get to you and stay within your game plan, it's great preparation for what we have ahead."
Northern Illinois earned its highest team score of the season on floor exercise with a 48.425, and nearly matched its season high total on uneven parallel bars with a 48.825 total. Sophomores Natalie Sutter and Marisa Liptak led the Huskies on floor with matching 9.725 scores, and Tanya Rachan added a 9.700, but it was the overall consistency on the event as NIU did not count a score below 9.625 on floor exercise.
"I was very pleased with that performance on floor as we struggled a little bit there last week and it has been an event that has been hit or miss for us, but they came through in good shape," Sontag said. "On bars, when you start out with a strong event like that, it gives you a lot of confidence going into the rest of the meet."
Senior Keiko Tanaka led Northern Illinois on uneven parallel bars with a career best score of 9.825 and NIU did not count a score below 9.700 on the event. In addition to Tanaka's team-leading score, Holly Reichard and Ashley Guerra each recorded a 9.775 with Reichard's score a personal season best.
"Keiko's routine was absolutely beautiful," Sontag said. "When she landed that dismount, I think I jumped about three feet in the air. She's been dancing around that great routine for a while now and she hit it just wonderfully."
Reichard, who totaled an all-around score of 39.000 to take second place, led the Huskies on both balance beam and vault. Her 9.825 on beam was a season-best and tied for second in the meet, while her 9.750 on vault matched her season-high score.
"Holly went 39 for the second time this year and that is a sign of a red hot all-arounder," Sontag said. "To me, it looks like she's feeling more confident - her level of confidence is improving as is the team's."
Another Huskie senior scoring a career-best mark was Sarah Hurley, who posted a 9.750 on balance beam
"Sarah was really, really on on the beam," Sontag said. "She was tight and focused and aggressive; it was definitely one of the best sets I've seen her do."
The Huskies head into the State Championship as healthy as they have been all season and are no worse for the wear after the grueling schedule of the past week.
"This is about the third meet we've had where the line-up has changed very little so there's definitely some stability," Sontag said. "We still need to work on getting those little things we can control - the bobbles and steps. This week, we were able to make improvements with limited training so it will be nice to have the next week to work on those things in the gym."
Northern Illinois plays host to the gymnastics teams from Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago and Illinois-Champaign on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. in Chick Evans Fieldhouse on the NIU campus. Admission is free to the public.
-- NIU --
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