Final Stats

EMU-NIU Results 

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University women's gymnastics team set the school record for the team all-around score in a 195.800-195.525 victory over Eastern Michigan at the Convocation Center on Senior Day Sunday afternoon.

"We had a great day," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "From the first event on the kids just kept hitting and building on the hits. We had great energy. We had great production from every class, freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The seniors showed up. It's always a special day on Senior Day and they showed up with their best.

"This team wants to set records. They're good enough. They have the talent to do it. It's just a matter of showing it on a given day and they did a good job of stepping up and getting it done."

With the meet tied 146.575-146.575 heading into the final rotation, NIU (11-4, 4-2) turned in its season-best and second-best floor exercise in school history to take down Eastern Michigan (12-3, 3-3) scoring a 49.225. Five Huskies took the top three spots on the floor exercise. The Eagles, who were finishing up their fourth rotation on the beam, posted a 48.950.

The Huskies were once again led by senior Amanda Stepp (Lapeer, Mich./Lapeer). Stepp tied her career high in the vault, set a week ago at the State of Illinois Classic, and set her career-best mark in the floor exercise, scoring a 9.900, which ranks fourth-best in school history, to win both events.

"She was outstanding," Morreale said. "She has worked her butt off to get to this point, so it's nice to see that finally happen. I'm proud of her."

While Stepp took first on floor, fellow senior Kelly Nortz (Bay Village, Ohio/ Magnificat) finished second with a career-high 9.850. Senior Shelby Davis (Wichita, Kan./Heights) scored a career-high 9.825 to finish in third, along with Huskies Courtney Dowdell (Lynwood, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) and Brittany Wenzel (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson).

NIU trailed 97.775-97.700 heading into the third rotation. The Huskies tied the event up with a 48.875 on the balance beam, the second-highest score on the event of the season and the 10th highest in school history, while the Eagles scored a 48.800 on the floor to tie the meet. Stepp took second place on the beam with a 9.850 and Megan Greenfield (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) took third on the balance beam with a 9.825, to tie her career high and tied for seventh on the vault with a 9.725.

"The beam was solid," he said. "They just got up and got their stuff done. That's what we've been doing all year. We had a couple bumps in the road the last couple of weeks, but it's not something we worried about. They just got it done today."

NIU began the day on the vault, posting a 48.900, the second-highest score of the season and fourth highest in school history. While Stepp took first, freshman Andie Van Voorhis (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard) finished in second with a 9.800.

The Huskies then scored a 48.800 on the uneven parallel bars with Jamyra Carter (Ypsilanti, Mich./Huron) leading the way. Carter took second on the bars for the second-straight week, scoring a 9.800, while Meg Piepenbrink (Glen, Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South) took fourth with a 9.775.

NIU returns to competition Saturday, Mar. 21, when the Huskies travel to Kent, Ohio for the 2015 MAC Championships. Competition begins at 1 p.m. CT.

-NIU-