Women's Gymnastics | January 21

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team calls it a draw Saturday with a win over Seattle Pacific, 192.850-189.700, and coming up short to Oregon State (196.900).
 
"We felt really good going in," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "We were ready for it, and actually got a decent start on beam. Still had a couple uncharacteristic falls. We 're still trying to figure all that out, but, honestly, we felt pretty good after beam, went to floor, had a great day on floor, really tumbled and put those landings there, then didn't vault as well as we had wanted to and finished strong on bars, just too many misses."
 
The Huskies started the afternoon on the balance beam where they improved on lasts week's score earning a 47.575. NIU went on to score a season best on floor with 49.025, 48.175 on vault and finished the day on uneven parallel bars with 48.075.
 
"For us right now, it's just trying to hit every time, not over pressure ourselves, not try to do more, not try to do the best we've ever done, just trying to get up there and hit like we did during the first week. We're still getting a lot of good scores, we're still doing well and we're still improving. We're just not putting that full meet together, yet."
 
NIU's final floor score was all due to freshman Amanda Bartemio's (Plymouth, Minn./Waysata) personal best score of 9.725 as well as season bests from senior Courtney Dowdell (Lynwood, Ill./Thornton Fractional South), Anna Martucci (Clarkston, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes), Ashley Potts (Oakwood Hills, Ill./Prairie Ridge) and Andie Van Voorhis (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard).
 
Senior Jamyra Carter (Ypsilanti, Mich./Huron) impressed with a tie for first on uneven parallel bars posting a season high and matching her current personal best at 9.900. Carter's score is also the highest a Huskie has scored on the event this season. Also, all-around performer Ashley Potts's solid scores of 9.750 on vault, 9.850 on bars and 9.700 on both beam and floor were enough to earn her season high total score of 49.000.
 
"Jam rocked out on bars," said Morreale of Carter. "It was really a great routine. She made one error, and it cost her that 10.0. She's been floating around it for the last couple of weeks. I also thought Ashley Potts had a nice all-around performance today. She's the way we want everyone to be. She just goes up there and gets it done."
 
To see the Huskies in action, catch them Sunday, January 29 when they return home to host Kent State and Southeast Missouri at the NIU Convocation Center. Competition starts at 1 p.m. Admission to home NIU gymnastics meets is free to all fans.
 
-NIU-