Women's Gymnastics | March 11

CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team spent Saturday afternoon competing in the Illinois Classic hosted by UIC, where the Huskies took third with a final score of uncharacteristic194.400.
 
"We had a shaky start on balance beam," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "As far as the day went, we ran into some kind of tough judging, but I feel like we did a super job bouncing back on beam and having a pretty solid day after that."
 
Illinois took first place with its second-lowest score of the season at 195.025, while host school UIC hit its season high with a final 194.725, and Illinois State finished in fourth with a final tally of 188.550 earning their lowest score of the season.
 
After a couple unusual fumbles on the balance beam, the Huskies got back up and fought for every score they received. Sophomore Amanda Bartemio (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) stepped up on vault and landed without movement to earn her career-best score, 9.850, and to be named All-State and State Champion on the event.
 
"Amanda is our stick machine, and she stuck her vault," said Morreale. "That was very impressive, exciting and fun to watch."
 
Senior Katherine Prentice (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) joined Bartemio with two more All-State and State Champion titles on uneven parallel bars and floor with a pair of 9.850 scores.  
 
As a whole, the vault lineup shined with an afternoon high-score of 48.850 to tie the team's season high. Sophomore Cinny Lamberti (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake) and senior Ashley Potts (Oakwood Hills, Ill./Prairie Ridge) anchored the event with a 9.800 and 9.925, consecutively.
 
The Huskies finished the meet on the uneven bars, scoring a close 48.825. Bartemio and Potts tied three more competitors including NIU sophomore Allison Richardson (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) with scores of 9.750. Junior Emily Basara (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) hit her personal-best with a 9.725 to round out the event score.
 
"With Emily hitting her career high on bars, just again, something she does daily in practice," said Morreale. "It's just a matter of getting it done in a meet, and she did that today."
 
Freshman Mia Lord (McCordsville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) led the balance beam lineup with a 9.775 to tie her career-high and was matched by Richardson, tying for fourth along with three opposing gymnasts, two from UIC and the third from Illinois State.
 
"Mia is doing an outstanding job," said Morreale. "She's moved into that leadoff spot, and it hasn't phased her at all and she also stuck her landing on beam."  
 
The Huskies prepare for their final meet of the regular season when they travel to Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green State University on Saturday, March 17 at 1 p.m. CDT.
 
-NIU-
 
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