DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team takes on Mid-American Conference foes Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan Friday night in its 2019 home opener in the NIU Convocation Center.  The tri-meet action begins at 6 p.m. (CT). Admission is free and the meet also can be seen live on ESPN3.
 
NIU and Western Michigan meet for the second time in as many weeks as WMU defeated the Huskies, 195.075-193.950 in a dual meet last Sunday in Kalamazoo.  NIU is 2-2 on the season after taking second place at the Alabama Quad Meet in the season opener.
 
"We're super-excited to get this three-meet homestand started and we'll definitely have a chance to get comfortable here," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale.  "We had a great outing [at WMU] last meet and just looking to build on that.  It's a MAC meet [versus Eastern Michigan] and conference matters.
 
NIU, selected by league coaches as the preseason MAC favorite, earned its team season high scores on both balance beam and floor exercise a week ago, led by a 49.100 score by its floor squad.  Senior specialist Anna Martucci led the way with a score of 9.900, the highest score by any Huskie on the season, as she claimed MAC Specialist of the Week honors for the second straight week.
 
Martucci also contributed on balance beam where sophomore Catherine Biddle posted a 9.825, the best beam score by any Huskie this year, last week.  Junior Cinny Lamberti has paced the NIU vaulters, followed closely by junior Amanda Bartemio, who has been consistent across all three of her events so far in 2019.  On bars, Nina Martucci and Allison Richardson have earned NIU's best scores of the year at 9.775 at WMU and at Alabama, respectively.
 
"We should be able to hit that 49 or above mark on at least three events," Morreale said.  "We're looking to hit as many routines as possible, we have the depth and we have the talent.  Beam and floor rival each other in terms of strength and scoring, and bars has the potential." 
 
Eastern Michigan enters the meet with an 0-3 mark on the year after competing in a quad meet at Pitt last weekend, while WMU is 1-0. 
 
The meet is the first of three consecutive home meets for the Huskies and is one of four regular season home competitions in 2019.  In addition, NIU will host the 2019 MAC Gymnastics Championship on Saturday, March 23 at the Convocation Center.   
 
-- NIU --