DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team continued its upward trend, earning its season high score for the fourth straight meet, while breaking the school record for the highest team floor score in NIU history. The Huskies took second in the triangular meet, defeating Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green, 194.800-193.950, to notch its second MAC win of the year. UIC won the meet with a team total of 195.250.  
 
"Overall, I was super happy with the day and to see another team high score for the season," said head coach Sam Morreale.  "I feel like we're going the right direction and getting the MAC win is huge. That 195 [team score] is still out there, but we'll get there. It was great to see us set the school record on floor, we took advantage of scoring that was ready to be there."
 
All six NIU gymnasts on floor scored 9.825 or higher and the Huskies did not count a score lower than 9.850 on its final event of the meet.  Senior floor specialist Anna Martucci capped off the meet with a season high score of 9.925 to win the event, while Allison Richardson set a new career high mark with a 9.900 to tie for second.  The Huskies' team total of 49.375 on floor bettered its old record of 49.350 set at the 2018 MAC Championships.
 
NIU also recorded its best team scores of the year on vault and uneven parallel bars, which helped the Huskies overcome some uncharacteristic falls on balance beam.
 
"I felt really good after the first two events," Morreale said. "On vault, we probably landed the best we landed all year, and it was something we focused on all week so it was nice to see that happen. Bars, we're still trying to find our way. We're good there, we're solid there, but I think we can be better."
 
Cinny Lamberti led the way for NIU on vault with a 9.800 in the anchor position to take fifth on the event, while Amanda Bartemio, who was once again solid across all three of her events for NIU, scored a 9.750. Freshman Morgan Hooper led the Huskies on bars with a career-high 9.800 to take fourth place, with Ally Ferber and Nina Martucci contributing 9.775s to tie for fifth.
 
Sophomore Mia Lord won the balance beam event with a 9.850 as she and Richardson came through with solid routines to close out beam and send the Huskies into the final event on a positive note.
 
"Mia for the second meet in a row, she's really getting comfortable in that anchor position on beam," Morreale said.  "What I was most proud of was the way we finished beam after having two falls and then coming to floor. Richie [Richardson] showed a lot of maturity after we made a late change to put Gabby [Welch] in on bars, I was proud of her and that speaks volumes."
 
NIU (5-3, 2-1 MAC) closes out its three-meet homestand on Friday night, February 1, in a Quad Meet versus Kent State, Lindenwood and Seattle Pacific. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center and admission is free.   
 
-- NIU --