DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University women's gymnastics head coach Sam Morreale will take a "driven, focused" team into its 2019 season opener Friday as the Huskies will face host Alabama, Temple and Southeast Missouri in a Quad Meet at Alabama's Coleman Coliseum.
 
The meet begins at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and can be seen on the SEC Network Plus. Follow live scoring online or get updates via the NIU Gymnastics Twitter account (@niugymnastics).
 
"This team has been focused and very driven, especially the returners, to make this year a special year," said Morreale, who is in his eighth season as head coach in 2019.  "We have had a great preseason both in the gym and out, with the highest GPA for the department for the fall.  I can't stress how proud I am of this team and what they did the first semester to put us in position [to succeed].  We've been ahead of the game all preseason and we're just really excited to get going."
 
NIU returns 13 letterwinners off its 2018 squad that took second in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championships, the best finish in school history, led by MAC Specialist of the Year and NCAA qualifier on floor exercise, senior Anna Martucci (Clarkston, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS). The Huskies also feature 2018 MAC vault champion Amanda Bartemio (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) in a line-up that includes both veterans and newcomers.
 
"Anna is polished, she brings it every day in practice and that's what enables her to do what she does, and not just on floor," Morreale said.  "She's really worked hard to get into line-up on every event this year. It's been great to see two more seniors, Ally Ferber (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset HS) and Emily Basara (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township HS), provide leadership and look great in preseason after what they've been through.  Our junior class, led by Amanda [Bartemio], Allison Richardson (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville HS) and Cinny Lamberti (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake HS) is super strong.  We are going to be talking a lot about them as we progress through the year."
 
Morreale called the sophomores his "beam class," with Mia Lord (McCordsville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern HS), Zoie Schroeder (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) and Catherine Biddle (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) all ready to compete on the event, which the coach says is one of the Huskies' best. Lord and Gabby Welch (Greenbrier, Tenn./Aaron Academy) were the only gymnasts to break into the line-up as freshmen with Lord contributing on beam and Welch on vault and bars.
 
"Mia, Zoe and Catherine are all really sharp, precise performers on beam," Morreale said.  "Beam is an event for us that truly is a good event for us.  We have some underclassmen that are the anchors on beam and I think of our 18-person roster, we have 16 viable beam routines."
 
NIU brings four freshmen to Tuscaloosa with Lincoln, Neb. product Morgan Hooper (Lincoln, Neb./St. Pius X HS) and Mesa, Arizona's Tara Kofmehl (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain HS) the first two names to know. 
 
"Morgan Hooper is going to be a name people get to know," Morreale said.  "She is going to challenge to be an all-arounder and is one of the best bar kids we've ever had. Tara is a phenomenal tumbler and I believe in the future will be an all-arounder for us."
 
While the Huskie coaching staff will be focused on NIU and how they perform rather than the match-up versus perennial national championship contender Alabama, Morreale likes opening the season with a high-profile meet to start the season.
 
"The fact we're going down to Alabama versus a top five team challenges you to hit the ground running," Morreale said.  "Temple and SEMO are right in our wheelhouse, so it's good to have teams from all over so it will give us a taste of what this year can bring.  We're not going to put a ton of emphasis on it, it's just the first meet of the year, but this group, each day they are striving to get better.  It matters to them.  They are on a mission and I'm super-excited to get going and see what they can do."
 
NIU opens its home season on Friday, January 18 at 6 p.m. when the Huskies take on Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan in a triangular meet at the NIU Convocation Center.  All NIU home gymnastics meets are free to the public.   
 
-- NIU --