DeKALB, Ill. – For the first time in school history, the Northern Illinois University women's gymnastics team has been tabbed as the preseason favorites to win the Mid-American Conference title as the league office released the 2019 preseason poll Friday.
NIU received 42 points in the poll of league coaches, five more than second-place Bowling Green. Central Michigan, which won the 2018 MAC title, was third with 30 points, followed by Eastern Michigan (25 points), Ball State (23), Kent State (21) and Western Michigan (18). NIU received three first place votes, while everyone except Kent State and Western Michigan received one first place vote each.
"It's a great honor and to get that respect, that nod, from coaches around the league is very cool," said head coach
Sam Morreale, who enters his eighth year at the helm of the Huskie program in 2019. "It's something you strive for. We're going to use it, we're going to enjoy it, but it just means we have to go out and earn it. The MAC is a good conference, there are a lot of good teams. We're going out to win every meet and do as well as we can. This is a very talented team, so I think [this preseason ranking] is very well deserved.
The Huskies, who open the season tonight at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in a quad meet at the University of Alabama, took second in the 2018 MAC Championship meet to record the highest finish in school history, and returned 13 letterwinners off that team, including NCAA qualifier on floor exercise
Anna Martucci and 2018 MAC vault champion
Amanda Bartemio.
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 regular season gymnastics meets are free to the public. The Huskies will host the 2019 MAC Gymnastics Championship at the NIU Convocation Center on March 23, 2019.
2019 MAC Gymnastics Preseason Poll
1. Northern Illinois - 42
2. Bowling Green - 37
3. Central Michigan - 30
4. Eastern Michigan - 25
5. Ball State - 23
6. Kent State - 21
7. Western Michigan - 18
MAC Champion: Northern Illinois (3)
Bowling Green (1), Central Michigan (1), Eastern Michigan (1) Ball State (1)
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