DeKALB, Ill. – The defending Mid-American Conference Champion Northern Illinois University Huskie gymnastics team took its biggest step yet in preparation for the 2020 season with the annual Red-Black Intrasquad Meet Friday night at Victor E. Court in the NIU Convocation Center.
Officially, the Red squad defeated the Black team, 191.470-189.450, but in the eyes of NIU head coach
Sam Morreale, the night was a win for his program.
"The point of today is to figure out what it feels like to get out there and compete with people here," Morreale said. "It's early for us [in terms of the season doesn't start until January], but it's awesome to get a great crowd of people here, to get that many eyes on us.
"I'm super excited about the season. It's great to see the depth and the younger kids get out there, this is the kind of experience we need to get ready."
While freshmen Brookelyn Sears and Natalie Hamp both had a chance to make their Huskie debuts, Morreale was just as interested to see some of the sophomores and juniors who will be called on to fill larger roles in 2020, compete in front of not just a crowd, but judges.
"Brookelyn Sears is somebody who's probably going to challenge to be on all four events this year," Morreale said. "She looked calm and collected and comfortable, so that was awesome. Natalie, that's what we're expecting from her on bars. That was a super bar set from her.
"I almost saw more [nerves] from the sophomores and juniors who maybe haven't had as much meet experience. I think they were maybe a little more nervous, but those nerves are good. That's what we want to see. So now we can talk about how to deal with that."
The Huskies showed plenty of depth on floor exercise. Senior
Cinny Lamberti scored a 9.75 on her routine to take first place, while five gymnasts –
Allison Richardson,
Tara Kofmehl,
Morgan Hooper,
Gabby Welch and
Amanda Bartemio – all posted scores of 9.65.
Three gymnasts – Lamberti, Richardson and
Zoie Schroeder – scored 9.75 on balance beam to lead the Huskies, while Hooper and
Mia Lord each scored 9.65.
Sears earned the highest score of the meet with a 9.800 on uneven parallel bars, followed by Hamp and Hooper with 9.700 marks on that event. Bartemio scored a 9.65 and Kofmehl added a 9.600 on bars.
Kofmehl's 9.700 on vault led all gymnasts, followed by senior Lamberti and Welch who each scored 9.65. Sears continued her unofficial debut with a 9.60 on vault.
Five gymnasts competed as all-arounders in the meet, with Sears and Hooper each scoring 38.350, followed by Bartemio with a 38.200 total.
"We haven't had all-arounders for a couple years now," Morreale said. "Between Tara and Morgan and Amanda and then Brookelyn, we have four pretty solid four-eventers, which just adds to the competitiveness that we have on this team. It's only going to make us better."
The Huskies open their 2020 campaign on Sunday, January 12 at Kent State with the first home meet set for Friday, January 17 at 6 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
-- NIU --
