NORMAL, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team earned its highest team score of the season, led by sophomore Tara Kofmehl (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain HS) who won two events, but the Huskies fell to intrastate rival Illinois State, 193.625-193.400 Friday night at Horton Field House in Normal, Illinois.
 
"We had a lot of bright spots, a lot of good things, but we still haven't put it all together," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "The girls are training hard, they're doing what we ask them to do, we're just not getting the job done in the meets."
 
Kofmehl won both the vault and floor exercise events as she helped NIU to its best team scores of the season on both events. Her 9.900 on floor exercise was the Huskies' highest individual score on any event this year. The Mesa, Ariz. native also won vault with a 9.825 on that event.
 
NIU gymnasts also tied for first on both uneven parallel bars and balance beam with freshman Natalie Hamp (Ionia, Mich./Ionia HS) and sophomore Morgan Hooper (Lincoln, Neb./St. Pius X) sharing the title on bars with matching 9.825 scores. Junior Zoie Schroeder (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) earned the same mark on balance beam to tie for first on that event.
 
The Huskies fell behind after the first event with three misses on uneven parallel bars, despite also seeing three scores of 9.800 or higher as freshman Brookelyn Sears (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville HS) posted a 9.800. NIU came back with a 48.725 team score on vault as senior Cinny Lamberti (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake Central HS), competing in her first meet of the season after coming back from injury, took second with a 9.800 with Gabby Welch (Greenbrier, Tenn./Aaron Academy) close behind at 9.775.
 
NIU took the lead with a solid day on floor exercise and a team score of 48.775, led by Kofmehl's 9.900 with senior Amanda Bartemio (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) contributing a 9.825.  Kofmehl added a 9.750 to Schroeder's 9.825 on balance beam, but several small mistakes on the final event left the Huskies .225 behind the Redbirds.
 
"In our sport, [a lot of times] when you miss, it's because you're trying too hard," Morreale said. "I told the team, don't let the pursuit of greatness get in the way of being good. I feel like we have the makings for what we want to be, we have to step out and get there. I'm confident the big meet is out there waiting for us." 
 
NIU returns to Mid-American Conference competition on Sunday, February 2 when the Huskies take on MAC preseason favorite Central Michigan at the NIU Convocation Center beginning at 1 p.m.  Admission to all Huskie home meets is free.
 
-- NIU --