Women's Gymnastics | February 11

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team posted its highest score of the 2021 season with top performances on vault and uneven parallel bars in a 196.300-194.800 loss to Central Michigan in McGuirk Arena Thursday afternoon.
 
While pleased with the season-best score, which came despite counting a rare miss on balance beam, NIU head coach Sam Morreale knew the team missed an opportunity.
 
"Overall, we're happy with the performance, but it's a shallow happy because we know we could have grasped a little more," Morreale said. "There were a lot of positives and a lot of great routines, we're just waiting for that meet when we put it all together.  We can definitely feel that coming, the energy is in the right place, the team is working hard, we have to get out there and do it."
 
NIU opened the meet with its first event score of 49 or higher on the year as the Huskies' totaled a 49.000, tied for the 10^th-best mark in school history and the top bars score since March 9, 2019.  Sophomore Natalie Hamp (Ionia, Mich./Ionia HS) capped a solid run by the entire bars squad with a career-high 9.875 to win the event, while Morgan Hooper (Lincoln, Neb./St. Pius X HS) and Brookelyn Sears (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville HS) tied for third with scores of 9.825.
 
"I feel like [the bars team] is gaining confidence and trust in each other," Morreale said. "We weren't perfect, but we were good and where we were good, we were really good and that was very encouraging. That type of performance on bars is what we're expecting now.  Whenever you go first [on an event] and you can do well like we did, it makes for a better day."
 
On vault, senior Zoie Schroeder (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) took second with a career-high, and team season best 9.875 as the Huskies' 48.625 team total topped the previous season-best mark on vault of 48.400.  
 
Junior Tara Kofmehl (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain HS) tied for third on floor exercise as she tied her season high on the event with a 9.875. That score, along with a career-high 9.775 on uneven parallel bars, a season-high 9.700 on balance beam and a 9.725 on vault gave Kofmehl a career-best 39.075 all-around score. She is the first NIU gymnast since 2018 to top 39.000.
 
On the day, NIU gymnasts recorded the team's highest individual scores of the season on all four events and in the all-around with Schroeder (vault), Hamp (bars) and Kofmehl (floor) each scoring 9.875. Senior Mia Lord (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern HS) recorded the Huskies' top score on any event on the day as she tied her career high with a 9.900 to win balance beam. Lord also posted a career-high 9.775 on floor exercise.
 
"Tara was solid in every event, she had her PR in all-around that was awesome for her," Morreale said. "Both Mia and Zoie knocked it out of the park on beam, Zoie on vault was excellent. We're at the point now where we need to go 24 for 24, when you get those consecutive hits, you get a natural build to the line-up. We're taking turns right now and it's a matter of everyone hitting. 
 
The Huskies suffered their first MAC loss of the season to drop to 2-1 in the league and 2-3 overall. NIU is in action again on Sunday when they take on Ball State in a dual meet in Muncie beginning at 1 p.m. (CT).  The meet will be broadcast on ESPN3. 
 
-- NIU --