BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team earned its highest score of the season with season best team totals on uneven parallel bars, balance beam and floor exercise contributing to a 195.075-194.575 victory over Bowling Green Sunday at Anderson Arena in Bowling Green.
 
The Huskies nearly made that elusive 24-for-24 "hit goal" with just one miss – and none that contributed to the team total – a key to surpassing the 195 mark for the first time in 2022, according to head coach Sam Morreale.
 
"We finally got a meet where we minimized mistakes and misses, with hits on all of our counting scores toward the team total which was awesome," Morreale said. "We landed better today, but I think we can still do better there and find more tenths. We were able to rest some people today and I was super-proud of the kids that stepped in.  That's a win-win situation because when everyone comes back, they'll be healthy and rested while everyone else gets experience.  I like the fact that we can interchange. We've talked about our depth since day one, and we saw it today."
 
Junior Brookelyn Sears (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville HS) and senior Morgan Hooper (Lincoln, Neb./St. Pius X HS) led the way for the Huskies as each contributed four "hits" to the Huskies total. Sears scored a career high 39.025 in the all-around, topped by a career-best score of 9.875 on floor exercise to take third place on that event while tying for first place on bars with a 9.800. Hooper earned first place on balance beam with a 9.825 and earned a season-best 9.800 on floor exercise while taking fifth on bars. 
 
"Brookelyn has gotten healthier and she's back to where she was in preseason before a late setback," Morreale said. "Morgan works hard every day. If I need her to go all-around, she can do that but no matter how many events she does, she's going to give her best.  It's always good when you have multiple eventers that are having good days, then you add Emmalise Nock who had a great day, Gabby [Welch] had one of her better days.  It's definitely a case where we're going in the right direction."
 
The floor squad scored a season-high 49.250, tied for the ninth-highest floor total in school history, topped by freshman Emmalise Nock (Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS) who tied for first with a career high 9.925, one week after earning a 9.900 on vault. Every NIU gymnast on floor scored a 9.800 or higher, including senior Gabby Welch (Greenbrier, Tenn./Aaron Academy) who matched her second place and team high 9.800 on vault with a 9.8 on floor to tie her career high.
 
NIU closed out the meet on balance beam with a 48.775 as freshman Ellery Werner (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander HS) posted the best score of her young career with a 9.800 to tie for second and fellow freshman Emma Brkljacic (Tampa, Fla./East Lake HS) adding a 9.700 in her Huskie debut.
 
Another freshman, Alana Anderson (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West HS), matched Sears on uneven parallel bars with a 9.800 to tie for first place on the event and added a 9.800 on floor exercise.
 
NIU's 195.075 total was more than .500 higher than its previous best score this season and improved the Huskies' overall record to 5-3 and evened their MAC record at 1-1. 
 
After spending the first month of the season on the road, NIU competes at home for the first time in 2022 on Friday, February 4 when the Huskies host Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri State and Wisconsin-Whitewater in a quad meet. Action begins at 6 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center.  Admission is free.   
 
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