DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University junior Natalie Hamp was named the Mid-American Conference Specialist of the Week Tuesday after winning the uneven parallel bars event in NIU's record-breaking Tri-Meet win over Lindenwood and Wisconsin-Whitewater last weekend.
 
Hamp tied her career high by scoring her first 9.925 of the 2022 season to take the bars title in the Tri-Meet. Her score helped the NIU bars team break the school record on the event as the Huskies' five gymnasts combined to post a 49.325, breaking the previous mark of 49.275 set in 2016. All contributed to NIU's school-record breaking overall score of 196.300 Friday night as the Huskies surpassed the 196 mark for just the third time in school history.
 
Hamp, an Ionia, Michigan product, also scored a 9.925 last year at Iowa State and is one of just five Huskie gymnasts all time to score a 9.925 or higher on bars. Hamp, Jamyra Carter and Alisha Conahan are the only Huskies to achieve that score more than once. NIU's school record on bars is 9.950, earned three times, last by Ashley Potts versus Ball State on Feb. 25, 2018.
 
Hamp, the 2021 MAC Co-Specialist of the Year, was named MAC Specialist of the Week for the third time in her career.  She is the third Huskie to earn MAC Specialist of the Week honors in 2022, joining previous NIU winners Alana Anderson (January 12) and Emmalise Nock (January 25).
 
NIU gymnastics returns to action this weekend with a pair of dual meets versus Illinois State. NIU takes on the Redbirds in Normal, Illinois on Friday night and in the NIU Convocation Center on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Watch the Friday night meet, which begins at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN+ and Sunday's meet on ESPN3.
 
-- NIU --