DeKALB, Illinois – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team opened its 2023 season with a 194.725-192.675 win over Bowling Green Sunday at the NIU Convocation Center as Huskies won all four events and the all-around competition.
 
NIU's 194.725 score is its best in a season-opening competition in six years, since posting a 194.825 in 2017 versus Western Michigan. Head coach Sam Morreale was extremely pleased with the Huskies' performance Sunday.
 
"Super excited and proud of the team, how we performed and where we can go," said Morreale, who began his 12th season at the helm of the program. "The first meet of the year is when you get to see who you are and what you are, so I was really impressed with what we showed. The 195 [score] is a number we talk about a lot, and we were pushing it. It's definitely a positive to build from going forward."
 
Sophomore Isabella Sissi (Blaine, Minn./Mounds View HS) scored a career-high 39.175 with first place finishes in the all-around, on vault and on floor exercise, where she tied with fellow Huskies Alana Anderson (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West HS) and Ciara Ryan (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South HS). Sissi posted a 9.825 on vault, while all three Huskies went 9.850 on floor. Sissi added a 9.725 on uneven parallel bars and a 9.775 on balance beam to reach her total, the top number in the MAC for the season-opening week.
 
NIU gymnasts also won the uneven parallel bars and balance beam competitions. Senior Natalie Hamp (Ionia, Mich./Ionia HS) earned the highest score of the meet with a 9.900 on bars, while fellow senior Brookelyn Sears (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville HS) posted a 9.850 on beam.
 
The bars squad, led by Hamp, posted NIU's top event total of the day with a 49.075 with Sears and junior Alyssa Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) each scoring 9.850. NIU also got a 48.725 total on balance beam with Al-Ashari and Sissi backing up Sears' score with 9.775s.
 
"The bars squad in general, we have huge dreams for them, we think they can be one of the Top 10 groups in the nation," Morreale said. "For [Natalie Hamp] to go 9.9 first time out, that's All-America numbers and she can do that every week. Really, there are bright spots everywhere and that's the cool thing."
 
NIU returns to action on Saturday, January 14 when they take on Iowa State in Des Moines, Iowa at the Iowa Events Center.
 
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