Women's Gymnastics | October 20
DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team will compete in the NIU Convocation Center four times during the regular season and visit seven different states as head coach
Sam Morreale announced the 2024 schedule on Friday, October 20.
Three of the Huskies' four home meets are multi-team events, with 11 total regular season meets on the schedule in 2024. NIU's schedule includes five teams that competed in NCAA Regionals a year ago.
"I'm very excited about the opportunities we're going to have over the next year," Morreale said. "We are going to some perennial gymnastics powerhouses with meets at Missouri, Minnesota and N.C. State. Those meets will really challenge us so we're looking forward to those."
Before the first regular season meet on Saturday, January 6, fans can get a first look at the 2024 squad on Friday, November 17 at the Red/Black Intrasquad Meet in the NIU Convocation Center. The meet begins at 6 p.m. and, like all NIU gymnastics home competitions, is free to attend.
NIU will open 2024 at a Quad Meet hosted by the Missouri Tigers, on January 6 in Columbia, Mo. with Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri rounding out the field.
NIU will then take on Bowling Green on the road in the first Mid-American Conference meet on January 13, before heading to the USA Invitational on January 19 in Nashville. The USA Invite will feature MAC opponents Kent State and Ball State as well as SEMO, Fisk and UW-Whitewater.
NIU's first home meet of the 2024 campaign will be a tri-meet against MAC foe and defending conference champion Central Michigan and Gustavus Adolphus College.
On February 9, the NIU gymnastics and wrestling teams will come together for the annual "Beauty and the Beast" meet with the teams competing simultaneously on the arena floor. NIU will face off against MAC opponent Western Michigan, UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater.
I'm super excited about the home slate this year," Morreale said. The MAC home meets will go a long way in deciding our fate in the conference regular season. The competition has improved, and we will be tested each and every weekend. The Beauty and the Beast meet is one of my favorite competitions. Just the energy and excitement that comes with it really helps to prepare us for the end of the season. This meet is great fun for the whole family."
MAC competitions continue Sunday, February 11 and Sunday, February 18 with road meets at Kent State and Eastern Michigan. NIU then returns home on Sunday, February 25 to take on Illinois State UW-Eau Claire and Alaska in its second home quad meet.
In March, NIU's challenging non-conference schedule continues with a pair of quad meets, sandwiched around the home finale versus Ball State on Sunday, March 10.
Prior to that, the Huskies will travel to Raleigh, N.C. and join host N.C. State, Iowa State and Temple for a quad meet on Saturday, March 2. NIU then goes to Minnesota to close out the regular season on Sunday, March 27, where they will take on the Golden Gophers as well as Air Force and West Virginia in their final test before the MAC Championships.
The MAC Championships will be hosted by Ball State in Muncie, Ind. on Saturday, March 23.
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