DeKALB, Illinois –The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team looks to keep "climbing the ladder" when the Huskies join with NIU Wrestling to host the "Beauty and the Beast" Meet Saturday at the NIU Convocation Center. The action, which features the gymnastics team in a tri-meet versus Kent State and Simpson College while the Huskies wrestle Buffalo, gets underway at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
 
"It's a different set-up [on the arena floor] for Beauty and the Beast, but it's still our house and our team takes pride in competing well here," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "The wrestling-gymnastics combo meet is just a ton of fun. We love the atmosphere. For us, the more action that is going on around us, the better because it almost forces you to focus more, which is what we have to do anyway."
 
The Huskies came through a rare double meet weekend in flying colors last week, posting its two highest team scores of the season with a 195.075 Friday night at Illinois State before returning home Sunday to score a 195.500 in a Tri-Meet win over Illinois State and Winona State. The Huskies tied or set season highs in three events on the weekend, scoring a 48.650 on vault Sunday and a 48.875 on floor exercise Friday to tie those team scores. In the tri-meet, the NIU beam team posted a 49.225, the fourth best beam score in school history.
 
NIU senior Natalie Hamp was named the MAC Specialist of the Week for the fifth time in her career after scoring 9.900 on uneven parallel bars in both meets. She has scored 9.900 on bars in three of the Huskies' five meets this season.  Alyssa Al-Ashari earned four scores of 9.825 or higher on the weekend while competing on bars and balance beam. The junior capped the weekend with a 9.925 to win balance beam Sunday, the highest individual score by a Huskie this season.
 
This year marks the sixth time the NIU Wrestling and Gymnastics teams have hosted the Beauty and the Beast event with the first edition held in 2012.
   
Both events will be available to watch on Huskie All-Access (subscription required).
 
-- NIU --
 
Twitter: @NIUAthletics
Facebook: NIU Huskies
Instagram: niuhuskies
YouTube: NIU Athletics