Women's Gymnastics | February 8

DeKALB, Illinois – Northern Illinois University junior Alyssa Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) has been named the Mid-American Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week after winning a pair of events in the Huskies' Tri-Meet win last Saturday.
 
During the "Beauty and the Beast Meet" at the NIU Convocation Center, Al-Ashari won both the uneven parallel bars and balance beam events. She earned a career high score of 9.925 on bars and anchored a strong performance by the Huskie beam team with a 9.875 to win that event. On Tuesday, Al-Ashari was named the MAC Specialist of the Week, awarded to a gymnast who competes in one or two events and selected by MAC gymnastics coaches.
 
With a score of 9.925 on bars, she became just the second gymnast in NIU history – and the first since Alisha Conahan in 1997 - to record a career high score of 9.925 or better on both uneven parallel bars and balance beam during her career. The 9.925 ranks tied for fourth at NIU all-time.
 
In the classroom, Al-Ashari is a nursing major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.897. A member of the 2022 Academic All-MAC gymnastics team and a two-time WCGA Scholastic All-American, she is minoring in nutrition, health and wellness.
   
The Scholar Athlete of the Week Award is presented to a MAC male and/or female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during that week's competition. An institution can nominate up to one male and one female student-athlete per week in any of that current season's sports. The winners are selected by a representative of the MAC's Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs).
 
Al-Ashari won the fifth MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week award by a Huskie in 2022-23. Women's basketball senior Chelby Koker has won the award twice this year (Dec. 7, Jan. 25), while A'Jah Davis of women's basketball (Nov. 30) and Izaak Olejnik of wrestling (Jan. 4) also earned the honor.
 
The Huskie gymnastics team (6-2, 2-1 MAC) returns to action on Sunday, February 12 when they take on Ball State in Muncie. The meet begins at Noon (CT) and can be seen on ESPN3. The final home meet of the season is on Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center.
 
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