Women's Gymnastics | March 31

DeKALB, Ill.  – Northern Illinois University junior Alyssa Al-Ashari earned a top three finish and tied her career high on balance beam to lead the Huskies contingent at the NCAA Denver Regional Friday afternoon at Magness Arena at the University of Denver.
 
Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) on beam and bars, senior Natalie Hamp (Ionia, Mich./Ionia HS) on bars and sophomore Emmalise Nock (Rosemount, MInn./Rosemount HS) on floor exercise each "hit" their routines to bring the 2023 NIU Gymnastics season to a close.
 
"Super proud of these three," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "They went out there and did what they do which is perform at the highest level. It goes back to their training, and to their dedication to their training. They are all very, very good at what they do, and it was great to see them show that here."
 
In her first appearance in a NCAA Regional, Al-Ashari scored a 9.925 on beam, the highest score ever on that event by a NIU gymnast in NCAA Regional competition. She tied for third in the meet behind gymnasts from nationally ranked teams LSU and Oregon State who tied for first with scores of 9.950. Al-Ashari mounted with her signature back handspring onto the beam, did not have a measurable bobble and stuck her landing on the dismount.  
 
Also excelling on the NCAA stage was sophomore Emmalise Nock, who closed out the third rotation of the meet with a 9.875 on floor exercise. Her score tied for the best on floor exercise by a Huskie at Regionals. She displayed the same energy and personality she brings to each performance and stuck landings on both of her tumbling passes. Nock scored at least a 9.875 on floor in each of the final eight meets of the season.
 
"Alyssa's beam routine and Emmalise's floor were really, really good," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "Alyssa's performance speaks to her ability, to [Associate Head Coach and beam coach] Nita [Teague] and to all the preparation and work she's put in.  Same with Emmalise, it was good to see her routine get rewarded with a score. Both of them settled in, they weren't overwhelmed in their first NCAA Regional and I was super proud of what they were able to do and how they represented themselves."
 
Al-Ashari was the first Huskie to compete Friday as she scored a 9.800 on her first event, uneven parallel bars, during the first rotation of the meet.  She then went to balance beam where she posted a score higher than any of the Georgia gymnasts who preceded her on beam.
 
Senior Natalie Hamp closed out her outstanding Huskie career on bars in her third career NCAA Regional appearance. She scored a 9.725 in her final routine.  
 
"This puts a cap on Natalie's legacy on bars and her NIU legacy," Morreale said. "I could not be prouder of everything she's done for NIU gymnastics and NIU Athletics. She has helped me become a better coach."
 
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