KALAMAZOO, Mich.  – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team overcame a slow start to record its seventh 195-plus score of the season but fell to Western Michigan, 197.100-195.450 Saturday in its penultimate outing of the regular season.
 
After counting a fall on uneven parallel bars in the first rotation, the Huskies came back to post 49-plus scores on each of its last three events, beginning with a season high 49.025 total on vault.
 
"We've been improving every week on vault and today we saw what we've been looking for," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "Vault was a great run for us, especially after an uncharacteristic start for us on bars. It was good to see us come back from that and finish the meet super strong. We've talking about going 49 [team score] on every event and now we've done that, it's just a matter of putting it all together."
 
Four of NIU's six vaulters set or tied their career and/or season highs, led by all-arounder Isabella Sissi, who tied for third place with NIU's highest score of the day on the event, a 9.825. Senior Ciara Ryan and sophomores Emma Brkljacic and Emmalise Nock each scored 9.800.  The 49.025 team vault total tied for the fourth highest vault score in school history and the Huskies' best vault score since the 2020 season.
 
The Huskies totaled a 49.100 on floor exercise in the third rotation, led by Nock's 9.900, her third straight meet scoring a 9.900 on floor, and a 9.875 from Sissi as she tied her career high on floor. Ryan added a 9.800.
 
Three Huskies went 9.800 or higher on balance beam, led by Olivia Lynd's career best 9.875 to finish fourth. Brookelyn Sears scored a 9.850 and Sissi a 9.800 to back up Lynd. NIU matched its vault total with a 49.025 team score on beam.
 
Sissi recorded a career high 39.325 all-around score after tying or setting career highs on three events. Her 39.325 mark is tied for the 10th highest all-around mark in school history. In addition to the 9.875 on floor, 9.825 on vault and 9.800 on beam, she tied for fourth on bars with a 9.825.  Junior Alyssa Al-Ashari won the uneven parallel bars event with a 9.900.
 
"We had a good day all in all," Morreale said. "The 195.450 is great, it's just we feel like we can do more so it's hard not to feel like it was a missed opportunity.  We are still looking for that four-for-four kind of day. The 195.450 is very respectable and the 49 score on vault bodes well for the MAC Championships in two weeks. The goal now is to have a solid week of training to go to Michigan State."  
 
NIU (8-4, 3-3 MAC) closes out the regular season next Saturday, March 11 at Michigan State before traveling to Kent, Ohio for the 2023 MAC Championships on Saturday, March 18.
 
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