Women's Gymnastics | January 4
The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team will open their 2024 season on Saturday, January 6 at 6 p.m. in a quad-meet with the University of Missouri, Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri State in Columbia, Missouri. The meet will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Head coach Sam Morreale, entering his 13th season as head coach of the Huskies, thinks that the team is excited and ready to begin the 2024 campaign.
"Preseason is very long, demanding and grueling so the team is super excited to get this year under way," Morreale said. "After putting in all the work that they have during the first semester, along with the intrasquad [competitions] and practice tests, it's all been leading up to this meet January 6. I think they're very excited, not only just to get started but to show where we are as a team."
Missouri opens the season ranked 12th nationally in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association preseason poll. SEMO received 17 points while NIU received 15 points and Lindenwood received six points in the preseason poll.
"Missouri is a great team, they're historically in the top 15 if not higher," Morreale said. "That raises the level of the meet immediately. Lindenwood and SEMO are also mid-majors, so I see it as being a very competitive meet from the three of us chasing Missouri."
The Huskies' four captains for 2024 are seniors Alyssa Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) and Olivia Lynd (West Chester, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and juniors Emmalise Nock (Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS) and Isabella Sissi (Blaine, Minn./Mounds View HS).
"We have four captains, but we also have leadership from those athletes who have succeeded in the past like Alyssa Al-Ashari and Emmalise Nock who have been to Regionals and know what it takes," Morreale said. "Isabella Sissi is a very talented all-arounder who was knocking right on the door of regionals last year. We get leadership from a lot of different places; it's not just telling teammates what to do but showing them how to do it."
The Huskies have brought in seven freshmen in 2024 who are looking to compete for a spot in the lineup, with three of them prepared to begin their collegiate careers on Saturday.
"Development is going great for the freshman so far; freshman year is always an adjustment with a lot of changes in their lives," Morreale said. "We brought all seven freshmen in with hopes that they would be in the lineup and if not, they're pushing the teammates above them to hold their spots. I for sure see three freshmen - Isabella Ross, Mikayla Brown and Dawsyn Sallee competing for us in the first meet. Those three are doing very well now and are continuing to get better."
The Huskies finished 8-5 in 2023 and were 3-3 in regular season Mid-American Conference competition. Three individuals advanced to the NCAA Regionals.
NIU opens the season with three consecutive road meets before the home opener versus Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan on Sunday, January 28 at 2 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center.
-- NIU -
