Women's Gymnastics | January 6
Huskies Tie for Third at Season Opening Quad Meet
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team finished in a tie for third place in their season opening meet at the University of Missouri on Saturday night.
The Huskies tied Southeast Missouri State in scoring with 192.775 while the hosts, No. 12 ranked Missouri, won with a score of 197.150 and Lindenwood took second place with 194.000.
"It wasn't our greatest start to the year, but it was a start," said NIU head coach Sam Morreale. "We were a little bit more nervous than we needed to be, but I felt like we warmed up decently. I think we just didn't quite compete how we have been practicing so far this year."
Alyssa Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich., / Grand Ledge) led all Huskies and finished in fourth place on the beam with a 9.850 and also tied for sixth with a 9.775 on bars.
"Alyssa is a rock star; she knows how to do her stuff," Morreale said. "She works and trains very hard every day and is at the top of her game. She has some big aspirations this year, and these are the kind of things she has to do. She was the last person in the meet competing on the beam so all the attention was on her and she did a great job."
NIU had three freshmen make their collegiate debuts on Saturday in Isabella Ross (hometown/HS), Dawsyn Sallee (hometown/HS) and Mikayla Brown (hometown/HS). Sallee finished in seventh place on the vault with a 9.775.
"All three of the freshmen will contribute and we will rely on them for some big scores," Morreale said. "These three have been competing for many years, but college gymnastics is a little different. Dawsyn did a great job on vault and we have seen that since the fall. All three freshman and the whole team will gain confidence over the rest of the season."
The Huskies opened the night on the floor and Alana Anderson (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) started the Huskies out with a 9.725. Jenna Blair (Buffalo, N.Y., / Frontier) added a 9.500 before Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C. / Green Level) got a 9.775 in the floor.
Junior Emmalise Nock (Rosemount, Minn / Rosemount) anchored and scored a Huskie best 9.800 on the floor, giving the Huskies a team total of 48.425 on the event.
The Huskies then went on to the vault where Samantha Nickle (Yorktown, VA. / York) led off for the Huskies with a 9.650. Sallee led all Huskies on vault with a 9.775. Nock added a 9.725 as the Huskies totaled a 48.250 on vault.
Al-Ashari was the highest scorer on the Huskies third event, the bars. Drielick (Tampa, Fla. / Sunlake) scored a 9.650.
NIU closed out the night on the beam where Al-Ashari's 9.850 was the highest score of the meet on any event for the Huskies. George (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville Central) scored a 9.675, and Nickle added a 9.700.
The Huskies' next meet is Saturday, Jan. 13 as they open Mid-American Conference competition on the road against Bowling Green. That meet is set for an 11 a.m. (CT) start time.
-- NIU --
