Women's Gymnastics | February 25
DeKalb, Ill. – Behind a record-setting performance on floor exercise, the Northern Illinois University gymnastics team won earned a decisive quad meet win over Illinois State, Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Alaska Anchorage Sunday in the NIU Convocation Center. The Huskies' final score of 195.800 was their second highest of the season.
After recording the top team scores of the meet on the first three events, NIU closed out the win on floor exercise, where the Huskies set an all-time record with a 49.475. The total topped the previous mark of 49.425, set on March 17, 2019, at Ball State.
Freshman
Dawsyn Sallee (Versailles, Ky. / Woodford County) led the way for NIU on floor as her score of 9.925 earned second place in the meet and tied her season high.
Alana Anderson (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) and
Emmalise Nock (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) each contributed a 9.900, with
Samantha Nickle (Yorktown, Va./York) and
Isabella Sissi (Blaine, Minn. / Mounds View) adding 9.875s to the Huskies' final total.
"I feel like this is my most talented floor squad top to bottom," head coach
Sam Morreale said. "To finally get up and get those scores, I am super happy about that. Not only is it a great thing, this could be something that we could tap into [going forward] because we are that team."
Senior
Alyssa Al-Ashari (Lansing, Mich. / Grand Ledge) recorded the top score in the meet on bars with a 9.900 and finished third on beam with a 9.775. Sissi scored a 9.825 to earn second place on bars. Sophomore
Kiera O'Shea (Norridge, Ill. / Ridgewood) and Sallee each posted a 9.850 on vault, good for third place on vault.
"We talk about showing the team that we practice like and today was a day where we were able to do that," Morreale said.
NIU opened the meet on vault and took an early lead. The Huskies scored 49.025, led by Sallee and O'Shea with Sissi adding a 9.825.
NIU took home the top two spots on bars in the second rotation and totaled 48.800 as a team. In addition to Al-Ashari and Sissi,
Natalia Kraus (Fairport, N.Y. / Fairport) earned a 9.725, which was good for fourth place.
The Huskies maintained the lead through beam where Al-Ashari's 9.775 was just ahead of
Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C., Green Level) who scored a 9.750.
The Huskies have just three meets, with one at home, remaining before the MAC Championships on March 23.
"It's not like we need to get to the final meet and have our best meet of the year," Morreale said. "This is something where we can keep this slow build going and just ride these scores through the end of the year."
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. at the NC State Quad Meet versus the homestanding Wolfpack, Iowa State and Temple.
-- NIU --
