Women's Gymnastics | January 10
Gainesville, Florida – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team opened the 2025 season on Friday night in a quad-meet hosted by the third-ranked Florida Gators. The Huskies also took on preseason No. 11 Nebraska and No. 23 Michigan State.
"It was a great experience competing here at Florida," said NIU interim head coach Nita Teague. "There was a lot of energy and it was super loud with a lot of positive energy."
Drake White (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chartrand) highlighted the two freshmen who made their debut in the meet. White earned a fourth-place finish after a 9.825 on vault. White also competed on floor and bars.
Audrey Brenner (Fon du Lac, Wis./ Fon du Lac) also debuted on vault and posted the Huskies' second-highest score with a 9.725.
"The freshman did a great job and handled the pressure well," Teague said. "The vault was the last event of the meet [for NIU] and they both showed some great vault performances out there."
NIU opened the meet on uneven bars and were led by senior
Isabella Sissi (Blaine, Minn./Mounds View) who anchored the event with a 9.650. White scored a 9.550 in her first ever event with the Huskies. NIU scored a 46.925 on the bars.
In the second rotation the Huskies took to the balance beam. Sophomores
Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C./Green Level) and
Mikayla Brown (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) led NIU with matching 9.750 scores.
Kiera O'Shea and
Ellery Werner each scored a 9.550 while the Huskies finished the event with a team score of 48.100.
The Huskies shifted to the floor exercise in the third rotation. Brown stood out yet again on floor as she led NIU with a 9.825. Senior
Alana Anderson (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) closed out the event for the Huskies and earned a 9.750. The Huskies earned a 48.225 on floor overall.
NIU closed out the meet on vault. White led the Huskies from the lead off position with an 9.825 in the event to close out an impressive debut meet.
Dawsyn Sallee (Versailles, Ky./Woodford County) added a 9.775 as NIU posted its best score in the meet with a 48.700.
"I thought that
Isabella Ross and
Mikayla Brown did a good job on beam," Teague said. "Mikayla also performed well on floor."
Overall, in the meet, NIU scored 191.950. The host Gators won the meet with a 196.675, MSU earned second with a 196.650 and Nebraska picked up a third-place finish with a 195.600.
"We definitely need to make sure we hit the routines better in the next meet," Teague said. "That is the first thing out of the gate, we need to hit the routines that we have been training more consistently."
The Huskies will return to action next Friday, January 17, with a road trip to Ypsilanti, Mich. to take on Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan at 5 p.m. NIU will also compete against Ball State and Winona State in the quad-meet.
-- NIU --
