Women's Gymnastics | February 23

NORMAL, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team had five gymnasts reach the podium in its road meet against Illinois State on Monday night. NIU fell just short in the meet, losing 192.700-192.650.

The Huskies were led by their freshmen on bars for the second straight meet as Elizabeth Poncin (Tinley Park, Ill. / Tinley Park) and Makenna Brooks (Kokomo, Ind. / Eastern) tied for first place with a score of 9.750. Monday was Poncin's third win on bars this season while Brooks set a new career-best.

Junior Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C. / Green Level) set a career-high on beam for the Huskies, scoring a 9.775 and finished second from the lead-off spot. Sophomore Drake White began the night with a 9.800 on vault to tie a season-high and tied for first place.

Junior Dawsyn Sallee (Versailles, Ky. / Woodford County High) continued her impressive February, placing on both vault and floor for NIU. The junior finished third on vault, her fifth top-three finish in the last six meets, while tying for second place on floor with a 9.750.

Rotation One
Poncin set up the Huskies early with a 9.750 on bars, followed up by sophomore Maria King (Nashville, Tenn. / Currey Ingram Academy) scoring a 9.650. NIU received a solid closing to the rotation from freshman Deziray Boykin (Henderson, Nev. / Green Valley) and Brooks, with Boykin earning a 9.700 and Brooks capping the routine with a 9.750.

Rotation Two
The Huskies highest scoring routine came from vault, finishing with a 48.400. Senior Jocelyn Harbeck (Frankfort, Ill. / Lincoln-Way East) earned a score of 9.700 and was followed by White and Sallee.

Junior Mikayla Brown (Suwanee, Ga. / Peachtree Ridge) and sophomore Audrey Brenner (Fond du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac) each posted a 9.575.

Rotation Three
On floor, Sallee led the Huskies while Harbeck and fellow senior Samantha Nickle (Yorktown, Va. / York) tied for fifth with a 9.725.

Brown earned a score of 9.625 from the anchor position.

Rotation Four
Ross opened the final rotation with a strong start, marking a new career-best with a 9.775. Boykin placed fifth with a score of 9.675, just ahead of sixth-placed Sallee with a 9.650.