Northern Illinois University Athletics

NIU Career Bests: Bars - 9.825 (twice, last at MAC Championship, 3-23-13); Beam - 9.850 (twice, last vs. Eastern Michigan, 3-1-13)

2013: Member of the All-State Gymnastics Team after placing fifth on uneven parallel bars at the State Championships. Third on uneven parallel bars and sixth on vault at the MAC Championships with a score of 9.825 on both events; Ranked eighth in the MAC on uneven parallel bars and tied for sixth on beam; The Huskies[apos] top performer on bars and beam collected a pair of wins on bars and four beam titles as a junior; Eighteen top five finishes on the year led NIU; Added to the vault line-up in February and ranked third on the team in vault with two top five finishes and a career best 9.825 at the MAC Championships; Earned career highs of 9.825 on bars (twice) with seven scores of 9.750 or higher on bars and six top five finishes; On beam, had nine scores of 9.775 or better and placed in the top four in eight of 10 regular season meets this year; Won the beam title in three of six meets versus MAC competition. NIU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week (March 4); Huskie Scholar (3.0-3.5) in NIU[apos]s Academic Excellence Program; Named to the Academic All-State Team.

2012: After missing the entire 2011 season with a torn ACL suffered in the preseason, came back as a sophomore to win Mid-American Conference co-Specialist of the Year honors for her performance on balance beam and uneven parallel bars... Competed in all 12 meets on beam and in the last nine meets of the season on bars... Averaged a team-leading 9.712 on balance beam and ranked in the top five in the MAC on that apparatus... Earned MAC Specialist of the Week honors following the Illinois State and Eastern Michigan meets where she scored her season and career best marks of 9.850 and 9.825 to win both events... Was the MAC co-Specialist of the Week after her outing at Bowling Green where she posted a 9.750... Won five balance beam titles on the season and placed in the top five on beam in 10 of 12 meets on the year, including the MAC Championships where she tied for third with a 9.800... Scored 9.700 or higher nine times on beam and went 9.800 or better three times... Finished the season with NIU[apos]s fourth-best average on uneven parallel bars with a 9.514... Earned a 9.650 or better in six of the last seven meets on bars... Tied for first at Illinois State with a career high bars score of 9.800 and came back with 9.750 marks at EMU Quad Meet and at the State of Illinois Classic...

2011: Injured during the preseason and was not able to compete for NIU as a freshman.

Prep: Participated in both high school and club gymnastics during her prep career. Two-year varsity letterwinner on the North Stafford HS team served as team captain and was named team MVP in 2009. A two-time All-State, All-Region and All-Conference selection. As a junior, won the state title on the balance beam with a score of 9.825 and took fourth in the all-around with a total of 38.550. She took third place on vault in the 2009 Virginia Group AAA Individual State Meet. At the Virginia Northwest Region Gymnastics Championships in 2009 she took second in the all-around with a total of 38.450 while winning the individual event titles on the balance beam and floor exercise. Named to the Washington Post first team All Met Gymnastics squad in 2009. The Free Lance Star chose her to its all-area squad and named her Gymnast of the Year. While competing for Apollo Gymnastics, was a Level 10 Regional qualifier in 2009 and 2010. Placed third in the all-around at the Cancun Classic and was fifth all-around at the Maryland Classic in 2010. The previous year, won the uneven bars and placed fifth in the all-around at the New York Invitational, and was fourth in the all-around and won the beam at the Richmond Classic. Member of the National Honor Society also served as student body vice-president. Three-time winner of her school[apos]s Student-Athlete and Student-Scholar Awards (2007, 2008, 2009).

Personal: Born Oct. 5, 1992. Daughter of Craig and Yvonne Melendez. Biology major has career goals of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. NIU Victory Scholar with a GPA above 3.5.