Winning is fun, but revenge can be “oh so sweet.”

The NIU women’s gymnatics team is hoping for a little of both when the Huskies head to Auburn for their first-ever team appearance at the NCAA Central Regional Championships Saturday at 7 p.m.

NIU’s regional is considered one of the toughest in the country with six of the seven teams ranked in the nation’s Top-20. Alabama, the No. 1 seed at the meet, is ranked No. 4 in the country with a 193.96 average.

Alabama is followed by LSU (191.74), Auburn (189.26), Southeast Missouri (188.92), NIU (188.88), University of Missouri (188.27), and University of Iowa (188.27).

“It is by far the hardest regional in the country,” Vicki Thimgan said in an interview last week.

Head coach Bobbie Cesarek agrees.

“We have not hit 190 all year,” Cesarek said. “So it would be very difficult to overcome teams who are averaging scores that are that high all year long.”

If the Huskies were to overcome those teams, they would receive an automatic bid to Nationals. The top finisher in each regional qualifies for nationals along with seven “wildcards” who are chosen at large.

The national qualifying score is a combined average of the regional qualifying score and the regional meet score times two. In order for the Huskies to be considered for Nationals, it will take an incredible regional score to make up for their less than 190 regional average.

But winning regionals is not the only objective on the minds of the NIU gymnasts. The 22-1 Huskies still hold a grudge against Southeast Missouri State which was responsible for NIU’s only loss.

“We’d certainly like to overcome Southeast Missouri after our last meet with them,” Cesarek said. “We’re going in with a little revenge in our hearts and in our minds.”

Besides a chance at earning a team spot at Nationals and a shot at revenge, it is an opportunity for individuals to qualify for national competition. In NIU’s case, Thimgan stands a fair chance of competing at nationals as an all-arounder.

“Since Alabama and LSU have six of the regional’s top all-arounders between them and will most likely take their teams to Nationals, Vicki stands a good chance to qualify. (Thimgan) will have to go in and compete well by doing only what she has been trained to do and not try anything she isn’t capable of,” Cesarek added.