With March coming to a close, the madness associated with it hasn’t.
As NIU’s spring sports are in full swing, the winter sports have wrapped up their season. Nonetheless, programs like women’s tennis and wrestling have flourished amid the pressure, while others … not so much.
Here are two high points, as well as two low points from NIU Athletics in March.
HIGH: WOMEN’S TENNIS GETS HOT START IN MAC
Quietly looking like NIU’s most dominant sports program this season, NIU women’s tennis continued their success with a 8-2 record in March.
Recording a pair of three-game win streaks, the Huskies’ only losses came against Cornell University and Ball State University – the reigning MAC Champions. Furthermore, head coach Eric Burns further etched his name in NIU’s record books, moving into second place in all-time wins for the Huskies.
Currently sporting a conference record of 4-1, the Huskies lead the MAC’s west division and are in position to make a run at the postseason.
Throughout the Huskies’ string of success, multiple athletes have emerged as key members of the lineup in light of senior Erika Dimitriev missing time. Notable players include junior Nataly Ninova, alongside NIU’s pair of freshmen: Lucia Yecora and Irmak Budak.
All in all, NIU has a deep roster with the potential of any player going off on any given day. Women’s tennis head coach Eric Burns commented on the benefits of having such a well-rounded roster.
“It’s (having a deep roster’s) amazing, we’ve been working toward this,” Burns said during NIU Athletics’ spring press conference on March 14. “This is probably the deepest team I’ve had in 23 years of coaching.”
LOW: MEN’S, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FORCED TO REBUILD
Although neither program competed in March, both teams sit in roster purgatory after losing an astounding amount of players and coaches.
For the women’s basketball team, on top of four departing seniors, redshirt sophomore forward Brooke Blumenfeld transferred to conference-foe Miami University (OH), while freshman guard Lexi Carlsen remains in the transfer portal. As for its head coach, the position remains vacant after Lisa Carlsen resigned on March 10.
Nonetheless, the NIU women’s basketball team faces an uphill battle heading into the upcoming season.
As for the men’s team, their leading scorer, alongside three others exited the program promptly following the end of its season. Sophomore guard Quentin Jones – who averaged the MAC’s third-best 16.6 points per game last season – is the most notable loss.
While the Huskies know their coach for the upcoming season, they are forced to play out the final season of head coach Rashon Burno’s contract – a close to a not-so-pretty tenure at NIU.
Despite NIU fans thinking last season was rock bottom, next season is looking like it may be even worse.
HIGH: WRESTLING SENDS TWO TO NCAA CHAMPS
Redshirt junior Blake West and redshirt sophomore Landen Johnson each competed on a national stage for NIU, competing in the NCAA Championship. Redshirt sophomore Markel Baker was also sent as an alternate, but did not see any action.
West found success at the NCAA Championship, including a victory over No. 15-seeded Oregon State University redshirt junior Maximo Renteria. Johnson picked up a win of his own, overcoming Columbia University junior Richard Fedalen.
Although both were eliminated from the tournament, making it is a feat in itself. As wrestling has a history of being one of NIU’s strongest sport programs, the Huskies have a bright future ahead.
LOW: MEN’S TENNIS SPARKS FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK
With a shaky 1-6 record in the month of March, a five-game losing streak has put been the final touch of a forgettable month for NIU men’s tennis.
Facing the adversity the spring season bears, the Huskies have faltered in the last few weeks.
“We’ve been hit by injuries over the last couple of weeks, which has really affected our ability to perform at the highest level,” said NIU men’s tennis head coach René Vidal.
Battling injuries throughout the spring season, the Huskies remain in search of their first MAC win after dropping their last six conference matchups.
Furthermore, NIU sits comfortably in the conference’s basement after a lackluster start to its 2025 campaign.
