The gymnastics season is in the books for the Huskies. Here are the takeaways from the 2018 gymnastics season.

1. The team should be proud of its season

Despite a .500 record (13-13), the gymnastics team had a historically strong season. Seniors Ashley Potts and Katherine Prentice and junior Anna Martucci led the team into the record books as multiple individual and team records were broken.

Potts set all-time records eight times, three times on the uneven bars, once on the balance beam, once on floor exercise and three times as an all-arounder.

Prentice set four all-time records, once on bars, twice on beam and once as an all-arounder.

Martucci scored a 9.975 on the floor March 4, the highest score recorded for the Huskies in over two decades.

Some may not realize NIU finished with a division record of 3-3, considering it placed second in the Mid-American Conference Championship. The Huskies scored an impressive 195.875 in the MAC Championship.

“Obviously we wanted to be MAC Champs, but we had a great meet and gave it our all,” said Head Coach Sam Morreale. “It’s great getting into the history books. It’s our highest finish all time at the [MAC] Championship. All in all, it was a really good meet.”

NIU also boasted the MAC Specialist of the Year in Martucci. Two Huskies, including Martucci, Prentice and Potts, were placed on All-MAC First and Second Teams.

2. The team will have to replace some talent

Prentice and Potts will be leaving behind massive shoes to fill. Both Potts and Prentice not only competed at a high level but in every event.

That leaves eight spots open from just two gymnasts leaving, not even including seniors Aubrie Purtell and Andie Van Voorhis, whos absence will open up more starting spots.

Potts, in particular, will be difficult to replace. She was named MAC Gymnast of the Week three times.

“The great thing about these seniors is [that] they’ve turned this program into what we have become, and we did that on their backs,” Morreale said, according to NIU Media Services. “It’s bittersweet. You don’t want to see them leave, but it’s just part of the business. I can’t over-thank the seniors enough. Andie [Van Voorhis] and Aubrie [Purtell], as well as [Prentice] and Potts, have helped develop this program into what it is.”

3. They have young talent who can make an impact next season

With the seniors leaving, a new wave of talent will need to take over. Martucci is an obvious catalyst for the team going forward, but other athletes will need to step up and join Martucci as team leaders.

Sophomore Allison Richardson competed as an all-arounder at multiple meets this season and will look to take on a bigger role in the future.

Another candidate for a bigger role is sophomore Amanda Bartemio, who finished her season strong as a vault Champion at the MAC Championship with a score of 9.850.

Potts identified freshman Zoie Schroeder as an upcoming talent.

“She’s really laid back and doesn’t seem too nervous,” Potts said. “She has really good skills and good form. I feel like she will be really good in the upcoming years, especially on bars and beam.”

Schroeder dealt with an injury this year, so fans were not able to see her in action.

The transition from this season to the next will be a pivotal one for the Huskies, as the next wave of student-athletes take over.