DeKalb — The gymnastics team dropped to 1-5 on the season, falling to the Kent State University Golden Flashes on the road Friday in its first Mid-American Conference matchup of the season.

“Obviously our record is not showing what we’re capable of, but we’ve gone against some pretty good teams,” said Head Coach Sam Morreale. “We’re [competitive] in all these meets, so I think they’re feeling good about that. For us, the improvement and the success we’re having in day-to-day competition, that’s what we’re trying to build off of.”

NIU lost by a close margin to a team who was labeled as the top-ranked team in the MAC coming into the season. The Huskies put up 195.200 points, falling short of Kent State by a mere .725, despite another all-around performance from senior Ashley Potts.

The NIU standout was the only all-around gymnast for the Huskies, posting a combined 39.025, including the top score in vault with 9.850.

Despite the loss, Morreale said he was encouraged by what he saw.

“We’re ecstatic,” Morreale said. “In our third meet of the year, to top 195 [points] is a huge thing for us, especially on the road. You’ve got to iron some of the rough edges out, and this group has worked really hard to make those corrections, and that’s really exciting as a coach.”

Potts was outscored by only one gymnast in the evening — Kent State’s senior Rachel Stypinski. The Kent State star scored a total of 39.425 and placed first on balance beam and floor, as well as second on bars.

NIU was beaten in every event, with the exception of vault, where it tied Kent State. Morreale spoke about the importance of improving landings after the team’s previous meet.

“I think we had two sticks last week, and we had six this week,” Morreale said. “It’s not a huge change in numbers, but we just had better control of our landings. There’s always a lot more energy when you do a better job finishing off a routine.”

The Huskies will take on the Central Michigan Chippewas 2 p.m. Sunday at Victor E. Court. Morreale said the team is excited to get back and compete at home after two straight meets on the road.

“It’s fun competing at home,” Morreale said. “Central Michigan is a team that, like Kent State, who seem to rule the MAC, and it’s a great chance for us to measure up against them.”