Gymnastics senior Amanda Stepp is making her last days in the gym count.

In just the last two meets, Stepp has tied her career-high score of 9.9 on vault and set a career-high of 9.9 on floor, all while helping the Huskies reach record-setting heights.

Stepp has been building up to this throughout her career at NIU with her scores steadily increasing each season to the point where she has put her name in the record books and helped the Huskies become what may be one of the best teams in the program’s history.

“We’ve definitely been going in the right direction since I was a freshman, and this year, we’ve been having a really good year,” Stepp said. “It’s cool to see all the work that we’ve put in is paying off. We’re accomplishing the goals that we set.”

Head coach Sam Morreale said Stepp’s performance has helped the team settle into a groove and find the right mark competitively.

“She brings a level of ability in how she does her skills, where she’s at a very comfortable level competing,” Morreale said. “Hopefully, the younger kids see that and want to mirror and mimic that as they move forward.”

‘Nothing really flusters her’

Stepp has been one of the Huskies’ most reliable gymnasts with nine first-place scores this season.

“I just think I’ve been doing well in practice and getting the assignments down,” Stepp said. “The better you do in practice, the more confident you’ll feel going into a competition. … I’m just calm.”

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Stepp. Stress reactions in her shins kept her sidelined for two meets at the beginning of February. Instead of letting the injury sidetrack her senior season, Stepp took the time to focus on making sure she was going to be able to compete at a high level when she returned.

“It was pretty frustrating,” Stepp said. “I really wanted to compete, but I needed the time off. It was hard, but I tried to stay really mentally in the game, so I didn’t have that much to work on when I got back.”

It still took a few meets for Stepp to get back into a rhythm, but now she’s competing at as high a level as she was before the injury.

“Nothing really flusters her,” Morreale said. “She’s not surprised by a lot of things. It’s not about always adding new things; it’s about doing what you do really well. She’s bought into that and really used that this year.”

What’s ahead for the team

Once the season ends, Stepp knows she’s accomplished almost everything she can, so she’s set on making sure the team moves in the right direction.

“We’re both captains, and since we already click so well together, it makes it easier to set a good example or get everyone motivated and pumped up,” said gymnastics senior Kelly Nortz.

Stepp’s role as captain has been easier given the performances of the team’s freshmen, who have come in and assumed large roles on what she thinks to be gymnastics’ strongest team of her career.

“Our freshmen have really stepped up and they’ve helped us out a lot,” Stepp said. “I think our team dynamic has always been really good, and I think that helps. I think it’s probably our best team so far.”