Despite being in her last season as an NIU gymnast, Natalie Sutter still has goals and is still accomplishing ones she has previously set.

Sutter has been moved into the role of an all-around gymnast for the first time in her career at NIU, finally taking on the responsibility of competing on balance beam in addition to vault, floor and bars.

“It’s really exciting. I’ve been working four years in order to get in to beam,” Sutter said. “I’m happy that I’ve been able to work hard enough to get a routine put together that’s top six on our team. It’s a lot of pressure just because I’m not as confident on beam, but I’m working on it and making strides.”

That confidence is not from lack of practice–Sutter has trained on beam her whole time at NIU–but due to lack of actual competition, as in her previous three years she only competed on beam four times, two of those in an exhibition routine.

Head coach Sam Morreale was not the coach who recruited Sutter, as previous head coach Mark Sontag did that. However, Morreale has worked with Sutter as an assistant and during his time at head coach.

Morreale knew Sutter was going to get her shot this season based off of her mindset and the work she had put in.

“It was more just based on skill acquisition as we were moving forward,” Morreale said. “It was even something last season that she was pushing but she was never able to make it over the hump and make the starting lineup. This summer it was apparent that that’s what she wanted to do her senior year.”

Sutter’s time at NIU has been less about flash, more about technical aspects and refining.

Sutter definitely has the ability to provide flash with her routines, as she recently posted her career-high on floor last meet with a 9.875, which had garnered a 9.900 from one judge. While those big scores are always out there, what impresses more about Sutter is the seasonal comparisons.

Starting her freshman year and only competing on vault and floor, she averaged 9.573 and 9.550, respectively.

Going into her sophomore year, she acquired three tries on bars and two on beam, but started on vault and floor the entire season, averaging 9.580 and 9.468, respectively.

Last season, after taking on bars full time, she posted averages of 9.579 on vault, 9.540 on bars and 9.667 on floor.

Morreale knows that Sutter not only has produced, but produced with a high degree of difficulty to her skills.

“When she hits her bar routine it’s one of the harder bar routines in the nation based on the skills,” Morreale said. “She’s somebody who, honestly, with the three strong events, she could chase the all-around high score. There’s a lot of things she could actually attain in her senior year.”

Five meets into the year, her vault is up to 9.665 and floor up to 9.680. Her bars sits at 9.330, as she has to count an 8.450 in the opening meet of the year. On beam, she has posted an average of 9.370.

While there is still time left this season, the incremental increases speak to Sutter’s approach to her sport.

“I am very detail-oriented,” Sutter said. “I could have the best routine yet and still know that there’s still room for improvement. I’ve always tried to go above and beyond what I think I’m capable of.

“Every year I approach my routines with more confidence. Getting the experience out there and knowing I can hit for my team. I’ve also had more of a leadership role, along with being a senior. It’s taking my years and using them to benefit my team.”

While Sutter has already set a new career-high, she also pays a lot of attention to her team’s history and scores.

Sutter knows how close NIU came last season to breaking the school floor record, and knows that if the team continues on an upward trend that the vault squad has a chance to break that record and the overall team score.

“I don’t know if it’s just me, I really pay attention to stats,” Sutter said. “Everyone looks to me to know what the other teams are getting. I know a few of the others really know the scores that we’re aiming for. We’re really trying to beat those records and put our names into history.”

Aside from looking at her performances from a team standpoint and improving herself every meet, Sutter also has the end-game of this season in mind.

“I can see how far we’ve come since my freshman year,” Sutter said. “I know we have a very good shot at making regionals this year as a team, which would be the second time in school history. We’re definitely headed in the right direction…we’re that much closer to making regionals. To end on that high note with my team would be the best end to my gymnastics career.”