NIU once again failed to record a win Tuesday night at home against UIC, losing 195.100-193.575.

The Huskies (1-8 overall, 1-5 MAC) recorded a season-high score with their 193.575. It is the largest score NIU has posted since last year at the MAC championships.

The team improved in both uneven parallel bars and balance beam with scores of 48.850 and 48.425 respectively. It also tied its high score on floor exercise, 48.300.

NIU head gymnastics coach Mark Sontag loves seeing his team improve week after week.

“We continue to progress and get better week by week,” Sontag said. “It’s great to see that, and that is all I can really ask for as a coach. As a team we have been making steps in all four of the events, and we continue to build on our scores and raise them as high as we can.”

Top performers for NIU once again included senior Holly Reichard and junior Ashley Guerra.

“Holly has been red-hot for us as of late,” Sontag said. “She has been leading our team in all the events all year. Ashley also has been doing a great job for us. She continues to put up the numbers and she just gets the job done for us.”

Reichard scored 38.950 in the all-around competition, taking second, and led her team in every event except for uneven parallel bars.

Guerra tied for first in the bars with teammate Shonda Clore, scoring 9.825.

Sontag said he is pleased with the scores his team is putting up and the performances they have been giving, however, he said it is frustrating to him and his team when they do not get the win.

“We have been putting up good scores,” Sontag said. “We just don’t get the win. We just have to continue to focus on ourselves and not worry about how the other team performs because we can’t control that. We just need to continue to make improvements and raise our own scores and we will be fine.”