On Friday, sophomore Holly Reichard was named MAC Gymnast of the Year.

On Saturday, she and MAC Senior of the Year Jennifer Naughton led the NIU gymnastics squad to a third-place finish at the MAC Championship in Muncie, Ind.

The Huskies, with a score of 192.700, finished behind Central Michigan, which took second with a 194.375 mark, and the favored Kent State group which took the title with a 194.500 tally. NIU’s third-place finish is tied for the highest-ever at the MAC Championship in school history.

“Overall, it was not bad, but not great, not quite where we wanted to be,” said NIU head coach Mark Sontag. “Our expectations are higher these days. Even though we tied for our best finish, we’re at the point where we expect more.”

Reichard, only the second Huskie to win MAC Gymnast of the Year since its creation in 1997, stunned her competition at the conference finale, taking the top spot in the beam event with teammate Naughton. The pair scored a 48.100 on the event to share the title of the MAC’s best beam performer.

“Jen Naughton has been hunting that title for a long time, so it was nice to see her get it,” Sontag said. “Not being an all-arounder, sometimes she doesn’t get the accolades that she deserves.

She’s had three misses her entire college career, one of those on beam last year at this meet, and that’s something you don’t forget. I know she really wanted to erase that.”

Reichard was the runner-up in the all-around event with a career second-best score of 39.250 and was the only MAC gymnast to finish in the top five in each event. Sharing the beam lead with Naughton, Reichard was also able to secure a fifth-place finish on floor exercise, fourth on vault and third on the uneven parallel bars all with a 9.825 mark.

“Without a doubt, Holly is one of hardest working gymnasts I have ever seen,” Sontag said. “She expects a high level of performance from herself every day in the gym, and that’s why she excels in the meets. Holly showed exactly why she was voted Gymnast of the Year. People recognize someone who excels at every aspect of the sport.”

The MAC finale ends team competition for the 2009 season. Reichard and Naughton, however, are both expected to qualify for NCAA Regionals. The bids will be released later in the week.