If a team doesn’t have a strong bond, individuals will fail.

That is the advice NIU gymnast Leah Johnson tries to live by. Johnson said she would not have had the individual success she saw over the 2008 season without her team.

“We had such a great bond this year,” Johnson said. “Everyone had the same goal, and everyone wanted the same thing.”

Teammate support helped Johnson reach the NCAA regionals for the second consecutive year. Johnson said the experience was amazing, but a little overwhelming.

Fortunately for the junior, Johnson was able to attend regionals with longtime friend and teammate Holly Reichard. Johnson said there is nothing better than competing with and around her friends.

“The most important thing is to look over and see your teammates cheering for you, and to know that they support you and believe in you,” she said. “You can’t ask for anything better.”

Johnson was also named MAC Gymnast of the Week two consecutive times in February and once in March. However, Johnson said her biggest accomplishment was in seeing the entire team succeed, which is much more important than individual success.