Gymnastics improves to 9-2 on the season

By ANDREA BRADLEY

There was no break for NIU gymnastics as it sprung into two meets over the past week.

The team started by heading to Eastern Michigan for a quadrangular meet at the Eagle Invitational. The Huskies saw their five-match win streak end, but were able to beat two of the other three teams at the meet.

Defending MAC champions Eastern Michigan scored 192.475, as the Huskies placed second, scoring a 191.750. NIU beat Ilinois State (190.625) and Air Force (189.750) to grab the pair of wins.

Despite the wins, NIU coach Mark Sontag said the gymnasts did not perform as well as they usually do.

“It was one of those days,” Sontag said. “We’ve been going so well but we were off. We have been competing way above average, but [that day] was just kind of an average day.”

After competing in Michigan at the beginning of Spring Break, the team headed to Bowling Green, Ohio over the past weekend.

In Ohio, NIU matched up against Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan in a triangular meet. The Huskies came out victorious against both teams, avenging their previous loss to the Eagles earlier in the week.

The Huskies scored a 193.625 to close out the Eagles (193.500) and the Falcons (193.125).

The victories left the team 9-2 overall, with a 5-2 MAC record as they closed out conference play. Nine wins is the most NIU has seen since the 2005 season.

“Unlike other years, we really don’t have a weakness on this team,” Sontag said. “We are a pretty well-rounded, solid gymnastics team and that’s been one of our strengths this season.”