The future looks very promising for the NIU gymnastics team. On Friday, two of the Huskies’ young guns were honored by league coaches for their great seasons.

Sophomore Kristina Campos was named MAC Gymnast of the Year, while freshman Ashlee Williams walked away with MAC Freshman of the Year.

“Kristina was just so consistent, week in and week out, all season for us,” NIU coach Mark Sontag said. “She’s probably the top gymnast I’ve ever taken to regionals, and I couldn’t ask for more from Ashlee this season.

A three-time MAC Gymnast of the Week honoree, Campos not only scored over 39 in the all-around four times, but also broke Sandy Menard’s (1995-98) all-around record of 39.400 with a 39.550 against Western Michigan.

Prior to the MAC Championships, Campos was averaging over 9.600 in all four events, including a 9.877 on the floor.

“The respect of receiving an award like this adds a lot of confidence to the entire team,” Campos said. “Hopefully I can continue to put up good seasons like this one.”

Williams was honored as the MAC’s top freshman after putting up un-freshman-like numbers.

A Missouri native, Williams competed in every event except the vault in all 11 meets this year. She averaged nearly a 9.800 on the floor and set the tempo on beam for the Huskies.

“I was really surprised,” Williams said. “I didn’t know that the coaches knew I existed, so I never thought they would recognize me.”

With their winning ways and confident attitudes, it looks as if the Huskies will continue gaining recognition from everybody they meet.

“We’re helping to rebuild the program,” Campos said. “The whole team works really hard, so Ashlee and I don’t deserve all the credit. Being recognized with these awards shows that we’re beginning to gain more respect from the MAC and that’s pretty exciting.”