Somewhere, it has been said that practice makes perfect.

Poland native Goha Mroz somehow has avoided that stereotype in her travels worldwide. But, in some way, those journeys had to play into her efforts Sunday afternoon at Chick Evans Field House.

The University of Missouri was the victim to the NIU

gymnastics team as the cats fell to the dogs 189.10-187.40.

Mroz has been bothered by a sore right wrist forcing her to compete only half a meet, missing beam and floor. But her brilliance on vault and bars was a highlight in the complete team effort.

Scoring an NIU record 9.80 on vault, Mroz, the anchor, clinched a team record as well with a 47.55—.05 better then the now outdated mark (47.50) set last season.

The old personal record was previously held by Lori Lebo, who scored a 9.75 twice and was tied by Mroz in the last home meet against Illinois.

“I was very very thankful for Goha Mroz,” Huskie head coach Bobbie Cesarek said. “She had not trained all week long … and look what she did.”

“She had not trained (bars) all week long, and it shows, obviously, the amount of talent that she has,” Cesarek continued, “so, I was delighted.”

Mroz added a 9.70 on the bars in tying for the crown with Missouri’s Kellie Copeland.

After the beginning NIU (9-5) had, the 300 on hand for the meet hoped the good fortune would transcend into the remaining three events.

They weren’t disappointed—entirely.

“Beam coach wasn’t there this week,” jarred Cesarek. “Can you tell?”

While the 46.05 tallied by the ladies qualified as rather lackluster, Nickie Pedicini received individual recognition in tying for second with a 9.50 as Copeland garnered a 9.60 for tops.

Copeland would go on to score a 38.70 in all-around, easily winning in the three-woman race over her teammate Leah Hicks (37.85) and Huskie senior Vicki Thimgan (37.80).

Thimgan’s best performance came in the last event, floor, as she posted a 9.70 to share the meet high with teammate Tiffany Bollinger.

Shadowed by Mroz’s chart-buster, Danielle Beauchesne refused to be outdone as she added a 9.70 on vault to her portfolio.

Of course, the 9-1 streak the Huskies have put together doesn’t reflect the types of scores they’ve been putting up. And U of M head coach, Jake Jacobson, is aware of that as his squad looks toward regionals, where it takes great scores to get there, not great records.

“We weren’t really that worried about winning or losing this gymnastics meet,” he said. “We just wanted to get our kids back to Columbia (Missouri).”

“I think we’re solid for the regionals,” reasoned Jacobson. “I think that Northern Illinois has a good chance also. I think it will be between Michigan State and (NIU).”

Nevertheless, the Huskie victory by 1.70 serves as a barometer as to what NIU might encounter come those possible early April days in Baton Rouge.

Missouri didn’t compete two of its all-arounders after a tough quadrangular Friday night at Southeast Missouri State.

“We decided to rest Christine Harkey, whose our top all-around gymnast,” Jacobson informed. “And Kim Leslie, we decided to rest her, too. She might be a better gymnast than Harkey.”

To help better her gymnasts, Cesarek gives her ladies today off with practice Tuesday through Thursday. Then, Friday through Sunday will be off-days before the next meet against Western Michigan at home on March 5.