Although the NIU women’s gymnastics team has not yet reached the top of the mountain yet, the Huskies are nearing that peak meet after meet.

Last Tuesday, that became evident when the squad’s 188.6 mark gave NIU the blue ribbon at the University of California-Santa Barbara triangular.

NIU Nicki Pedicini captured first-place honors in two of the four events, including a 9.60 performance on the uneven parallel bars and a 9.55 effort on the balance beam. Teammate Lori Lebo nabbed the top spot on vault, executing a 9.65 routine. In all-around competition, the Huskies’ Vicki Thimgan and Tiffany Bollinger were just one-tenth away from top honors with a 37.5.

“We nailed everything,” said an ecstatic Cesarek. “We counted just one fall in the whole meet. We’ve had the talent all season, but they are finally gaining confidence. The girls went out and performed to their capabilities. Hopefully we can continue to perform this way.”