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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Redshirt sophomore Blake West eyes his Kent State University opponent in Day 1 of the MAC Championships Friday. West qualified for the NCAA Tournament after falling in the championship round of the MAC Championships. (Elsye Jones | Courtesy of NIU Athletics)

Wrestling places 7th at MAC Championships

By Zack Rodriguez, Former Sports Reporter | March 12, 2024

DeKALB – Seven Huskies merit a MAC Championship spot while one earned admission to the NCAA Championships during the 2024 MAC Championships Friday and Saturday on the campus of Kent State University. NIU extended its NCAA qualifier streak to 51 consecutive...

Freshman Saul Berdullas throws up a serve against Omaha on March 2. Berdullas was the lone Huskie to win a singles match in a  5-2 loss to Western Michigan University. (Norther Star File Photo)

Men’s tennis falls to Western Michigan, ends winning streak at 9

March 11, 2024

Losing to Western Michigan University (10-3, 2-0 MAC), NIU men’s tennis’ (11-3, 1-1 MAC) winning streak has ended at nine matches.  The Huskies won two matches to clinch the doubles point, before losing all but one of the singles matches.  Seniors...

Senior infielder Aaron Harper throws a baseball to a teammate before NIU baseball's matchup with Louisiana State University. Harper recorded three hits in Game 2 of the Huskies' doubleheader against Ohio University Friday. (Courtesy of Jonathan Mailhes)

Baseball splits doubleheader with Ohio, wins first MAC game of 2024

By Joseph Segreti, Sports Reporter | March 9, 2024

NIU baseball split a doubleheader against the University of Ohio Friday to open MAC play. With the win, the Huskies earned their first conference win of the 2024 season.  GAME 1  The Huskies’ offense provided early support for freshman pitcher...

Freshman Sam Klein (left) and sophomore Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (right) reach for a handshake at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. Gaztambide Arrastia won his doubles match with sophomore Christopher Norlin as NIU defeated Ball State University 5-2. (Scott Walstrom | NIU Athletics)

Men’s tennis wins 9th straight with win over Ball State

By Kalin Schaefer, Sports Reporter | March 9, 2024

Adding another win to the now nine match win streak, NIU men’s tennis (11-2, 1-0 MAC) defeated Ball State University (6-6, 0-1 MAC) 5-2, earning its first conference win. The Huskies won two of the three matches to clinch the doubles point, dropping...

Junior guard David Coit scans the court while Buffalo freshman guard Bryson Wilson guards him on Friday. Coit scored a career-high 37 points en route to a 78-68 victory over the Bulls. (Paul Hokanson | Courtesy of UB Athletics)

3 Huskies post season highs in season finale victory

By Zachary Bertram, Senior Sports Reporter | March 9, 2024

Junior guard David Coit exploded for a career-high 37 points as NIU men’s basketball (11-20, 5-13 MAC) ended an otherwise lackluster season on a high note, taking down the University at Buffalo Bulls (4-27, 2-16 MAC) 78-68 Friday.  “He’s (Coit)...

Former NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi drops back during passing drills at Thursday's Pro Day inside the Chessick Practice Center. Lombardi worked out in front of scouts from at least 11 NFL teams. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

6 former Huskies participate in annual Pro Day

By Zack Rodriguez, Former Sports Reporter | March 7, 2024

DeKALB – Six former Huskies and five other draft-eligible players worked out in front of NFL scouts ahead of April's 2024 NFL Draft Thursday at the Chessick Practice Center for NIU’s annual Pro Day. Measurements were taken ahead of on-field testing....

NIU senior Mikael Vollbach gets set to receive the serve during singles. Vollbach scored the Huskies’ second point in a tight match that went to a second set tiebreaker as he defeated University of Nebraska Omaha sophomore Ryoma Mishiro with scores of 6-4, 7-6 and 7-5. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Vollbach earns MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors

By Kalin Schaefer, Sports Reporter | March 7, 2024

NIU men’s tennis senior Mikael Vollbach was named the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday.  MAC faculty athletics representatives consider athletic performance from the previous week and grade-point average when selecting...

Then-senior linebacker Tyler Jackson (0) lines up behind then-redshirt sophomore George Gumbs Jr. and then-junior defensive tackle Cade Haberman in an NIU football home game against Ohio University on Oct. 14, 2023. NIU football's 2024 schedule was released Tuesday. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

NIU finalizes 2024 football schedule

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | March 6, 2024

DeKALB – The NIU football team is set to face a pair of Power Five opponents in the University of Notre Dame and North Carolina State University in its 2024 schedule announced by NIU and the Mid-American Conference Tuesday. NIU will play six games...

Sophomore forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser (14) and junior guard David Coit (11) double team Central Michigan University junior guard Anthony Pritchard in an NIU men's basketball home game on Tuesday. Konan Niederhauser and Coit combined for 39 points in the Huskies 69-63 defeat. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Konan Niederhauser breaks out in Huskies’ loss to CMU

By Ethan Gonzales, Former Sports Editor | March 6, 2024

DeKALB – Central Michigan University’s (17-13, 11-6 MAC) balanced offensive attack proved to be too much for NIU men’s basketball (10-20, 4-13 MAC) to handle as the Huskies fell 69-63 Tuesday in their final home game of the 2023-2024 season. Sophomore...

Junior guard David Coit (11) prepares to make a fake pass to a teammate in front of him before quickly sending the ball to a teammate behind him.

Coit named MAC Player of the Week

By Zachary Bertram, Senior Sports Reporter | March 4, 2024

DeKALB – NIU junior guard David Coit earned his first career MAC Player of the Week award for his historic week against the University of Toledo Rockets and the University of Akron Zips. Facing the top two teams in the MAC, the 5-foot-11-inch guard...

Senior infielder Andre Demetral focuses on a throw during an NIU baseball game against Louisiana State University. Demetral recorded one hit in the Huskies' 14-1 loss to the University of Cincinnati on Sunday. (Courtesy of Jonathan Mailhes)

Baseball bags ‘Boneyard Win’, drops 2 to Bearcats

By Zachary Bertram and Joseph Segreti | March 3, 2024

After falling to the University of Cincinnati Bearcats (6-5) 6-5 on a walk-off hit by pitch in Game 1, NIU baseball (3-9) bounced back for a 6-4 win behind the best performance of freshman catcher Cooper Cohn’s young career in Game 2.  Despite allowing...

Then-junior Mikael Vollbach stands ready to receive a serve during men's tennis' match against the University of Illinois Chicago on Feb. 22, 2023. Vollbach won all three of his matches Saturday, including his doubles match with senior Cheng En Tsai and the dual-clinching singles match against University of Nebraska Omaha. (Courtesy of NIU Athletics)

Men’s tennis take two decisive victories

By Kalin Schaefer, Sports Reporter | March 3, 2024

Improving to 10-2 on the season, NIU men’s tennis defeated both Southern University (0-9) and the University of Nebraska Omaha (10-6) on Saturday.  Defeating Southern 7-0 with two doubles and four singles matches being played, only five Huskies...