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Northern Star

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

A graphic displays photos of NIU student-athletes from football, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer. Sports Editor Lucas Didier shares his most important focus areas for each of NIU's fall sports teams. (Eddie Miller | Northern Star)

COLUMN: How the Huskies can excel in fall 2024

By Lucas Didier, Sports Editor | August 25, 2024

Victories in the Camellia Bowl and the opening round of the MVC Tournament contributed to a fairly successful Fall 2023 season for NIU, but there is plenty of room for the Huskies to surpass themselves in 2024. Here’s how NIU can step up its game...

Senior Julia Finegan (2) runs at the Redbird Tune Up on Feb. 16. Finegan finished third in the 800-meter run at the Fighting Illini Tune Up on Saturday. (Courtesy of Illinois State Athletics)

Huskies net 2 first place finishes in visit to Urbana-Champaign

By Joseph Segreti, Sports Reporter | May 5, 2024

Senior Tara Stauffacher’s first place finish in shot put highlighted NIU women’s track and field's successful day at the Fighting Illini Tune Up.  Stauffacher championed shot put with her best throw measuring in at 12.13 meters, beating out second...

Senior catcher/outfielder Ellis Erickson dives back to first base on Tuesday at Mary M. Bell Field. NIU softball dropped all three games of its regular season finale against Miami University on Saturday. (Northern Star File Photo)

Softball swept in series versus No. 25 RedHawks

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | May 5, 2024

DeKALB – NIU softball (18-34, 9-19 MAC) mustered four total runs in weekend action against the 25th-ranked Miami University RedHawks (45-7, 26-1 MAC) on Saturday and Sunday at Mary M. Bell Field to conclude the regular season. The Huskies were blanked...

Junior middle infielder/outfielder Avery Carnahan hits an RBI single in the third inning of Game 2 on Tuesday. Carnahan drove in three runs on Tuesday as NIU softball split a doubleheader with Ball State University. (Totus Tuus Keely | Northern Star)

Huskies hammer Ball State with home-run frenzy

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | April 30, 2024

DeKALB – The NIU softball team totaled five home runs Tuesday as the Huskies split their home doubleheader against Ball State University at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies (18-31, 9-16 MAC) began the action with a dominant 9-2 victory before falling...

Sophomore Ari Christian (left) and graduate student Aasiyah Barr (right) run at the Redbird Tune-Up on Feb. 16. NIU track and field took four first-place finishes across the Kip Janzrin Open, ONU Outdoor Invitational and Drake Relays over the weekend. (Courtesy of Illinois State Athletics)

Huskies win four events in three meet weekend

By Joseph Segreti, Sports Reporter | April 28, 2024

NIU women’s track and field traveled to three different invitationals this weekend and took home nine top-five finishes, four of which being first place finishes.  KIP JANVRIN OPEN The Huskies traveled to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, for...

Sophomore catcher/utility Cara Cruthers (16) makes contact on March 29 at Mary M. Bell Field. NIU softball split Saturday's doubleheader with Bowling Green State University as each game was ended by mercy rule. (Northern Star File Photo)

NIU and Bowling Green swap wins in doubleheader

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter | April 28, 2024

NIU softball (17-30, 8-15 MAC) wrapped up its three-game series against the Bowling Green University Falcons (6-34, 3-19 MAC) trading blowout wins in Saturday’s doubleheader.  GAME 1: FALCONS 11 | HUSKIES 3 Faulty Huskie pitching and efficient...

Sophomore pitcher/utility Danielle Stewart (22) starts her pitching windup at Mary M. Bell Field on April 12. Stewart recorded the first no-hitter since 2006 in a win against Bowling Green State University Friday. (Totus Tuus Keely | Northern Star)

Stewart pitches no-hitter, NIU blanks Bowling Green

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | April 27, 2024

NIU sophomore pitcher/utility Danielle “Dee Dee” Stewart pitched her first career no-hitter as the Huskies (16-29, 7-14 MAC) shut out conference bottom-dweller Bowling Green State University (5-33, 2-18 MAC) 7-0 to open the season series Friday at...

Sophomore pitcher/utility Danielle Stewart (left) and senior catcher/outfielder Ellis Erickson (right) jump up for a high five during pre-game on April 12. NIU softball won both games of a doubleheader on Wednesday against Valparaiso University. (Northern Star File Photo)

Softball sweeps Valparaiso in doubleheader

By Lucas Didier, Sports Editor | April 24, 2024

NIU softball (15-29, 6-14 MAC) crushed Valparaiso University (8-34, 2-15 MVC), outscoring the Beacons 13-2 in a doubleheader sweep Wednesday. Wednesday’s pair of wins marked the first sweep of any kind for the Huskies this season. Three Huskie...

Senior catcher/outfielder Ellis Erickson (23) rounds first base after hitting a single on March 30 against Kent State University. Erickson was named to the Northern Star Sports Staff's MAC softball All-Star squad. (Northern Star File Photo)

COLUMN: Building the 2024 MAC All-Star softball team

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | April 24, 2024

As the 2024 regular season winds down and the postseason draws near, there’s no better time than the present to visit the world of make-believe – one where the MAC’s top talents join forces on a stacked 2024 MAC softball All-Star team featuring...

Then-junior Jasmine Ly shoots at the 2023 MAC Championship in April of 2023. Ly finished tied for 25th place in her final tournament of her senior season as the Huskies finished in third place at the 2024 MAC Championship. (Northern Star File Photo)

NIU women’s golf places third at the MAC Championship

By Eddie Miller, Sports Reporter | April 23, 2024

NIU women’s golf wrapped up the 2023-24 season Tuesday after placing third at the MAC Championship. Senior Emily Romancew and graduate student Sydney Naro each logged a top-10 finish.  The Huskies kicked off the tournament with a score of 310 in...

Sophomore right fielder Fiona Crane (26) throws the ball infield after catching the foul against the fence line in right field while senior center fielder Ellis Erickson (23) and junior second baseman Jenna Turner (4) cheer her on in the field. NIU softball was defeated 9-3 by the University at Buffalo Bulls Sunday. (Totus Tuus Keely | Northern Star)

Softball drops home series against Buffalo

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | April 22, 2024

DeKALB – An afternoon’s worth of bullying by the University at Buffalo Bulls has left NIU softball, a team that had championship expectations entering 2024, with no chance of a winning conference mark. NIU (13-29, 6-14 MAC) suffered its 14th conference...

Sophomore Isabella Righi serves on March 9 at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. NIU women's tennis won its final match of the regular season 5-2 on Sunday against the University at Buffalo Bulls. (Northern Star File Photo)

NIU women’s tennis defeats Bulls in season finale

By Angel Morales, Sports Reporter | April 21, 2024

NIU’s women’s tennis (16-10, 5-5 MAC) triumphed against the University at Buffalo (16-11, 3-7 MAC) with a score of 5-2 on Sunday.  The Huskies surpassed the Bulls as they won all completed doubles matches, and won four out of six singles matches...