Feb. 29, 2008

DeKalb, Ill.- Following its strongest performance of the season versus the University of Illinois-Chicago this past Wednesday, the Northern Illinois Gymnastics team looks to improve their season-best score, when they compete in their final home meet versus Central Michigan and the University of Illinois-Chicago on Sunday at the NIU Convocation Center.

The meet begins as 2 p.m. (CT). Tickets are on sale at the door for $5 for adults and $3 for children (17 and under). Admission is free for NIU students.

This meet will be particularly special for the four Huskie seniors, Allison Holysz (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Palatine Fremd HS), Amanda Johnson (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS), Jennifer Rice (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor), and Amber Whitecotton (West Dundee, Ill./South HS), as Sunday will be their final home appearance of their NIU collegiate careers. Johnson has already missed most of the 2008 campaign after hitting her head on the vault at Kent State earlier this season, while Whitecotton also has seen limited action after an early-season injury.

Collectively, the senior group has helped the Huskies to 26 wins over the past four years, with a third-place team finish at the MAC Championships in 2005, and a second-place showing at last year's State Championship among the highlights.

At the meet at UIC on February 27, the Huskies were led by freshman all-arounder Holly Reichard (Palatine, Ill./Fremd HS), who posted a career-best score of 38.975. Reichard placed third on the vault, scoring a 9.700, was second on the uneven parallel bars (9.750), tied for first on the balance beam with a season-best 9.850 and tied for fourth place on the floor exercise (9.675).

Another standout of that night was the Huskies' balance beam team, which totaled the fifth-highest beam score in school history, of 48.950.

Throughout the season, the Huskies have been led by junior all-arounder Leah Johnson (Glenview,Ill./Glenbrook South H.S.), Reichard, and junior Jennifer Naughton (Smithville, Mo./Smithville H.S.) Johnson has posted career best scores of 9.775 for the bars (1/20 and 1/27), and tied her career best score of 9.825 on the floor exercise routine (1/20) this season. Reichard has had an impressive freshman year thus far, earning most of her career-best scores this past week. Similarly, Naughton has recorded season-best scores of 9.775, 9.825, and 9.800 for the vault, beam, and floor exercise, to rank among the conference leaders.

Consistency has been the key this season, as Northern has not posted a team score lower than 192.400, and the uneven bars and balance beam teams have compiled season-best scores of 48.550 (1/27) and 48.950 (2/27), respectively. Additionally, the team scores for the bars have been 47.925 or higher, and the beam 47.750 or higher.

The Huskies look to maintain this consistency, and build on the momentum of Wednesday's win, as they face the Flames and Chippewas this Sunday at the Convocation Center.

--NIU--