NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State and Northern Illinois squared off at CEFCU Arena Friday night in the first of two meets this weekend between the squads, and it was the Huskies who came away with the victory over the Redbirds in the first matchup by a final score of 195.075-194.275.
Scoring Breakdown:
•   Vault: NIU 48.475, ISU 48.075
•   Bars: ISU 48.925, NIU 48.725
•   Beam: NIU 49.000, ISU 48.200
•   Floor: ISU 49.075, NIU 48.875
Thoughts from Coach Megan Harrington:
"I was really proud of how the team performed tonight, especially being without Coach Bob (Conkling) on the floor with us. We started off a little rough on vault, which should usually be one of our stronger events, but the team quickly settled into a rhythm and came back for the next three rotations. While we had a few minor errors here and there, tonight should help build their confidence going into another meet on Sunday where hopefully we can start strong right off the bat and put up a good away score."
Team Notes:
•   The Huskies jumped out to an early lead, with a strong start on bars with a score of 48.725 as the Redbirds posted a 48.075 on vault with a short-handed lineup.
•   However, the Redbirds bounced back in the second rotation as they posted a season-high team score of 48.925 to trim into the Huskies lead.
•   NIU extended the lead once again following the third rotation, after a strong score of 48.875 on floor while ISU answered with a 48.200 on beam.
•   The Redbirds once again rallied in the fourth and final rotation, breaking the 49.000 mark on floor for the second time this season with a 49.075 thanks to five scores of over 9.8, but the Huskies were solid on beam with a strong score of 49.000 to secure the victory.
Gymnast Notes:
•   Angelica Labat picked up the win in the all-around for the Redbirds, scoring a 38.825 to finish just ahead of teammate Nirel Bart-Williams in second place with a 38.450.
•   Madison Kipp tied a season-high score of 9.850 on beam to tie for the event win and lead the Redbirds in the event.
•   A trio of Redbirds tied for the top spot on floor, with as Sara Wabi, Alana Laster and Labat each posted scores of 9.825 while teammates Kaitlyn Donovan and Bart-Williams tied for fourth with scores of 9.800.
•   In addition to the strong performance on floor, Labat posted a season-best score of 9.850 on bars to finish in third place overall, with Carly Hawksworth and Bart-Williams right behind with matching scores of 9.800.
Up Next:
The Redbirds will travel to DeKalb, Illinois, on Sunday for another shot at defeating the Huskies. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
Â
