Women’s Gymnastics | December 8 Story Links DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics squad took part in the yearly Red / Black exhibition at Victor E. Court on Sunday. “There were numerous impressive performances today,” interim head coach Nita Teague commented. “Vault truly stood out as one of the best sessions I’ve witnessed […]
Women’s Gymnastics | December 8
DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University gymnastics squad took part in the yearly Red / Black exhibition at Victor E. Court on Sunday.
“There were numerous impressive performances today,” interim head coach Nita Teague commented. “Vault truly stood out as one of the best sessions I’ve witnessed this year. However, we did have a few errors that we must rectify and put in more effort at practice. We experienced some nerves in the meet, but that’s precisely why these events are held.”
Four of the five freshmen had their first performance as Huskies. Three freshmen participated in different events. Drake White took part in the all-around, while Aliyah Kelly (Manteno, Ill./Manteno) performed on vault, bars, and beam, and Audrey Brenner (Fon du Lac, Wis./Fon du Lac) showcased her skills on vault, beam, and floor. Maria King (Nashville, Tenn./Currey Ingram Academy) appeared on bars for her debut.
“The freshmen excelled today,” Teague remarked. “Drake (White) participated in the all-around and successfully executed her routine, which made me very proud. The other newcomers also had outstanding performances.”
Kiera O’Shea (Norridge, Ill./Ridgewood), who is a 2024 NCAA Regional Qualifier on vault, led the Huskies and team Red in the opening event with a score of 9.825. Isabella Sissi (Blaine, Minn./Mounds View) achieved a 9.725 to lead team Black. Brenner recorded a score of 9.675 for team Red in her initial event as a Huskie.
White also topped the Huskies on bars during her first competition as a Huskie with a score of 9.725. Sissi led team Black on bars as well with a score of 9.675.
Ellery Werner (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) led NIU on beam, earning an impressive 9.85. Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C./Green Level) scored 9.75 on the beam, while Kelly achieved a score of 9.60. O’Shea topped team Red on beam with 9.575.
“We had some remarkable individual achievements,” Teague stated. “Elly delivered a very strong beam routine, and O’Shea performed exceptionally well on vault.”
On the floor, Mikayla Brown (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) led the team with a score of 9.75.
White was the leader for the Huskies in the all-around among the four participants, scoring 38.025 and achieving scores of 9.60 or above in three of the four events.
The Black team triumphed overall with a score of 151.575 compared to the Red Team’s 150.15.
The Huskies are set to commence their regular season on January 10 at a quad-meet hosted by Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where they will also compete against Michigan State and Nebraska.
Top Individual Scores
Vault – Kiera O’Shea, 9.825
Bars – Drake White, 9.725
Beam – Ellery Werner, 9.85
Floor – –Mikayla Brown, 9.75
All-Around Scores
Kiera O’Shea – 38.20
Dawsyn Sallee – 38.025
Drake White – 38.425
Bella Ross – 37.475
Final Team Score
| TEAM SCORES | Vault (4 Scores) | Bars (4 Scores) | Beam (5 Scores) | Floor (3 Scores) |
TOTAL |
| Black | 38.35 | 36.225 | 48.275 | 28.85 | 151.575 |
| Red | 38.75 | 37.55 | 45.275 | 28.575 | 150.15 |
— NIU —
