The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team had five gymnasts reach the podium in its road meet against Illinois State on Monday night. NIU set a new team score on bars, but fell just short in the meet, losing 192.700-192.650.

The Huskies were led by their freshmen on bars for the second straight meet as Elizabeth Poncin (Tinley Park, Ill. / Tinley Park) and Makenna Brooks (Kokomo, Ind. / Eastern) tied for first place with a score of 9.750. Monday was Poncin’s third win on bars this season while Brooks set a new career-best.

Junior Isabella Ross (Cary, N.C. / Green Level) set a career-high on beam for the Huskies, scoring a 9.775 and finished second from the lead-off spot. Sophomore Drake White began the night with a 9.800 on vault to tie a season-high and tied for first place.

Junior Dawsyn Sallee (Versailles, Ky. / Woodford County High) continued her impressive February, placing on both vault and floor for NIU. The junior finished third on vault, her fifth top-three finish in the last six meets, while tying for second place on floor with a 9.750.

Rotation One

Poncin set up the Huskies early with a 9.750 on bars, followed up by sophomore Maria King (Nashville, Tenn. / Currey Ingram Academy) scoring a 9.650. NIU received a solid closing to the rotation from freshman Deziray Boykin (Henderson, Nev. / Green Valley) and Brooks, with Boykin earning a 9.700 and Brooks capping the routine with a 9.750.

Rotation Two

The Huskies highest scoring routine came from vault, finishing with a 48.400. Senior Jocelyn Harbeck (Frankfort, Ill. / Lincoln-Way East) earned a score of 9.700 and was followed by White and Sallee.

Junior Mikayla Brown (Suwanee, Ga. / Peachtree Ridge) and sophomore Audrey Brenner (Fond du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac) each posted a 9.575.

Rotation Three

On floor, Sallee led the Huskies while Harbeck and fellow senior Samantha Nickle (Yorktown, Va. / York) tied for fifth with a 9.725.

Brown earned a score of 9.625 from the anchor position.

Rotation Four

Ross opened the final rotation with a strong start, marking a new career-best with a 9.775. Boykin placed fifth with a score of 9.675, just ahead of sixth-placed Sallee with a 9.650.