Practice makes perfect, and perfect brings wins.

That’s the motto the NIU women’s gymnastics team has lived by this season. Huskies head coach Mark Sontag said his team has worked hard since its first August practice with one goal in mind: a MAC Championship.

NIU will have its chance to reach that goal Saturday at the MAC Championships. NIU’s top 15 gymnasts will compete in Kent, Ohio.

“We have had one of our best weeks of practice this week,” Sontag said. “We’ve been really good, really on and really confident.”

Sontag said the team has worked on “the little things” leading up to this weekend. He hopes the gymnasts will continue the trend of consistent improvement they’ve shown all season.

Though the team has worked hard in previous meets, Sontag said the MAC Championships pose a threat due to the meets’ unfamiliar format. Still, the coach continues to express his confidence in the team.

“The girls are going into it knowing that everything we are asking of them, they can do,” Sontag said. “That’s a good feeling going into a meet.”

Despite having a young team, Sontag said his veteran gymnasts have been supportive of younger teammates.

Though most of those on NIU’s team have experienced the MAC Championships before, first–year gymnasts will be introduced into a new atmosphere of competition.

“We have a really young team,” Sontag said. “We have got a number of freshmen in the lineup, but they have been performing like veterans all year long.”

NIU enters the championship with a 9-2 record, going 5-2 in the conference. With a winning record, Sontag said the gymnasts’ confidence will carry them far into this weekend.

“We are focused on one thing; we want to go in and hit every routine the best we can,” Sontag said. “We have been waiting and training for this moment. Our minds are on going in there and winning this thing.”

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