Last season’s finishes for Bowling Green and Northern Illinois left them both with a clear outlook for the 2023 schedule. For the Falcons, increase bars and beam depth. For the Huskies, replace substantial contributions from graduating seniors.
Northern Illinois will enter as the favorite coming off its runner-up finish at last season’s MAC championship, but the story of today’s meet will come down to a difference in strategy more than prior rankings. The Huskies have traditionally had their strong scoring come from event specialists (look no further this year than Natalie Hamp and Alyssa Al-Ashari), while the Falcons have shown potential for five all-arounders during preseason intrasquad footage.
Both the Falcons and Huskies will be eager to debut their freshman classes, with seven and five apiece, respectively. Keep an eye out for Bowling Green’s Charniya Brown and Madison Coburn, seen leading freshmen all-around efforts before the new year. Also of note, the Falcons have slated an exhibition for each event.
Today’s in-conference MAC season opener will stream on ESPN+, with live scoring available here.
Rotation One: Northern Illinois VT, Bowling Green UB
O’Shea (NIU): low landing on her Y full, hands down. Not the way NIU wants to start, but…
