CONGRATULATIONS to Northern Illinois student-athletes!! For the eighth straight semester, the Huskies have achieved a 3.0 grade-point-average! For the 2009 Spring semester, NIU student-athletes compiled a 3.024 GPA! We couldn't be happier for all the work they've put in, as our Huskie continue to excel in the classroom. A big thanks also goes out to the Northern Illinois Student-Athletes Academic Support Services staff, which helps guide the Huskies' academic journey. Check back later at NIUHuskies.com for more details as all the grade continues to pour in.

As the DeKalb Daily Chronicle's John Sahly writes in this feature, if anyone is qualified to offer advice on how to keep an NFL dream alive, it's P.J. Fleck.  Fleck, the Northern Illinois wide receivers coach, went from undrafted rookie free agent out of NIU to play two seasons (2004-05) with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Huskie track and field team continues competition today at the MAC Championships in the tire manufacturing capital of the world, Akron, Ohio. After Jennene Anthony took sixth in the javelin, scoring three points for NIU, and 13th in the hammer throw, and Nancy Nieto ran the 10,000-meter yesterday, the Huskies will compete in 11 events today. Check out live scoring, Akron's championship page, and the MAC Outdoor Championships page.

With its Mid-American Conference postseason hopes at stake, Northern Illinois responded in a huge way at the plate by totaling season-highs with 25 hits and 21 runs as the Huskies defeated Western Michigan 21-9 on Friday afternoon at Hyames Field behind a 10-run third inning. The Huskies and Broncos will play again Friday at 12 p.m. CT, and will finish the series at noon on Saturday.