With one rotation remaining Sunday, the Maryland gymnastics team looked to have ensured four wins and its second-straight 196. However, with a feisty George Washington squad on their heels in the five-team meet, the Terps needed a strong score to maintain their spot at the top.
Maryland, buoyed by a consistent display that saw five gymnasts earn at least a 9.8, scored a 49.125 on bars, confirming that it would at the top of the podium Sunday.
Powered by consistent showings in all four events, the Terps earned a 196.45 and boosted their confidence even further with wins over Towson, George Washington, New Hampshire and Pittsburgh as the squad readies for next weekend’s Big Ten Championships.
“Today’s performance was amazing,” coach Brett Nelligan said. “For them to go back-to-back 196s … everything’s just really clicking.”
In last Sunday’s quad meet, an impassioned display saw the Terps break 196 for the first time this season as they cruised to victory. Maryland was in need of another big score to push them up the rankings and potentially avoid a play-in meet at NCAA Regionals and directly qualify.
The Terps started on beam and were confident after shattering their season-high in the event last Sunday. Maryland used the confidence to break 49 once again, powered by another impressive showcase from sophomore Audrey Barber. She matched her season-high 9.9 score in the event.
Maryland then moved to floor, hoping to string together a fourth consecutive 49 in the event. It was the sophomores who led the way for the Terps. Collea Burgess posted her second 9.9 this season on floor, and Barber added a 9.85 to match her season-high in the event to propel Maryland to a 49.1.
The Terps were hoping to build on last Sunday’s season-best 49.125 on vault and earn their third 49-plus score of the season. Junior Alecia Farina earned her first 9.9 of the season, headlining another satisfying vault display as Maryland earned a 49.125. Freshman Alexsis Rubio posted her fourth straight 9.85 score, while Burgess and junior Emma Johnson earned 9.825s to help the Terps match their season-high.
To close out the meet, the Terps again shined in their best event. Senior Shynelle Agaran’s 9.85 epitomized another solid bars showcase for the Terps to push themselves toward automatic qualification for NCAA Regionals.
“It was good to see her get back into the lineup as a senior,” Nelligan said. “But today was the day when she really looked comfortable out there again and hit one of her cleanest bar routines.”
For Maryland, Sunday’s meet served as further confirmation of the young squad’s growth and development, which the team is hoping to exhibit in next weekend’s Big Ten Championships.
“This meet just shows that we are really tough and we are a really good team,” Farina said. “We know we have so much potential for the rest of the season.”
Now fresh off their two best performances of the year, the Terps are on an upswing with immeasurable potential and confidence uplifting them with each passing week. The young squad appears to be realizing that potential at the perfect time in the hopes of making a postseason splash.
“I’m really impressed with how this team has really come together,” Nelligan said. “They’re really themselves and they’re believing in each other and it’s all happening at exactly the right time.”
