Terrapins gymnastics senior Kathy Tang was preparing for the final meet of her career at Saturday’s Athens, Georgia, NCAA Regional when she received a snapchat from her sister, Karen. When Tang opened it, she saw something she wasn’t expecting: a picture of Karen and their parents with a Georgia geotag.
“My mom said they couldn’t come,” Tang said. “So when I saw pictures of them here I was like, ‘Wait a second.'”
Tang’s parents made the trip from Agawam, Massachusetts, for her last meet, and Karen traveled from College Park. It was just one of many ways the team made itself at home in Georgia’s gym Saturday.
All three of the Terps’ gymnasts competing (Tang, sophomore Abbie Epperson and freshman Macey Roberts) had their families in attendance, in addition to sophomore Evelyn Nee, who made the trip to watch her teammates perform.
“That was great. It gave them a little sense of familiarity,” coach Brett Nelligan said. “They could look up in the stands and see their fans. It made them feel good.”
Of course, Tang wasn’t expecting to have that boost, which she said “overwhelmed” her. Tang’s career overlapped with sister Karen’s for three years, but her parents couldn’t attend many meets due to intense work schedules.
In Tang’s sophomore year, her parents tried to pull off a similar surprise for a meet at New Hampshire, but her mom accidentally spoiled it during a phone call before the meet.
She didn’t make the same mistake Saturday, though, and Tang — whom Epperson said Monday she would remember for being “kind of gullible” — had no idea any of her family would be there until she opened the Snapchat from her sister.
“I was so happy,” Tang said, “I couldn’t have asked for anything else.”
While Tang’s contingent in the stands was perhaps the most surprising, Roberts’ section had them beaten in numbers.
The freshman grew up a few hours from the Georgia campus, and Nelligan figured she “must have had 50 people” in attendance.
Roberts’ parents came to the meet, along with her brothers. Most of her supporters, though, were from her home gym. They donned homemade Terps gymnastics shirts, and Roberts said it was “amazing” to see them.
“I haven’t seen them in so long,” Roberts said. “It brought up memories of club and having them there.”
They had to wait almost three hours before Roberts performed on floor, the meet’s final routine. Roberts delivered with a 9.825 that she said meant a lot to her, considering the audience.
“I went out there and I did what I wanted to do,” Roberts said. “I’m really happy they got to see me do what I’ve been practicing.”
Epperson’s parents, meanwhile, were at their second gymnastics meet in as many days. Epperson’s brother, Austin, is a gymnast for Nebraska and competed Friday in Columbus, Ohio.
Still, Epperson’s parents made it to Georgia in time Saturday to see their daughter earn a 9.85 on bars.
The three Terps were in an unfamiliar situation the past weekend, having missed out on regionals as a team for the first time in Nelligan’s seven-year tenure. Plus, they were in an arena none of them had competed in during their careers.
So the support went a long way in giving the Terps a sense of being at home. It appeared to pay off, as all three of the gymnasts posted at least one score of 9.80.
“Having them was like having a little bit of Maryland with us,” Tang said. “It was awesome knowing that I can look out to the fans and see the Terp family out there.”
