When the Maryland gymnastics team travels to Iowa this weekend to take on the Hawkeyes, it will do so with vital experience.

The Terps, who had their best performance of the season despite losing at Penn State on Saturday, emphasized staying focused on the road.

Junior Evelyn Nee said although Maryland lost, the mood in the locker room after the meet was far from somber.

“We were all happy because we didn’t have to count any falls,” Nee said. “It felt a lot better than last weekend.”

Nee was referring to the Terps’ second meet, a Jan. 14 showdown with Alaska Anchorage, Arizona and Minnesota when they finished 1-2, the lone victory coming against Alaska.

After that meet, coach Brett Nelligan knew the team needed to improve its focus. He was surprised with Maryland’s struggles but has been pleased with how the gymnasts responded.

He said he was proud of the way his young squad handled the additional pressure of the road.

The team prepared during practice by playing old crowd noise recordings from Maryland-Duke basketball games, which Nelligan said helps the team become accustomed to unwelcoming environments. Maryland hit 23 of its 24 routines at Penn State to the coach’s satisfaction.

“We came up a little bit short,” Nelligan said, “but more importantly, we took a big step. We grew as a team and that will help us later in the season.”

Nee, who anchored the Terps on beam for the first time this season, earned a 9.825 for her routine. The junior dubbed the team a “tribe” because of its closeness. She said the Terps watch movies, sing and dance to keep the atmosphere light during road trips. Freshman Alecia Farina, who led the Terps with a 9.825 on bars, echoed her teammate’s sentiment.

“We had a ball — it was a lot of fun,” she said.

For Farina and freshman Kirsten Peterman, Saturday marked the first time they hit on floor. Farina said she thought their performances inspired her teammates to do well the rest of the meet. Peterman and Farina netted a 9.650 and a 9.800, respectively.

Nelligan said the duo stood out to him because the team has “struggled on floor all season.”

Like Farina, seniors Emily Brauckmuller and Leah Slobodin earned 9.80 to pace the Terps on the floor, which was their highest scoring event on Saturday.

Entering another road performance this weekend, Nelligan expressed confidence in his team.

“We’re ready for [the crowd],” he said. “We’ll be even better at Iowa.”

“I’m excited for the rest of the season,” Farina added, “to see what it has in store for us.”