Every year, students and fans pack Comcast Center on an October night to take in Maryland Madness, one of the university’s most celebrated traditions. Whether it is dancing by the men’s and women’s basketball players or Gary Williams cruising into the arena in a Lamborghini, the glamorous events seem to just keep on coming. But of all the stunts put on that night, the most memorable might be by athletes who never actually take the court for the Terps: the Gymkana Troupe.
With gymnastics acts ranging from jumping over each other to jumping through and over a hoop of fire – Gymkana never fails to excite the Maryland Madness crowd.
Nearly six months after electrifying Comcast Center with its act at this season’s Madness, Gymkana will return to the very same site for its 62nd Anniversary Homeshow. The performance, which will take place tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m., is under the direction of head coach Scott Welsh and is expected to last about two-and-a-half hours. Over 20 different routines ranging from general gymnastics and traditional apparatus to variations of tumbling and trampoline acts are scheduled for the performances.
“We would love to have a huge crowd for this show and Comcast Center is a huge space,” said Gymkana President Ben Prescott, a senior kinesiology major. “It’s always a great feeling when you have a huge crowd that actually fills up the seating.”
Although best known for their high-flying performances and athletic prowess, the Gymkana Troupe is more than just a student gymnastics club. Founded in 1946 as a non-profit exhibition group, Gymkana has each of its members sign a pledge of healthy living that bans them from using drugs and tobacco year-round, as well as alcohol during the season. Financially supported by sponsorships and fundraisers, the troupe then regularly travels to various sites (mostly local area schools) to promote its message through performance.
“This is the foundation of our program, and we take it very seriously,” Prescott said. “Our introduction tells about our program, and we explain to children what we do and that every single member follows the pledge. We show through our gymnastic expositions that you can not do drugs, not drink, not smoke and still be strong, still be healthy and still have fun.”
Gymkana is open to all university students, and no gymnastic experience is required since the large variety of acts play to a broad spectrum of skills. The 60 to 70 members typically practice four to five times a week, and with so much time dedicated to the troupe, there is a bonding experience that naturally goes along with being in Gymkana.
“The team atmosphere is rewarding because we’re together all the time,” said Gymkana member Greg Schwarzkopf, a junior computer science and mathematics major. “We go to Friday shows, and we spend like 12 hours in addition to the hours of practice every week, and you really get to have a lot of fun.”
Since most students simply know the troupe from their performances at basketball games, the Homeshow is a unique opportunity for the athletes to not only show off their classic crowd favorites, but also put their lesser-known routines on display.
“If they liked Maryland Madness and they like the fire ring, definitely come by because it’s going to be a lot of stuff like that,” said Gymkana member Dan Calderone, a sophomore engineering major. “If you’re interested in gymnastics, interested in people doing crazy stuff like acrobatics, jumps, flips – it’s all that kind of stuff.”
The Gymkana Troupe’s 62nd Anniversary Homeshow events are tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. in Comcast Center. Tickets are $7 for students, $8 for children under 12 and $9 for adults.
tfloyd1@umd.edu
