After 30 seasons, Bob Nelligan is finishing a long career with his Terrapin gymnastics team behind him.
Nelligan, entering his 31st season as head coach of the Terps, is bringing back a more experienced team looking to improve its stature and to send its coach out a winner.
“We all are going to put our heart and soul into this season to make it an awesome final season for ‘Duke’ (Nelligan),” junior Brandi George said.
The Terps are looking to build off late success from last season after losing only two seniors to graduation last May.
Last year’s team finished the season strong, having some of its team-high scores coming in March. They finished fifth in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championship and sent four gymnasts to the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. The gymnasts that qualified for the NCAA tournament – George, Talia Tossone, Allison Dama and Michelle Brenner – all return to this year’s team as juniors.
“Regionals were exciting last year, but it would have been a lot better if the whole team was there, so this year we are looking at that as one of our goals,” George said.
This year’s squad is looking for leadership out of a deep junior class. Third-year gymnasts George, Brenner, Dama, Tossone, Candice King and Margaux Meeks are expected to be among the Terps’ top performers.
As a result, the veteran coach is willing to admit his team’s success will rely on that class.
“This sport is a team effort, one person can’t win it for you and one person can’t lose it,” Nelligan said. “But, I would say our whole junior class is very strong, and they will determine how far we go this year.”
While the returnees are expected to spearhead the squad, a pair of newcomers have already impressed – freshmen Becca Pang and Kyra Phillips.
“Becca’s strong points are on balance beam and bars,” Nelligan said. “Kyra’s an all-arounder, and both have brought a good infusion of youth and experience to the team.”
Overall, the team is poised for success and hopes its experience from last season will lead to good things this season.
Last season, the Terps ended on a promising note after a disappointing season. The team started last season with a team total score of 190.800, their season low. But as the season progressed, so did the Terps, earning their second highest score of the season with a 193.375, at the EAGL championship.
Still, the Terps finished the season 1-5 in dual meets and never higher than second in any other meet last year. Consistency was the biggest problem with last year’s team and is what led them to its up-and-down scores. The new experience has led to the optimistic attitude toward this season’s team.
“Last year we were inexperienced, but now that we all have at least a year under our belt, we are ready for success,” Abbey Adams said.
This Saturday, the Terps host their intrasquad scrimmage, and their first regular-season match is on Jan. 9, here in College Park against Kent State.
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