After last weekend’s back to back meets, standout all-around gymnast freshman Audrey Barber emphasized her teammates need to sharpen landings on vault, and they seemed to do just that during the Temple Tri Meet in Philadelphia on Friday.
The Terps received deductions on vault at the George Washington Meet on March 4, so this week they’ve been strengthening the balance between finding a fixed height and solid landing.
Barber and sophomore Alecia Farina posted the highest vault scores of the night, 9.9. Farina anchored the floor with her routine, setting a career high.
Just a few weeks ago, Farina came close to this score, as she reached a 9.8. Perhaps Barber’s words of encouragement alleviated the stresses of performing in front of the judges.
Throughout the Temple Tri Meet, the Maryland gymnastics team remained in first and secured their spot with a strong last rotation on bars. The Terps won with a final score of 195.975, with Temple (195.800) and Pennsylvania (193.625) coming in second and third, respectively.
This was the Terps’ highest road score of the season.
Not only did Farina achieve a career high, but Barber also scored her highest bars score, 9.925. During practice, coach Brett Nelligan has been guiding the all-around competitor on her consistency in landings and handstands. Nelligan stresses taking each routine slowly, breaking it down by each step.
The team faces another back to back weekend, as they compete at the Maryland Five Meet in Xfinity Center on Sunday.
