Sierra Kondo jumped onto the high bar, pushed into a vertical cast handstand then swung into a straddle Jaeger. Kondo made her way to the low bar via a shoot over and hopped back up to the high bar.
She transitioned into a final cast handstand and rotated around the bar twice. Kondo finished dismounting the bar in a double layout, sticking the landing and earning a season-high 9.900.
But Kondo’s routine was just one of four stuck landings in Maryland gymnastics’ bars lineup Sunday, a unit that was awarded a 49.075. Rhea Leblanc helped add a 9.850 after seeing a career high in the team’s most recent outing. Michigan State’s Gabrielle Stephen scored the afternoon’s highest bars score, a 9.995.
No. 10 Michigan State kept its undefeated conference record intact, taking control from the first rotation. No. 25 Maryland fell to the Spartans, 197.550-195.525, despite showing signs of improvement on the uneven bars.
“We took a step forward,” coach Brett Nelligan said. “It was only our second meet on the road so I think they did everything we asked them to do.”
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The Terps’ (3-3, 2-3 Big Ten) vault unit continued the team’s clean consistency. Taylor Rech led off the rotation with a Yurchenko full, slightly stepping back on her landing. The sophomore scored a 9.725 after displaying tight legs and pointed feet while in the air. Olivia Weir and Rhea Leblanc also performed a Yurchenko full, both tallying 9.750s.
Josephine Kogler and Natalie Martin earned 9.850s, the unit’s highest scores. It was a season high for Kogler after sticking the landing and maintaining a layout position in the air to the ground. Kogler and Martin’s scores led the way in a 48.975 total for the Terps.
The Spartans showed why they’re ranked sixth nationally on the event. They posted a 49.300 and all received 9.750s and higher.
“They’re a phenomenal team,” Nelligan said. “I have seen them earlier in the season and they’re a great program, well coached and they have excellent gymnastics.”
After two rotations, Michigan State (8-3, 5-0 Big Ten) led 98.875 to Maryland’s 98.050.
Samantha Gilbert made her collegiate floor debut. The senior opened her routine with a front tuck to double back tuck, landing with her feet together and her chest up. Gilbert, who has seen action on the floor in exhibitions, tallied a 9.775.
[Maryland gymnastics recorded a season-best performance on uneven bars against Nebraska]
Maddie Komoroski, who has frequently been in the floor lineup, displayed long lines and pointed toes throughout her routine. The sophomore executed a switch ring to tour jette ring, bringing her back leg to her head while turning in a full way around. She earned a 9.875.
Alexa Rothenbuescher averaged 9.920 on the event entering Sunday’s meet. The senior stuck the landing on her first pass, a whip to double back tuck, and continued her routine powerfully, hitting her leaps and final pass. Rothenbuescher was awarded a 9.900.
“I think it’s her mentality everytime she approaches the floor,” Nelligan said. “She approaches it with that aggressive, winner’s mentality and that’s one of my favorite things about her.”
Martin culminated the Terps’ floor rotation with a 9.725. Coach Brett Nelligan’s floor unit finished with a 49.075, its second lowest of the season.
Maryland trailed Michigan State heading into the final rotation, which gave the Terps one final attempt to bring the margin closer on the balance beam.
Emma Silberman kicked off the unit, performing a double back handspring step out to layout step out, staying perfectly in line with the four inch beam. The graduate student continued into a switch leap to side leap, landing without balance errors. Silberman stuck her dismount, a one and a half, and earned a 9.875 to tie her career high in the event.
Victoria Gatzendorfer and Kogler fell off the beam on their tumbling series, double back handspring to layout step out. The juniors both added 9.000s to the unit’s score, making Gatzendorfer’s second fall this season and Kogler’s lowest tally of 2024.
Despite two falls, the Terps earned a 48.400 thanks to a trio of 9.875s from Silberman, Komoroski and Martin.
“Only thing we had trouble with was two skills,” Nelligan said. “It just didn’t happen. But I was really pleased with how they handled themselves throughout the whole meet and then another tough road environment… this is good for us to grow and learn from.”
