Alexa Rothenbuescher bounced off the springboard and onto the high bar for Maryland gymnastics’ bars unit. The senior configured into a cast handstand and straight into a staddle Jaeger. She flew down to the low bar via a shoot over and went back up to the high bar one final time.
Rothenbuescher swung into two giants, rotating over and under the bar before gearing up for her dismount, a full twisting double tuck. The senior stuck the landing before saluting to the judges, who awarded her a a 9.925, her career best.
“I was a little tired going into it,” Rothenbuescher said. “I think that calmed me down a little bit and I really was just trying to go after those handstands.”
It wasn’t the only career high set in the rotation. Tasha Brozowski hit vertical cast handstands en route to a stuck double back layout dismount. Her 9.875 was also her collegiate best and just one of five above 9.800 markers the Terps earned on the event. Maryland tallied its season best 49.400 on uneven bars to begin Sunday afternoon.
After soaring above expectations on uneven bars, Maryland comfortably cruised past Southern Connecticut State, Yale and New Hampshire in Sunday’s Yale Quad. The Terps’ score of 197.300 is their second highest marker in program history. Yale, which finished second, tallied 195.025.
Maryland (9-7, 2-7 Big Ten) began the weekend in College Park where it took the crown at the Maryland Quad meet. The team then turned around and made their way to New Haven for a doubleheader weekend. Coach Brett Nelligan said the quick turnaround was a mental game.
“I’m sure they’re sore and their bodies are tired from a great meet Friday night,” he said. “But I asked them to just lock in mentally these two hours and they were spot on.”
[On senior night, Maryland gymnastics scores 196.350 to win the Maryland Quad]
The Terps (9-7, 2-7 Big Ten) continued their success on the balance beam, where they earned a 49.225. Emma Silberman led off, performing a double back handspring to layout step out, landing with her chest up. The fifth year, who scored a 9.850 on Friday, boosted her marker Sunday to a 9.875, which tied her season high.
Josephine Kogler and Victoria Gatzendorfer both added to the beam’s unit score with a 9.850 and 9.800 respectively. The juniors maintained pointed toes and straight legs through their tumbling series and near stuck landings on their dismounts.
Maddie Komoroski’s performance pushed the overall score to its second highest of the season. The sophomore flipped into a front aerial and spotted the beam strongly to stick her feet upon landing. Komoroski nailed a roundoff to one and a half dismount to finish her routine, tying her career best that she set in Friday’s outing, a 9.925.
Freshmen Layla Hammer and Natalie Martin also contributed with a 9.775 and 9.650 respectively.
After the second rotation, Maryland led with a total of 98.625 on its way to the floor exercise.
[Small mistakes led to Maryland gymnastics’ worst performance of the season]
Taylor Rech led off and held strong form in her second pass, a double back tuck. Rech squeezed her legs together while spotting the ground to land. The sophomore tied her season high, a 9.875, after a high powered performance.
Leblanc and Rothenbuescher followed Rech, and both tallied a 9.900. Leblanc excelled in her leap series, hitting 180 splits in the air. Rothenbuescher showed off her strength in her tumbling passes, finishing her 90 second routine in a stuck double back pike.
“It did take a little bit more energy but I knew I had to get it done and I knew I could pull out a good score,” Rothenbuescher said. “Just hyping up my team throughout the entire meet because I knew the potential we had and we just had to keep going.”
Komoroski once again earned the top score of the rotation with a 9.925. The sophomore shined in her leap sequences, displaying artistry in a difficult ring leap to switch ring. She consistently pointed her toes and straightened her legs, even on dance elements.
Martin added a 9.800 to close out the unit. The Terps’ top scoring unit this season finished with a 49.400.
Maryland closed out the afternoon on the vault, one of its most consistent events throughout 2024. Rech performed second in the lineup and displayed a strong Yurchenko full. The sophomore stuck the landing but with too much leg bend and scored a 9.825.
Kogler, who also stuck her landing, added a 9.875. The junior also executed a Yurchenko full and squeezed her legs together and pointed her toes throughout the air.
Martin capped the Terps’ final routine of the meet. The freshman, who tallied her career high on the event Friday, sprinted down the vault runway and eyed the table. She bounced off the springboard and onto the vault, flying high into the air. Martin twisted strongly, keeping her legs together, toes pointed and arms by her chest.
The freshman landed her skill, a Yurchenko one and a half, and perfectly stuck her feet to the mat with chest up and arms out. Martin looked surprised upon landing and held her landing to ensure she wasn’t deducted any points.
She earned a 9.925, the highest vault score the team has earned all season.
“I wanted to see their confidence,” Nelligan said. “They took it and ran with it. They walked into this meet believing in themselves, believing that they could have this type of performance and they put it all together tonight.”
