Maryland gymnastics has endured an inconsistent start to its season. Poor outings from the early beam lineup led to a lackluster start to the campaign.
But the unit has found a rhythm in the last two weeks.
The Terps’ most inconsistent lineup scored more than 48 in consecutive weeks for the first time this year. While the scores — 48.6500 against then-No. 22 Penn State and 48.7750 at Washington — aren’t incredible, they established much-needed stability to aid a more steady team.
“[Against Penn State] we proved to ourselves that we can … put a complete meet together,” coach Brett Nelligan said. “And then the Washington meet should give us a lot of confidence.”
The Terps started the year with a 48.8500 on beam in San Antonio, a solid but not exceptional score. Maryland routinely scored above 48 on its three other events over the next three weeks, but struggled to find consistency on beam.
Against then-No. 11 UCLA, senior Victoria Gatzendorfer and sophomore Natalie Martin suffered consecutive falls, forcing the Terps into one of their sub-9 scores. Only a few other gymnasts scored more than 9.7, dropping their beam score to a season-low 47.6750.
[Alexa Rothenbuescher is back to leading Maryland gymnastics after weeks of struggles]
Maryland once again posted a sub-48 score at the Rutgers Quad after three gymnasts failed to reach 9.5000.
In its two worst performances of the season, Nelligan said the beam unit “competed on defense” and went against what they practiced in the gym. The Terps attempted to avoid mistakes more than completing successful routines, which resulted in more major deductions than they had all year.
The Terps’ meet at Nebraska couldn’t have been more different. All but one gymnast of their lineup scored higher than 9.8000, guaranteeing them a signature performance. Maryland scored 49.3250, its highest event score of the season, about a week removed from posting the team’s worst outing of the season.
“I think in Nebraska they were really locked in, and they were competing aggressively and competing to add to the team score,” Nelligan said. “We call that kinda being on offense.”
Carrying that aggressive approach into the last two weeks has been the key to their turnaround, Nelligan said.
While there’s been a low score in the lineup in each of the past two weeks, the team could afford to drop it after the rest of the unit stepped up.
[Season-high vault performance gives Maryland gymnastics 195.725-194.650 win at Washington]
“It’s good to know that if one of our teammates has a mistake, that there’s someone else there,” Madeline Komoroski said. “The rest of the team can pick [it] up.”
Maryland leans on Komoroski the most when there’s a mistake on beam. The coaching staff entrusted her with the sixth slot in the lineup this year, placing her under the most pressure. As the final competitor, she has no other gymnasts to back her up if she falters.
But Komoroski has lived up to these lofty expectations. The junior averages a team-leading 9.804 on beam and has delivered after teammates’ miscues.
When fifth-year Alexa Rothenbuescher scored 9.025 against Penn State, Komoroski responded with a season-high 9.900. Last Friday against Washington, Komoroski capped the rotation with a 9.850 after freshman Rayna Engelmayer fell.
“Maddie’s proven to us over the last several years that she’s someone that we can go to, that we trust in that spot,” Nelligan said. “If the meet’s coming down to the last one or two routines, she’s one of the ones that we want to have the ball in her hands for that final shot.”
Komoroski anchors Maryland’s 50th-ranked beam unit. The lineup will look to maintain this consistency for the rest of the season and make up for its early struggles.
