March 29, 1999
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - With a 27-10 record, the Terrapins will have a weekend off before traveling to Morgantown, W.Va., on April 10 to compete in the 1999 NCAA Southeast Region Championships at 6 p.m. This marks the Terps' second consecutive visit to the regional championship and the 10th time that they will be making the trip since joining the region in the 1984 season. The Terps are looking to continue their season of new highs at the regionals where they have never finished better than seventh. Maryland recorded its best score in a regional competition last year when it registered a 190.100. The Terps will also be looking to qualify for their first-ever NCAA Championship. In order to so, the Terps must finish in first or second place at the regional championships.
NEXT TERPS MEET ...
NCAA Southeast Regionals
Morgantown, W.Va.
WVU Coliseum
Sat., April 10, 1999 - 6 p.m.
Terps on the Internet: Complete Maryland gymnastics results, statisitcs and news can be accessed at: www.umterps.com
Top 1999 Performances
All-Around
1. Gillian Cote 39.425 3/13
2. Gillian Cote 39.400 2/26
Vault
1. Laura Moon 9.850 3/13
2. Laura Moon 9.850 2/17
Bars
1. Gillian Cote 9.900 3/13
Gillian Cote 9.900 3/6
Gillian Cote 9.900 2/28
Beam
1. Gillian Cote 9.950 1/9
2. Gillian Cote 9.925 3/27
Kit Johnson 9.925 3/27
Floor
1. Gillian Cote 9.900 2/28
2. Gillian Cote 9.900 2/26
2. Laura Moon 9.875 2/177
TERPS FINISH SECOND AT 4TH ANNUAL EAGL CHAMPIONSHIP
Maryland recorded the second highest score in school history, a 195.475, to finish in second place at the 1999 EAGL Championships on March 27 at Cole Field House. This marked the Terps' highest score and best finish in an EAGL Championship in the four-year history of the league. Maryland also set a school and EAGL Championship record on beam, recording a score of 49.425. The Terps placed four of their six gymnasts in the top five spots with freshmen Gillian Cote (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe) and Kit Johnson (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) tying for second place with scores of 9.925. Junior co-captain Christine Holcombe (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) and freshman Laura Moon (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) tied for fourth place with two other gymnasts, after both scoring 9.9. Moon was Maryland's highest finisher in the all-around competition, placing second with a score of 39.275, the second best of her career. Cote also scored a 9.875 on floor to finish in a tie for third place.
FRESHMEN TRIO EARNS SEVERAL EAGL HONORS
A trio of freshmen, Gillian Cote, Laura Moon and Kit Johnson, garnered several All-EAGL awards this season over the weekend, with Cote leading the way. Cote, the Terps' top gymnast this season, received the EAGL Rookie of the Year award in addition to being named to the first team for beam, bars and floor, the second team for vault and being a unanimous selection for all-around first team. Cote, the seventh-ranked all-around gymnast in the country, has been brilliant in her first season with Maryland, setting the all-time record for all-around, bars, beam and floor. Moon has had an outstanding rookie season and earned first team all-around and beam honors and second team honors on bars and floor. The 15th-ranked all-around gymnast in the country, Moon has been a great addition to Maryland's lineup this season. On Feb. 17, she set what was then the all-time high for all-around and she has tied the all-time high on vault on two occasions. Johnson has been equally impressive in her rookie season and was named to the first team for both vault and beam. She is currently ranked 11th in the nation on beam and has recorded the second highest beam score twice and fourth best vault score in school history twice.
MARYLAND HEAD COACH BOB NELLIGAN NAMED EAGL COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob Nelligan was the named the EAGL Coach of the Year this past weekend as voted on by the other coaches in the league. It is the first award Nelligan has received in his 21-plus year career in gymnastics. This season, Nelligan has guided the Terps to new heights. After not being selected to the pre-season top 25, Maryland finished the regular season ranked No. 13 in the nation and finished atop the EAGL standings for the first time in the four-year history of the league. Maryland gymnasts broke records on an almost weekly basis this season and broke the all-time team high on four occasions. Maryland recorded a score of 195.175 or better in five of its 12 meets, after never recording a team score above a 193.8 in the 13-year history of the program. Nelligan has compiled a lifetime record of 336-302-2 (.527 winning percentage) in his 21 years at Maryland and is one of only three current coaches who has been at Maryland for more than 20 years.
TERPS IN THE RANKINGS
NATIONAL RANKINGS (As of March 23)
Team RQS
1. Georgia 197.3437
2. Alabama 197.0875
3. Utah 196.8000
4. Michigan 195.5062
5. LSU 196.1562
6. Penn State 196.0375
7. Arizona State 195.7437
8. Nebraska 195.6812
9. Ohio State 195.6125
10. Oregon State 195.5312
11. Florida 195.4125
12. UCLA 195.2937
13. MARYLAND 195.1000
14. Stanford 195.0812
15. Minnesota 195.0000
16. Iowa State 194.9312
17. Denver 194.8312
18. Oklahoma 194.8125
Utah State 194.8125
20. West Virginia* 194.8000
21. Kentucky 194.5937
22. Illinois-Chicago 194.5625
23. Boise State 194.5250
24. Illinois-Champlaign 193.3562
25. NC State* 194.2812
REGIONAL RANKINGS (As of March 23)
1. Georgia 197.3437
2. Florida 195.4125
3. MARYLAND 195.1000
4. West Virginia* 194.8000
5. NC State* 194.2812
6. Towson* 194.2125
7. George Washington 193.2812
8. North Carolina* 193.1500
9. Radford 189.9687
10. William & Mary 189.7125
11. James Madison 189.6437
*Indicates EAGL Opponent
RQS - Regional Qualifying Score
TERP RANKINGS IN EACH EVENT
NATIONAL
Vault - T17th
Bars - 17th
Beam - 6th
Floor - 25th
REGIONAL
Vault - T3rd
Bars - 3rd
Beam - 2nd
Floor - 6th
EAGL
Vault - T1st
Bars - 2nd
Beam - 1st
Floor - 4th
COTE EARNS EAGL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS AFTER AMAZING SEASON
Freshman Gillian Cote (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe) was named as the 1999 Outstanding Rookie Gymnast. This is the second time in the four-year history of the EAGL that a Maryland gymnast has been given this honor. Rachel Dolbin won the award in 1996.
Cote, who surpassed anyone's expectations in her first season, earned EAGL Gymnast of the Week three times and also garnered first team All-EAGL honors on bars, beam and floor. She was also a second team all-EAGL pick on vault and was a unanimous selection for first team all-EAGL for the all-around competition.
This season, Cote has broken the school record for all-around on four separate occasions and has also recorded the all-time high score on bars (9.9) three times, beam (9.950) and floor (9.900) twice. Her record-setting all-around score of 39.425 is also the highest in the EAGL this season.
She has competed in the all-around in all 11 of the Terps' meets and has recorded a score of 39.15 or better in six of those meets. Cote has taken first place in the all-around in five of
Maryland's meets, including three consecutive first place finishes on Feb. 26, Feb. 28 and
March 6.
Cote is currently ranked No. 7 in the country in the all-around competition and No. 11 on beam. She is also ranked No. 1 in the EAGL in the all-around competition, No. 1 on beam, No. 4 on bars, No. 5 on floor and No. 7 on vault.
MOON IMPRESSES IN FRESHMAN YEAR
Behind Cote, freshman Laura Moon (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) has been Maryland's most consistent gymnast this season. Moon earned first team all-EAGL honors on beam and earned second team honors on bars and floor. She was also named to the first team all-EAGL for all-around. During the season, Moon was named EAGL Gymnast of the Week once.
She received EAGL Gymnast of the Week after scoring a career-high 39.350, which at the time set the Maryland all-time high score in the all-around competition. She also recorded a career-high 9.875 on floor and a career-high 9.850 on vault. Her score on vault tied the all-time high score set by Shelly Hernandez in 1997.
Moon has competed in the all-around in 10 of the Terps' 11 meets and has recorded a score of 39.150 or better in five of those appearances.
She has also recorded the third highest score in Maryland history on beam (9.9) and the third highest all-around score (39.350) in school history.
This season, Moon has taken first place in the all-around once, second place three times and third place once.
She is currently ranked No. 18 in the country in the all-around competition. In the EAGL, she is ranked No. 3 for all-around, No. 6 on vault, No. 9 on bars, No. 5 on beam and No. 14 on floor.
JOHNSON DOMINANT ON BEAM AND VAULT
Freshman Kit Johnson (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) has shined this season on vault and beam for the Terps and was named to the first team all-EAGL for both as a result.
Johnson has achieved the fourth highest vault score in school history (9.825) twice, including once at the 4th Annual Governor's Cup, placing her first, and once against then No. 15 Florida, George Washington and Rhode Island, earning her a third place finish overall.
On beam, Johnson recorded the second highest score in school history, a 9.925, at the Wolfpack Invitational, placing her second. She has also recorded the third highest beam score in school history, a 9.9, on two occasions. The first time was at the Master's Classic where she finished in a tie for second place and the second time was against then No. 15 Florida, George Washington and Rhode Island where she won the overall beam title.
Johnson is currently ranked No. 25 in the nation on beam. In the EAGL, she is ranked No. 4 on vault and No. 3 on beam.
HOLCOMBE HEATING UP
After a slow start at the beginning of the season, junior co-captain Christine Holcombe (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) has been gaining momentum coming into tonights' EAGL Championships. The Terps leader has greatly improved her scores over the past four meets.
On February 28 at the Masters Classic, she recorded the second highest all-around score of her career, a 38.9, to finish in third place overall. She also tied a career-high on beam with a score of 9.7. In Maryland's next meet at the Wolfpack Invitational, Holcombe had her best outing of the year, as she recorded a career-high score of 38.975 in the all-around competition, placing her fourth overall. She also scored a 9.825 on beam, setting a career-high and tied a career-high on bars with a score of 9.8. On March 20, in Maryland's final meet of the regular season against then No. 21 West Virginia, Ball State and Rutgers, Holcombe scored a career-high 9.8 on vault to finish in third place and tied her career-high on bars with a score of 9.8.
FEIN FINE ON BEAM
Sophomore Karyn Fein (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) has been one of Maryland's top performers on beam in the second half of the season, consistently recording scores around 9.8. She has posted a season-high beam score of 9.8 on four occassions, including three straight on Feb. 26, Feb. 28 and March 6. She had her best placing of the season in Maryland's last regular season meet against then No. 21 West Virginina, Ball State and Rutgers, when she scored a 9.750 to finish in fifth place overall.
TWIN FRESHMEN SOAR ON BARS
Freshman twin sisters Lisa and Alyssa Mealey (Bensalem, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) have done extremely well for the Terps on bars this season. Lisa has recorded a career-high 9.85 twice, the seventh highest scores in school history, while Alyssa has scored a career-high 9.8 on two occasions.
