February 1, 1999
College Park, Md. - With a 7-2 record, the No. 22 Terps will next travel to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the fourth annual Governor's Cup. The meet teams Maryland with Towson to take on the combination of NC State and North Carolina. Despite being a state vs. state competition, Maryland will also be competing against each team individually as well. Last year's Governor's Cup, held in College Park, marked Maryland's best performance in a Governor's Cup meet. The Terps finished second behind NC State with a score of 191.70. In 1997, Maryland placed third with a 190.65 and in 1996 they finished third with a 188.425. The state of Maryland has won all three Governor's Cups.
TERPS FINISH THIRD AT NO. 9 UCLA
Maryland scored a 188.400 to finish in third place behind host No. 9 UCLA (192.350) and No. 15 Washington (191.475). The Terps did, however, finish ahead of UC Santa Barbara to pick up one win. The two losses were Maryland's first of the season and it was the first time in three meets that the Terps did not finish in first. They defeated Radford on Jan. 9 in a dual meet and won the George Washington Invitational on Jan. 23.
COTE LEADING WAY FOR TERPS IN 1999
Freshman Gillian Cote (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe) had been the Terps most consistent performer this season and has already made an impact in just three career meets. In the first meet of the season against Radford, Cote won the vault, beam, bars, and all-around competition and her score on beam, 9.95, set a new Maryland all-time record. Her score on all-around, 39.15, tied the Maryland all-time record and her score on vault, 9.8, was the second best in Maryland history. These results earned her Gymnast of the Week, marking only the third time that a Maryland gymnasts has won the honor in the four year history of the EAGL. It was also the second year in a row that a Maryland gymnast won the award in the first week of the season. At the George Washington Invitational, Cote tied the Maryland all-time high on floor with a 9.85 and finished third in the all-around with a 38.1. Against UCLA, Washington, and UC Santa Barbara, Cote took second place in the all-around with a 38.6, marking the third consecutive meet she has scored 38.0 or higher in the all-around, and finished second on bars with a 9.750.
BAD MOON RISING
Freshman Laura Moon (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) has steadily improved over the past three meets and is showing the nation that she can compete at the highest level. In the first meet of the season, Moon finished in third in the all-around with a 38.525, won the floor competition with a score of 9.750, and finished second on beam with a 9.9, the second best beam score in Maryland history. At the George Washington Invitational, Moon placed third on vault with a 9.675 and in yesterday's meet, she tied for fourth on vault with a 9.6 and tied for sixth place on floor with a 9.7. It marked the third time in three meets that she has recorded a score of at least 9.7 on floor. She is ranked ninth in the Southeast Region and eighth in the EAGL overall and is ranked 13th in the region and 6th on floor in the EAGL on floor.
DYNAMIC DUO
Junior co-captains Rachel Dolbin (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) and Christine Holcombe (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) have earned their titles this year by setting an example for all other gymnasts with strong performances. Dolbin recorded a 38.525 in the all-around against Radford, earning her second place and the second best all-around mark of her career, which included a career-high tying 9.85 on beam. Holcombe has competed fiercely in each meet and recorded a 36.75 in the all-around against Radford, earning her fifth place overall.
NEXT TERPS MEET ...
at Governor's Cup
Sunday, Feb. 7, 1999 2:00 p.m.
Raleigh, N.C. (Reynolds Coliseum)
Top 1999 Performances
All-Around
1. Gillian Cote 39.150 1/9
Vault
1. Kit Johnson 9.8 1/23
2. Gillian Cote 9.8 1/9
Bars
1. Gillian Cote 9.750 1/31
2. Lisa Mealey 9.750 1/23
Beam
1. Gillian Cote 9.95 1/9
Floor
1. Gillian Cote 9.85 1/23
