Maryland Gymnastics To Host UNC, GWU and UPENN

March 7, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland's women's gymnastics team will be at home for the fourth consecutive weekend on Saturday when the Terps host a four-way meet at the auxiliary gym in Comcast Center. Joining the Terps will be EAGL member North Carolina, George Washington and Pennsylvania. Meet time is 7 p.m., admission is free. Here's a quick look at this weekend's teams:

Meet the Opponents:
NORTH CAROLINA

The Tar Heels finished the 2002 season ranked 20th in the nation after winning the EAGL Championship and placing fourth at the NCAA Southeast Regional. It was one of the best seasons in Carolina gymnastics history.

North Carolina is led by seniors Firtzie Catheasrt, Anne Chaffee, Natalie Halbach and Chrissy Klonne. Halbach placed 18th at the NCAA Regionals in 2002, earning a 9.850 on the beam for a fourth place finish at the EAGL Championships. Halbach was named EAGL Specialist of the Week for Mar. 3 following her 9.925 beam performance at the Wolfpack Invitational. The junior class also brings vast experience. NCAA Regional Participant, Maddy Curley returns for the Tar Heels after finishing second on the floor at the EAGL Championships.

Sophomore Olivia Trusty is the other Tar Heel to win EAGL Specialist of the Week award as a result of her performance in the vault and floor exercise in Carolina's victory over James Madison and William & Mary.

Newcomers are freshman Courtney Bumpers, Mikel Hester and Cecilia Liu. Bumpers has earned EAGL Gymnast of the Week honors twice in 2003; the freshman notched a 10.0 on the floor at the Governor's Cup. Only two other gymnasts in UNC's history have posted the perfect mark. The Tar Heels are 17-1 this season, with their only defeat coming to NC State.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

The Colonials return to the Comcast Center, fresh off their 193.950-193.025 win over the Terrapins last weekend. With the win, George Washington improves to 10-8 on the season. Junior Rachel and freshman Heather Kaufman have been leading GW. Mann finished first in the all-around with a 38.975 in the win over Maryland. Kaufman finished third, with the score of 38.075.

GW's 195.175-195.150 win over the Mountaineers on Feb. 23 was the team's highest score so far this season. GW has been dominating the Atlantic 10, winning its fifth straight conference title in 2002. Despite losing a core of their veterans to graduation, GW is backed by talent of its trio of co-captains, lone senior Melissa Suter and juniors Mann and Lindsay Parks. Mann has earned her way to become an all-around competitor this season, notching a 39.025 to win first place against West Virginia.

Three time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Margie Foster-Cunningham, will also look to her strong recruited freshmen class to add depth at each event. Freshman Kaufman finished third in the all-around against West Virginia, with a score of 38.875. Newcomers Amy Stack and Tiffany Jones have also been posting solid on the bars and the beam, respectively

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania is 11-5 in 2003. The Quakers placed second at the 27th Annual Ivy Classic Title. Despite a 192.000 finish, the second-best ever score in program history, the Red and Blue fell to Yale (192.300). The Quakers notched the highest score in school history, a 192.400 on Feb. 22 against Cornell and Ursinus.

At the Ivy Classic, junior Christy Green and freshmen Desirae Gaspero and Laura Duros, each scored a personal record 9.9 on the floor, propelling Penn to a new program record in the event, as well as themselves into the Quakers' record book. The trio is tied for third-place all-time in school history on the floor.

Sophomore Leah Moon placed third in the all-around and vault at the Ivy Classic with scores of 38.65 and 9.55, respectively. Moon recorded personal bests in the all-around, bars (9.625), beam (9.75) and floor (9.725).

In his 16th season of coaching, head coach Tom Kivoc notched his 100th victory earlier in 2003.

LAST TIME FOR THE TERPS

Maryland fell to area rival George Washington, 193.950-193.025, last Saturday at the Comcast Center. The Terps are now 7-8 on the season, and remain 3-4 against East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) opponents. Junior co-captain, Katherine Schroeder recorded a new career high on the floor, a 9.900. Freshman Rachel Martinez, EAGL Gymnast of the Week for Mar. 1, tied her career high with another Maryland 9.900 on the floor. Newcomer Alexandria Gatch too set a new career high; Gatch notched a 9.875 on the beam.

The Terps performed their strongest on the floor. In addition to Schroeder and Martinez's 9.9 marks, freshman Cameron Logan recorded a 9.825 for her routine. Junior Sarah Hoenig, a 2002 NCAA Regional Participant, added a solid 9.750 performance on the floor. Maryland won the event, 48.975-48.400.

Freshman Kristi Skowronski finished second in the all-around with a score of 38.375. Colonial Rachel Mann won the all-around with a 38.975. The second place finish in the all-around is Skowronski's highest this season. She hit her routines in all four events, recording a 9.7 on the vault, a 9.825 on the bars, a 9.250 on the beam and a 9.6 on the floor.

On the beam. Gatch and Hoenig tied for a team high score of 9.875. With this mark, Gatch boasts a new career high, breaking the 9.850 record she had set earlier this season, at the Governor's Cup on Feb. 9. On the bars, sophomore Mandy Pascual equaled Skowronksi's 9.825, followed by junior Rachel Sibert's 9.800.

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