Gymnastics To Head To Athens, Ga. For Southeast Regionals

April 8, 2003

The University of Maryland women's gymnastics team will travel to Athens, Ga., for the 2003 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships. This season marks the 13th time the Terps will travel to regional competition, dating back to 1984. The team will leave on Thursday, April 10 to head to the University of Georgia campus, the site of the meet. The competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on April 12 at the Stegeman Coliseum.

Other teams selected to compete at the southeast regionals include Georgia, Florida, Ohio State and EAGL (East Atlantic Gymnastics League) opponents North Carolina and NC State.

Maryland's best performance at regionals has been a third-place finish in both 1989 and 2001. Last season, the Terps failed to qualify to regionals as a team but did send five individuals to the competition. Gillian Cote, Lisa Mealey and Leah Brill were selected as all-around competitors, while Sarah Hoenig and Alyssa Mealey were specialists on the beam and floor, respectively.

At the 2002 regionals, Lisa Mealey placed eighth in the all-around with the score of 39.150 to lead the Terps. Hoenig placed seventh on the beam with a 9.875, while Cote earned a 9.800 on both the bars and the beam.

However, the Terps bring a whole new squad this year. Led by freshman Rachel Martinez, the all-around winner at the 2003 EAGL Championships, Maryland looks strong at all four events and takes aim at its first regional championship. Martinez was named EAGL Gymnast for the Week twice in her first year and has garnered five first-place regular season finishes. Martinez's all-around title at the EAGL Championships on March 29 helped propel Maryland to a tie for fourth place.

On the vault:

Martinez leads the Terps on the vault; the freshman standout hit four 9.9s during the regular season, including four first-place finishes. Her season-long performance earned her second team all-conference honors on the vault. Other Terp regulars on the vault are juniors Katherine Schroeder, Rachel Sibert, Hoenig and freshmen Rebecca Ruppert and Kristi Skowronski.

Sibert posted a career high 9.85 on the vault against George Washington on March 12. In her first year competing on the vault, Hoenig has already notched her personal best, a 9.825. As a team, Maryland posted a season high 48.875, which is the seventh best vault total in school history.

On the bars:

Sophomore Mandy Pascual heads the strong Terps line-up on the bars. Pascual has hit a school-record tying 9.925 on two occasions this season and made first team all-conference. Martinez, a second team all-league selection on bars, also notched a season high 9.9 on the uneven bars. Sophomore Leah Brill, the 2002 EAGL Rookie of the Year, tied her career high 9.825 twice in 2003 -- on Feb. 14 and March 8. Freshman all-around competitor Kristi Skowronski has excelled on the bars as well, posting back-to-back 9.9s on the bars. Maryland notched a season high 49.275 on the bars on Feb. 22, tying for the second highest bars team total in school history.

On the beam:

Hoenig, a 2002 NCAA Regional participant, anchors the strong Maryland core on the beam. In 2003, Hoenig posted a career high 9.925 in back-to-back meets in March and was honored with a first team All-EAGL selection. The mark ties Hoenig for the third highest beam score set by any Maryland gymnast. Freshman Alexandria Gatch has been a solid contender on the beam, placing second at the Governor's Cup with a 9.85. Her season and career high on the beam is a 9.9, a mark she achieved on both Mar. 12 and Mar. 21. Gatch was selected to the second team All-EAGL squad on beam. In regular season meets, both Martinez and Skowronski have broken into the 9.9 category. Senior co-captain Stacey Celenski set a new career high on the beam, a 9.825. Fellow senior Catherine Gardner tied her personal best, a 9.9. The Terps posted a season high 49.500 on the beam, to set a new school record.

On the floor:

Martinez scored a regular season team high 9.95 on the floor and made first team All-EAGL. Freshman Cameron Logan has been posting high marks on the floor all season long, including five routines of 9.80 and above. Schroeder recorded her first 9.9 of her career in 2003 as well. Hoenig set a new career high this season, a 9.85 on the floor. As a team, the Terps posted a season high 49.200 on the floor.

2003 EAGL Championship

The Terps posted a score of 195.775 for a fourth place tie with Towson.

Host New Hampshire won the meet title with a score of 196.750 and edged out NC State which finished second with a score of 196.675. North Carolina was third with a 196.025. Towson tied Maryland for fourth place.

Martinez won the all-around with a score of 39.625, equaling the school record she shares with former Maryland All-American Gillian Cote. Martinez is the first Terp to win the EAGL all-around title in the eight years of the league's existence, and her score of 39.625 is the best total ever at the league meet.

In winning the all-around crown, Martinez tied for first on beam (9.925), finished second on floor (9.925), and placed third on vault (9.925) The 9.925 marks on the beam and vault are new career and season highs for Martinez. Junior Hoenig tied Martinez for first place with a 9.925 on the beam and also tied her personal best score. Terp freshman Cameron Logan stepped up big on the beam, posting a career high 9.90 on the event. Sophomore Mandy Pascual tied for fourth on bars with a 9.875.

Gymnastics To Head To Athens, Ga. For Southeast Regionals

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