There's No Place Like Home

Jan. 29, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - After taking three road trips to face several top-ranked opponents, the Maryland gymnastics team will host its first meet of the season Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. Held at Ritchie Coliseum in College Park, the competition will include Towson, James Madison and Temple. The Terps are looking for their first win of the year, this meet being the first time they will not battle a higher-ranked team.

Tracking the Terrapins

Despite starting the year 0-4 for the first time in program history, the 2004 Terps gymnastics squad is off to its all-time best start. Notching three solid team scores in its first three meets, the squad has combined for a total of 581.800 points on the year, higher than any other season on record.

Against Ohio State and Rutgers on Jan. 10, the Terps posted their second-highest opening score ever, combining for a 192.825. They followed that with a 194.650 at Denver, the best team total ever for the second meet in a season.

Not faltering after a fast start, the young team scored a 194.375 at North Carolina on Jan. 24, which ranks second-highest all-time for the third meet in a season.

Following Saturday's competition, the Terps' next meet will be the Governor's Cup on Feb. 7, hosted by Towson and also attended by North Carolina and NC State.

Latest Results

Last weekend, the team traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. After beginning the meet with a large deficit, the Terps showed their mettle and fought back, finishing with a 194.375 to the Tar Heels' 194.900.

Aiding in the comeback attempt was sophomore Rachel Martinez, who took third all-around (39.200) and tied for second on vault with a 9.850.

Senior Sarah Hoenig dominated the balance beam, taking first place and tying her career-high with a 9.925. Also performing well on beam was sophomore Alex Gatch, whose score of 9.825 was good enough for third place.

Junior Mandy Pascual earned her third 9.850 on bars this season, tying for second overall. Close behind tied for fourth was Martinez with a 9.800.

A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION

Temple Owls

The 2004 Temple squad is led by head coach Ken Anderson and started off its season with a win against Bridgeport. The Owls then took third out of six teams at the George Washington Invitational before losing to Rutgers on Jan. 21.

The team is led by several veterans, including junior Alexis Zafferes, who took first on vault vs. Rutgers with a 9.700. Also setting high scores for the squad is senior co-captain Jennifer Beaver. Beaver placed second on beam at the squad's last meet, posting a 9.825.

True freshman Noelle Moore is off to a great start, having taken second place on vault and floor vs. Rutgers with scores of 9.700 and 9.850, respectively. She also took second on beam at the GW Invitational with a 9.750.

The Temple Owls are 12-25 all-time against the Terrapins, and last met Maryland at the Comcast Center on Jan. 17, 2003, where they lost 190.525-193.450.

James Madison Dukes

Head coach Roger Burke leads James Madison this year, now in his 11th season with the team. The Dukes began 2004 with a loss to Pittsburgh and NC State at Pitt, but followed with a win against Rutgers at home on Jan. 24.

Against Rutgers, senior Nicole DiFilippo set a school record on the bars with a score of 9.9. JMU set a season-high team score (192.375) and posted season-best marks on all four events.

Also leading the way against Rutgers was senior Erin Fitzgerald, who took second all-around with a 38.275. Finishing fourth on vault was junior Amanda Beltz, and sophomore Lauren Caravello earned fourth place on bars.

James Madison is 6-20 all-time versus Maryland and last faced the Terps on Feb. 22, 2003, in College Park, losing by a score of 190.600-195.825.

Towson Tigers

EAGL-rival Towson poses perhaps the biggest threat to the Terrapins on Saturday, as the Tigers are 5-0 on the year. Towson is fresh off a narrow win at home against defending EAGL champion New Hampshire on Jan. 23 with a score of 193.475.

Senior Juliya Kovaliova, the 2003 EAGL uneven bars champion, took first on that event vs. New Hampshire and Wilson College with a career-high mark of 9.95. She also won the balance beam title for the second time this season, posting a 9.875.

Showing a solid team effort on the bars at the Tigers' last meet, juniors Jamie McDonald and Nicole Groccia tied for second with career-high 9.80s.

Also at that meet, senior Jennifer Clarke tied for second on the beam behind Kovaliova, posting a 9.80, followed closely by sophomore Jen Beekman in fourth with a score of 9.725. Beekman took third all-around at the competition with a 38.65.

Towson is 42-21-1 all-time versus Maryland, and last faced the team at the 2003 EAGL Championships, where the two squads tied with a score of 195.775.

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