Maryland Gymnastics To Open Season At Ohio State

Jan. 8, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Terps gymnastics team will ring in a new year and a new season on Jan. 10, as it travels to Columbus, Ohio, for a tri-meet with Ohio State and Pittsburgh. Head coach Bob Nelligan, entering his 26th year with the team, looks to guide his squad to victory against the No.23-ranked Buckeyes and the EAGL-rival Panthers. Typically quick out of the gate, the Terps are 31-16 all-time in season openers and aim to continue that trend Saturday.

A LOOK AT THE TERRAPINS

Leading the Way

The Terps are led by three seniors this season: Sarah Hoenig, Katherine Schroeder and Rachel Sibert.

Hoenig earned first team All-EAGL honors on the beam last year after sharing the conference title in that event with teammate Rachel Martinez.

Look for Schroeder to chime in with top scores on the beam and floor, and Sibert will continue to be a powerful presence on the vault and bars.

Marvelous Martinez

The team's top gymnast last year was Rachel Martinez, now a sophomore and reigning EAGL all-around champion. Her all-around score of 39.625 at the conference championships tied the school record set by former Maryland All-American Gillian Cote in 2000.

Martinez is the first Terp ever to win the conference all-around title, and her score was the highest total ever in league championships history.

She also took the conference balance beam title last year, tying Hoenig with a score of 9.925. Her 9.925 on vault last year at the EAGLs tied the school record in that event.

At the Intrasquad Scrimmage

The team's annual four-squad scrimmage event saw the White team win, comprised of Hoenig, Martinez, junior Ashley Oberdorff and red-shirt freshman Ginny Scott.

All-around leaders were Martinez (38.400) and Oberdorff (37.450), with Schroeder rounding out the top three with a 37.00.

Martinez took the vault title with a 9.750, followed closely by sophomore Rebecca Ruppert and freshman Marisa St. Louis, who each earned a 9.650.

School record-holder junior Mandy Pascual placed first on bars with a 9.750, followed by Martinez and sophomore Kristi Skowronski, who posted scores of 9.700 and 9.650, respectively.

On the balance beam, Hoenig's 9.700 earned her first place, and sophomore Alex Gatch posted a 9.650 to finish second. Martinez and sophomore Cameron Logan tied for third with scores of 9.600.

Also strong on the floor exercise, Hoenig took the title with her second 9.700 of the day, with Gatch and Skowronski rounding out the top three.

A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION

Eying up the Buckeyes

Ohio State begins the season at No. 23 in the preseason Gyminfo rankings. A tough team to beat, the Terps are 2-7 overall against the Buckeyes, their latest victory coming from last season's NCAA Regionals. There the Terps upset the then-No. 16 Buckeyes 193.825 to 193.650 to take fourth place.

The team is led by head coach Larry Cox, three-time regional coach of the year, in his 25th season with the squad. In 2003, Ohio State finished with a 10-4 regular-season record and finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships and at NCAA Regionals.

The Buckeyes have a slight edge over Maryland and Pittsburgh in that this will be their second meet of the season, after defeating Kentucky 193.575-192.825 in their home opener. They were paced by local talent, sophomore Jill Weber from Bel Air, Md., who took first in floor with a 9.9 and first in the all-around with a 38.675.

Other Buckeyes claiming individual victories at the home opener were senior Tiffanie Janke on vault (9.9) and Elizabeth Meaney on beam (9.850). Career highs included senior Jenni Lymanstall on floor (9.775) and sophomore Leah Boccaccio on vault (9.65).

A Peek at the Panthers

Pittsburgh is led by head coach Debbie Yohman, in her 18th season at the helm of the Panthers. She led the team to a 7-19 overall record last season, and the team finished seventh at the 2003 conference championships with a score of 193.975.

The Panthers boast a very experienced squad with five seniors, including Alyse Zeffiro, who finished in the top 10 in beam and floor at the NCAA Regional Championships. She was also a unanimous selection to the All-EAGL first team on the balance beam, earning first-team floor and second-team vault honors as well.

Other gymnasts to watch will be seniors Heather Launse and Diandra O'Connor. Launse garnered second-team All-EAGL honors on the floor and O'Connor averaged a 38.785 in the all-around last year.

Like Maryland, Pittsburgh will begin its season at Saturday's meet. Overall, the Terps are 11-11 against Pittsburgh, tying it up by topping the Panthers at the 2003 conference championships.

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