Feb. 23, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland gymnastics team reached the nation's Top 25 in the GymInfo rankings released today, thanks to its recent performances against several high-ranked teams. The Terps sit at No. 25 in this week's list with an average team score just under 195 and a season high of 196.325 set against then-No. 9 Iowa on Feb. 14. Consistently scoring well on the uneven bars this year, the Terps rank 19th in the country on the event, tied with Kentucky.

Like her team, sophomore Rachel Martinez is making a name for herself in the nation this year. The 2003 EAGL all-around champion is the No. 8 gymnast in the country, boasting an all-around regional qualifying average of 39.370. She is also No. 1 all-around in the EAGL and in the Southeast Region, above North Carolina's Olivia Trusty and Christine Robella. Martinez is also ranked sixth on vault, ninth on bars, 10th on beam and eighth on floor in the Southeast.

Martinez has led her team to No. 4 in the region with five meets left before the Regional Championships on April 3. The team is No. 3 on the bars, fourth on beam and floor and fifth on vault in the Southeast, a region which includes powerhouses No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Florida.

Several Terps have attained individual top-10 rankings in the Southeast, including junior Mandy Pascual. A bars specialist, Pascual is No. 8 in the region and No. 2 in the EAGL on her event, with a season high of 9.875. Senior co-captain Sarah Hoenig has performed well on the beam for the Terps this year, ranking eighth in the region and second in the conference.

A newcomer to the lineup after sitting out due to injury last year, sophomore Ginny Scott is making her mark on the rankings. Scott is tied for sixth in the region and fourth in the EAGL on floor, having notched four 9.90 performances this season. Another newcomer, freshman Rachel Colon, has worked her way into the starting lineup on three events and is ranked eighth on beam in the EAGL for Maryland.

No. 25 Maryland will next challenge Rutgers, Temple and Bridgeport in a quad meet hosted by the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The Terps hope to set another strong team score which would propel them even higher in the national rankings.