Terp Gymnasts Gear Up For Governor's Cup

Feb. 6, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland gymnastics team looks to punctuate a great week with a win at the 2004 Governor's Cup. The ninth annual competition pits the East Atlantic Gymnastics League's (EAGL) two Maryland teams: Maryland and Towson against the two North Carolina teams: North Carolina and NC State. The quad meet will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7 in Towson, Md.

Tracking the Terrapins

Senior co-captain Sarah Hoenig was named EAGL Specialist of the Week for the week of Feb. 3, a credit to her performance against Temple, Towson and James Madison last weekend. In the win, Hoenig posted a 9.9 on beam competition and a 9.825 on the vault and the floor.

The team is 3-4 in 2004, after sweeping the four-way home debut on Jan. 31. The Terps posted a season-high score of 195.750 in the domination. Senior co-captain Rachel Sibert notched a new career-high 9.9 on the vault, tying for the second highest vault score ever in school history.

Sophomore sensation Rachel Martinez took her second all-around title of the season with a 38.950, beating out Towson's duo of Stacie Hogan and Nicole Groccia.

The Terps already faced two of the three opponents from this weekend's Governor's Cup, having dropped a close decision to North Carolina in January and beaten out Towson in the quad meet last weekend. While UNC sits second in the EAGL standings to Maryland's fourth, the Terps are the only squad out of the four participants to have notched a team score of 195 or better this season.

In addition to individual achievement, the squad earned the 2004 CHAMPS/Life Skills Award for the second year in a row. The CHAMPS/Life Skills Award is given annually to the men's and women's team that best develops its athletes in the following five areas: athletic excellence, academic excellence, career development, personal development and commitment to service.

After winning the Governor's Cup in 2002, the Terps look to avenge last year's loss that brought the trophy to North Carolina. Historically speaking, the North has prevailed, with the Maryland teams having a record of 5-2 versus the North Carolina teams (NC State did not compete in the cup until the second year, 1997).

At the 2003 Governor's Cup, the Carolina teams combined for a score of 392.45 to take the trophy home, with North Carolina winning the meet and NC State in second. The two Maryland teams posted a combined score of 388.875, with the Tigers in third and the Terps in fourth.

Meet the Opponents

North Carolina:

The Tar Heels are 6-1 in 2004 with a strong squad led by sophomore Courtney Bumpers. Also returning are veterans Anna Wilson and Olivia Trusty, with the team benefiting from freshman Christine Robella as well.

Bumpers has snagged EAGL Gymnast of the Week once this season and is a vital part to UNC's success. At the 2003 Governor's Cup, Bumpers earned a perfect 10 on floor competition, which helped UNC capture first place.

In its last meet on Jan. 31, UNC suffered its first loss of the season to Bowling Green State University, 195.125-194.425. In the loss, both Robella and Trusty notched a 9.9 on the vault. However, the Tar Heels yielded several falls on bars and the beam that led to an overall lower team score.

Towson:

Towson is 7-1 in 2004, its only loss coming at the hands of the Terrapins. The Tigers can always count on veteran Juliya Kovaliova for a solid performance. The senior took first place against the Terps on the bars with a 9.925 and placed third on the beam with the score of 9.800.

Freshman Stacie Hogan has also been a key weapon for the Tigers. Hogan placed second in the all-around competition with a 38.775, losing to Terp Martinez. Fellow Tiger Nicole Groccia came in third place in the all-around with a 38.750 at the quad meet.

NC State:

The Wolfpack are 5-5 in 2004, falling most recently to No. 8 Iowa State, 196.775-193.725. NC State is an experienced squad, led by the strong senior leadership of Marlyn Madey, Leah Sabo and Molly Pennington. Sabo placed second in the all-around competition against Iowa State, posting a 39.225.

Junior Cori Goldstein has also been putting up high scores for the Pack, most recently tying for second on floor versus Iowa with a 9.85.

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