March 11, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Terrapin gymnasts will host Air Force and EAGL rivals Pittsburgh and No. 27 NC State in their final home meet of the season on Friday, March 12, at 7 p.m. The meet, held at the Comcast Center Gymnasium, celebrates "Senior Night" for a trio of Terp upperclassmen: Sarah Hoenig, Rachel Sibert and Katherine Schroeder. No. 29 Maryland looks to set another high team score and raise its regional qualifying average, after breaking the program record at home against No. 5 Stanford on March 6.
The four teams in this competition are on a roll approaching the post-season, with Maryland, Pittsburgh and Air Force coming off meets where they set new school record team scores, and NC State coming off setting the second-best team score in program history.
TRACKING THE TERRAPINS:
Wrecking Records
The host Terps were edged by No. 5 Stanford on March 6, bringing their season record to 9-10. However the Terps were elated as the meet concluded, knowing they set a new school record team score of 197.375. They also broke the school vaulting record with a total of 49.175 and tied the history bars mark of 49.325.
EAGL Gymnast of the Week sophomore Rachel Martinez posted a season-high 39.600 all-around score, tying Stanford's Caroline Fluhrer for first place. That marked Martinez's third consecutive all-around title and seventh of the season overall. She scored a 9.95 on floor that tied her for first and notched a 9.90 on beam, tying her for third.
Taking the bars title was junior Mandy Pascual, with a career-high tying 9.925 that also ties the school record in her name. Senior Sarah Hoenig earned her seventh beam title of the year, tying her career-high score of 9.925.
The Terp floor lineup dazzled the fans with a 49.525 that marked the second-best floor total in school history. Five gymnasts set or tied their career-high score, including freshman Marisa St. Louis (9.875), junior Leah Brill (9.875), sophomore Ginny Scott (9.925) and Martinez (9.95).
An impressive three Terps scored identical marks of 9.90 on the beam, resulting in a season-high 49.350 that is the fourth-best total in team history. Martinez, freshman Rachel Colon and sophomore Alex Gatch tied for third place behind Hoenig's meet-best 9.925.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
No. 27 NC State Wolfpack
No. 27 NC State has amassed a 10-10 record this season and is led by head coach Mark Stevenson. Friday's competition will be the second time this season the Terps and NC State have met, as the two teams squared off at the Governor's Cup in Towson, Md., in February.
The Terps edged the Pack, 195.350-195.225, at this year's Governor's Cup, bringing the all-time series to an even 25-25. The teams will meet again at the EAGL Championships on March 20 and possibly again at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships if both teams qualify.
Like Maryland, NC State is coming fresh off a stellar home meet, as the Wolfpack scored the second-best total in program history at the March 5 Wolfpack Invitational. The 196.950 was good enough for second in the three-team meet behind EAGL rival North Carolina and in front of West Virginia.
Headlining the meet for the Pack was senior Marlyn Madey, who captured first on vault with a career-best 9.85. She also took the title on bars with a 9.925 and finished third in the all-around with a score of 39.400.
Senior Leah Sabo set a new career high on the balance beam, a 9.925, that put her in second place. She and freshman Rachel Katz tied for fourth on vault, each with a 9.825.
The Wolfpack combined for a 49.00 or better on all four events at their home finale, compiling the school's second-highest bars score in history with a 49.325. They also scored a 49.400 on floor that marked the fifth-highest in the record books.
Pittsburgh Panthers
Head coach Debbie Yohman has led the Pittsburgh Panthers to a 11-7-1 record this season. The team is 3-3-1 in the EAGL and will meet conference rivals Maryland and NC State on Friday for the second time this year.
It was Pittsburgh taking the victory, 193.450-192.825, against Maryland at Ohio State in the teams' first meet of the year-bringing the all-time series to 11-12 in the Panthers' favor. Pittsburgh bested the NC State, 194.300-193.850, in a home dual meet on Jan. 16.
The Panthers' latest meet was a home contest vs. James Madison and West Virginia on March 9. The Panthers set a school-record team score of 196.525, but finished in second place behind the Mountaineers, who combined for a school-record 197.400.
Senior Alyse Zeffiro scored the first two perfect 10.0s in school history, earning the perfect mark on both floor and vault. Zeffiro's 10.0 and senior Erika Goldberg's 9.95 helped produce a team floor score of 49.450, which set another Panther record.
Also performing well was senior Diandra O'Connor, whose 9.90 on bars and 39.275 all-around were new career highs. Freshman Robyn Marszalek set a season-high mark on beam and tied her season-high on bars, with identical scores of 9.80.
Air Force Falcons
The Air Force squad is coached by Lisa Woody in her fifth year with the team. The Falcons are 3-14 this season and have a regional qualifying score of 191.140.
The team hosted Rhode Island on Tuesday night for its final home meet of the year. It marked the second time this season the Falcons met the Rams, with the Rams taking the close decision on Feb. 8. This time around the Falcons exacted their revenge, setting four school records and tying another in the 195.675-193.175 win.
The Falcons'195.675 eclipsed the old school record of 194.675 set in 2001. They also set new records on vault (49.00) and beam (49.150), and tied the program-best floor score of 49.300.
Junior Jessa Leigl led the team, amassing a 39.475 all-around score that took down another school record, formerly held by Kim Broughton (2001) with a 39.125. She finished first on vault, tying the program record score of 9.90, and took first on bars with a 9.850.
Aiding in the Falcons' high score was senior Erin McGuire, who placed second on vault with a 9.875 and first on beam with a 9.90. She also led the team on the floor, tying teammate Lauren Robison with a 9.90.
Air Force led Rhode Island on every event but the uneven bars, which the Rams narrowly won, 48.275-48.225.
Team-by-Team Season Highs
Team Vault Bars Beam Floor Total
Maryland 49.175 49.325 49.350 49.525 197.375
NC State 49.325 49.325 49.525 49.500 196.950
Pittsburgh 49.075 49.150 49.125 49.450 196.525
Air Force 49.000 48.275 49.150 49.300 195.675
