Jan. 7, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, MD. -
The Maryland Gymnastics team will open the 2005 season at the Maui Invitational tonight at 6:30pm HST. The Terps will face tough competition, competing against #9 ranked Arizona State, Alaska Anchorage and Boise State.
Bob Nelligan enters his 27th season as head coach of the Maryland Terrapins and will have new interim assistant coach by his side. Former Georgia standout gymnast, Talya Vexler brings NCAA championship experience to the terps. Brett Nelligan returns for his second season coaching the team.
Seniors Leah Brill, Ashley Oberdorff and Mandy Pascual lead this year's squad. Expectations are high for Brill whose talents will be depended on in bars, beam and floor exercise. Oberdorff returns after being sidelined last season due to injury. Pascual, the team's bar specialist will get a rare chance to compete in front of her home crowd in Hawaii.
The 2005 squad is young but should be very balanced. Junior Tri-Captain Rebecca Ruppert is the team's vault specialist and will be performing a new vault this season with a higher degree of difficulty. Junior Rachel Martinez returns as the team's top all-around performer. Martinez is one of the top gymnasts in the conference and will be eyeing her second EAGL all-around championship title. Alex Gatch rounds out the Junior class and will be a vital part of the team's beam lineup.
There are five sophomores on the Maryland team and all should make significant contributions. Redshirt sophomore Ginny Scott is one of the terps' best floor performers and will be added to the all-around lineup. Rachel Colon, Angie Ferg, Ashley LeVine and Marisa St. Louis are all expected to be key contributors to Maryland's success this season.
The freshmen are all vying for a spot in the lineup. Lindsey Bonomo, Morgan Fishbein, Gretchen Kittelberger and Angie Watkins are the newcomers to this Maryland squad. Kittelberger is a strong all-around performer who could see action. Facing #9 Arizona State should give this freshmen class a good idea of what type of competition they will face on the collegiate level.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Head coach John Spini enters his 25th season and is looking for his 300th career win at the Maui Invitational.
Ashley Kelly, Junior
Defending NCAA national balance beam champion
First team all-american on beam and all-around
Second team all-american on vault, floor
Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
Head coach Paul Stoklos enters his 21st season and this is the team's first as a full member of NCAA division I gymnastics.
Dominique Ingram, Sophomore
Defending USAG Champion on floor and vault,
All-American in all-around
Boise State Broncos
Head Coach Yvonne Sandmire enters her 18th season and was WGC coach of the year in 2004.
Carla Chambers, Junior
WGC Gymnast of the year in 2004
Lindsay Ward, Sophomore
Set school record in all-around, 39.625
