Feb. 3, 2007

The Maryland gymnastics team finished third in the 12th annual Governor's Cup hosted at NC State on Friday in Reynolds Coliseum. The Terrapins earned their season-high team total, scoring a 191.925. The Governor's Cup is an annual meet that pegs the two collegiate gymnastics program in the states of Maryland and North Carolina against each other. North Carolina dominated; NC State won (194.600) followed by UNC (194.200). Towson finished fourth with a 191.850.

Despite frustration with the judging, the Terps' confidence built throughout the evening with each event getting stronger.

Uneven Bars

•Margaux Meeks gave a strong lead-off performance capped out with a stuck dismount that had been giving her trouble in prior meets (9.650)... Schaposchnikova; higgins to a straddle back handstand; uprise handstand to giant full turn to a double tuck dismount.
•Michele Brenner slightly struggled on the low bar after her pak salto and Candice King came off on her Tkatchev.
•Rachel Colon turned in the team's top score, 9.725...uprise ½, giant ½, Geinger, uprise 1/2
•Brandi George, 9.675...back stadler, stadler full, straddle back; giant ½, fwd giant 1/2, double tuck dismount
•Allison Dama missed for the first time this season, stalling out on the high bar before her full twisting double tuck dismount.  She did hit her giant full, tkatchev, straddle back handstand, toe-shoot to the high bar combo.

Balance Beam

•The team began with a fall from  Gretchen Kittelberger on her handspring-handspring-layout stepout series.
•Brenner's routine scored 9.400...straddle jump ¾; punch front - beat jump; switch leap-switch side (wobble); handspring layout stepout (balance check); double full dismount
•Colon hit her routine, but could only notch a 9.500...switch side leap; handspring-handspring-layout step out; pike jump-straddle jump-straddle
•Talia Tossone turned in the team's top score of a 9.650 and is the only Terp to hit every beam set this season...punch front; handspring layout-stepout; front aerial; switch leap - one-arm handspring
•Angela Ferg scored 9.375...front tuck mount (balance check); switch leap - straddle jump; handspring layout-stepout layout-stepout; straddle jump ¾(balance check)
•George earned a 9.45...George I to handspring layout step-out; wobble on dance series; George II (large check); double tuck dismount (step forward)

Floor Exercise

•The first two gymnasts up, Ferg and Tossone, came back to hit after falling last week.
•Ferg mounted with a double tuck; front full to front tuck; front layout front layout (9.55)
•Tossone mounted with a double pike; Rudi; front layout - front layout half (9.6)
•Brenner tumbled a front through to a double tuck; double pike; front layout- front layout (9.55)
•Kittelberger scored 9.6 with a double tuck; whip half to front layout; double pike
•Fishbein mounted with a 2.5 twist; whip half - front layout; double tuck (short with large step forward), 9.575
•George hit her best floor routine of the season with solid landings on her double pike; front full - front pike; double tuck (9.725)

Vault

•The Terps ended the competition by putting together their best vaulting effort of the season.   All of the Terrapins earned their season-high scores.
•Lindsey Bonomo turned in her best handspring front tuck on the season (9.500)
•Marisa St. Louis upgraded her vault from a front tuck to a front pike (9.700)
•Meeks vaulted a Yurchenko Arabian with a step back on the landing (9.650)
•Former JO vault champ King upgraded her vault to a Yurchenko full twist with only a hop back, 9.750
•George scored a season-high on her Yurchenko full, 9.800
•Ferg matched her season-high with her Yurchenko full, 9.825