Jan. 21, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland gymnastics team routinely boasts one of the more difficult schedules in all of collegiate women's gymnastics, and the challenge at hand does not get any easier when the Terps return home to play host to 17th-ranked Denver and NC State in a tri-meet at 7 p.m. Friday in the Comcast Center Pavilion.

One week after taking on one of the nation's top programs in Ohio State, Maryland (1-1) welcomes two more strong gymnastics squads to College Park. Both NC State and Denver advanced to NCAA regional competition last season, and the Pioneers went one step further, finishing 12th at the 2008 NCAA National Championships with a team total of 194.200.

Denver has enjoyed yet another quick start to its 2009 campaign, winning its first two home meets while accumulating the nation's 17th-best team average (194.292) in the process. The Wolfpack, a fellow member of the East Atlantic Gymnastics League, earned a No. 25 ranking entering the 2009 season after finishing atop the 2008 regular-season league standings with a 24-8 record.

"We pride ourselves on maintaining a high degree of difficulty in our schedule, and we certainly have our work cut out for us with this week's meet," head coach Bob Nelligan said. "Both Denver and NC State have tremendous programs, and we need to be up for the challenge."

The Terps seek to return to the form they displayed during the first home meet of the season, a victory over Kent State on Jan. 9. During that meet, Maryland earned its season-best team scores on vault (48.650), floor exercise (48.325) and overall team total (191.450).

Maryland has been led thus far this season by its trio of all-around performers - sophomore Abbey Adams and juniors Brandi George and Michele Brenner. Adams, who won on vault last Saturday versus Ohio State, ranks among the EAGL's top-10 on floor exercise (fourth - 9.775 average), all-around (seventh - 38.187) and vault (tied for eighth - 9.775). George leads the team and ranks sixth in the league with an all-around average of 38.225, and Brenner ranks tied for seventh in the EAGL on floor exercise (9.738 average).

After having members of his squad endure flu-like symptoms last week, Nelligan hopes to be closer to full strength for Friday's home competition. The meet is free to the public, and Maryland gymnasts will sign autographs at its conclusion.

Last Time Out
Adams won on vault and five other Terrapin gymnasts also improved at least one individual score from the season-opening meet, but Maryland fell to 12th-ranked Ohio State, 194.740 to 190.525, in a dual meet last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

Scouting the Competition
• Denver (6-3) boasts the nation's 17th-best team average (194.292) after defeating Nebraska and Minnesota in successive home meets, and has improved its team score in each of its first three meets this season.
• The Pioneers return 11 letterwinners from a squad that finished 12th at the 2008 NCAA National Championships, including senior All American Jessica Lopez.
• NC State (1-2) ranks fifth in the EAGL with a team average of 191.912. Freshmen Jess Panza and Brooke Barr claimed consecutive EAGL Rookie of the Week honors following their performances during the first two weeks of the season.
• The Wolfpack returns eight letterwinners from its 2008 EAGL regular-season champions squad.

Series History
The Terps stand 28-34 and 1-3 all-time, respectively, against the Wolfpack and the Pioneers. Their first meets against both schools took place during the early 1980s.

Did You Know
Friday's tri-meet marks the first time Maryland, Denver and NC State have participated in the same competition together, despite the fact that each program has been in existence for more than three decades.

Up Next
Following Friday's meet, Maryland commences a four-meet road stand by traveling to Morgantown, W.Va., for a quad-meet against West Virginia, George Washington and Rutgers and Rutgers on Jan. 31.