Jan. 29, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland gymnastics team received a taste of East Atlantic Gymnastics League competition last week. Now the Terrapins will have a full helping.
Fresh off a home tri-meet in which they achieved their best team score in 23 months in earning a pair of victories, including one over EAGL opponent NC State, the Terps commence a four-meet road stand by traveling to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on three league foes at 7 p.m. Saturday in a quad-meet. Maryland faces 19th-ranked West Virginia, George Washington and Rutgers in the WVU Coliseum.
The Terps (3-1) put together a complete meet last Friday, compiling three season-best team event scores en route to an overall mark of 194.450. Nine Terrapins registered at least season-high individual score, and three gymnasts (sophomores Abbey Adams and Kelsey McDermid and freshman Becca Pang) tallied a career-best mark.
Now Maryland, which ranks fifth in the EAGL in team average (192.142), will attempt to sustain that success on the road against a diverse sampling of fellow league competitors.
West Virginia claimed victory at the 2008 EAGL Championships and has continued to set the proverbial bar during the early portions of the 2009 season. The Mountaineers lead the league with a team average of 194.183 following the first three weeks of the season, and they boast the EAGL's top team average in every event except balance beam.
George Washington, which leads the EAGL with seven victories, possesses a team average (192.262) strikingly similar to that of Maryland. The Colonials and Terps currently rank 39th and 40th nationally in team average.
Rutgers ranks last in the league in scoring average (186.858) but has demonstrated significant improvement in each of its first three meets.
"We clearly had a strong showing last week, but now we need to find out how that translates to the road environment," head coach Bob Nelligan said. "We're entering the thick of EAGL play, and these are each strong programs that we're facing on Saturday."
Last Time Out
Bolstered by an impressive team effort and a pair of standout all-around performances from Adams and junior Brandi George, Maryland claimed its best overall score in nearly two years (194.450) in defeating 17th-ranked Denver and fellow EAGL opponent NC State in a home meet last Friday evening. In doing so, the Terps tallied their season-best team scores on uneven bars (48.500), balance beam (48.700) and floor exercise (48.700). George (all-around & balance beam) and Adams (uneven bars and floor exercise) both claimed a pair of individual victories.
Scouting the Competition
• The reigning EAGL champions, No. 19 West Virginia (2-3) currently leads the league in team average (194.183) and is coming off its best meet of the season - a 194.775-192.700 victory over Pittsburgh on Jan. 23.
• A trio of Mountaineers stand atop the EAGL's individual rankings. Mehgan Morris leads on uneven bars (9.842 average) and all-around (38.842), Chelsi Tabor leads on vault (9.850) and Amy Bieski leads on floor exercise (9.850). Both Morris and Bieski already have garnered EAGL Gymnast of the Week honors this season.
• George Washington (7-1) leads the EAGL in victories following a first-place finish in a quad-meet with Penn, Rutgers and William & Mary on Jan. 24. The Colonials are led by Leslie Delima, who ranks third in the league on all-around (38.600 average).
• Rutgers (2-6) ranks last in the EAGL in team average (186.858), but the Scarlet Knights have increased their score in each of their first three meets. Latara Northcutt has been Rutgers' lone all-around performer thus far this season.
Series History
The Terps have experienced tremendous success against one of Saturday's opponents (27-6 all-time versus Rutgers), relatively strong success against another (41-34 against George Washington) and less success against the third (15-36-1 versus West Virginia).
Did You Know
Maryland's four-meet road stand represents the team's longest since competing in six straight meets away from College Park during the 2000 season. However, the 2009 Terps also close their regular season with three consecutive home meets for the first time in five years.
Up Next
Following Saturday's meet, the Terps travel to Raleigh, N.C., to participate in the Governor's Cup on Feb. 7. The 14th annual cup pits Maryland and Towson against NC State and North Carolina in a battle for state bragging rights.
