Jan. 6, 2009

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Head coach Bob Nelligan enters his 31st and final season at the helm of the Maryland gymnastics program well-aware of the talent his battle-tested squad possesses heading into its 2009 campaign, which kicks off when the team plays host to Kent State on Friday night in the Comcast Center Pavilion.

Nelligan, who recently announced his intentions to retire following the 2009 season, watched his young squad develop steadily throughout last season, peaking at just the right time to accumulate each of its team-high event scores during the decisive month of March. That late-season success culminated with an improved finish at the 2008 EAGL Championships on March 29 and a strong showing by four individual qualifiers at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships two weeks later.

Now the longtime coach and his staff hope that momentum carries over to the 2009 season, which features a junior-laden squad and somewhat lofty expectations as Nelligan prepares to pass the proverbial coaching torch to his son, associate head coach Brett Nelligan.

"We learned a lot about ourselves from our performance near the end of last season, and we have the talent and depth to go far this year," Bob Nelligan said. "I look forward to seeing what this team is capable of accomplishing because we set high expectations for ourselves."

The Terps' 2009 squad is comprised of just one senior, co-captain Kelsey Nelligan, who is Bob's daughter and Brett's sister. However, the team has its share of experienced upperclassmen, as it returns eight letterwinners from a year ago. Six of those returnees are juniors in co-captain Brandi George, Michele Brenner, Allie Dama, Candice King, Margaux Meeks and Talia Tossone.

Following an impressive collective effort in 2008, that junior class is expected to provide leadership for Maryland during the 2009 season. Brenner (floor exercise), Dama (uneven bars), George (all-around) and Tossone (balance beam) each represented the Terrapins in regional competition in Gainesville, Fla., hitting on seven-for-seven routines.

The same quartet also achieved first team All-EAGL status in their respective specialty events, with George claiming first team honors for all-around and balance beam, as well as second team for vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. George's vault score of 9.850 during the EAGL Championships tied for the 15th-best in school history

"That class has been producing standout performers for us ever since they arrived on campus," Bob Nelligan said. "They form the core of our team, and we expect continued success from them this season."

One year behind the Terps juniors, another class stands poised for breakout seasons following productive freshmen campaigns. Sophomores Abbey Adams, Kaitlin Joseph, Kelsey McDermid and Lisa Reifschneider each had their moments in 2008 and will be called upon for greater contributions during the upcoming season.

A pair of newcomers, Becca Pang (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Kyra Phillips (Murrieta, Calif.), represent the Terps' freshman class. Both demonstrated their potential during the 2008 Junior Olympic National Championships in June, placing in the nation's top-20 in multiple events at the weekend-long meet in Kissimmee, Fla.

"Recruiting has become the single biggest factor in evaluating the growth and, ultimately, the success of a program," Bob Nelligan said. "My staff and I have been fortunate enough to have secured some of the best recruits in the nation, and this year is no exception."

Brett Nelligan and assistant coach Vicki Chliszczyk return for their sixth and fourth seasons, respectively, with the Maryland staff. While Brett Nelligan undergoes preparation for assuming head coaching duties following the season, Chliszczyk continues to specialize in teaching balance beam, while also assisting with other events, routine construction and spotting, among various other duties.

"Brett and Vicki are both great technicians and are important to the success of our program," Bob Nelligan said. "I have a tremendous amount of confidence in both of them."

Suzanne Moreland and Kilee Taflinger represent two recent additions to the Maryland gymnastics staff. Moreland enters her first season as a voluntary assistant coach for the Terps. Taflinger serves as the team's strength and conditioning coach, having previously occupied similar roles at Louisville and Ball State. Both bring experience, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the Terrapins.

The Terps must replace departed seniors Lindsey Bonomo and Gretchen Kittelberger. Bonomo competed in 18 events during the course of last season, and Kittelberger, who garnered Academic All-America and EAGL Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2008, was a steady performer on vault, balance beam and floor exercise last season.

The Terps are slated to play host to six home meets during the 2009 campaign, including a regular season finale quad meet on March 14 versus Yale, Penn State and Arizona - the latter two of whom finished among the top-25 in the final 2008 national rankings.

In all, Maryland will participate in a dozen challenging meets prior to the EAGL Championships scheduled for March 21 at NC State.

"I am speaking for the staff and athletes when I say that we have a challenging schedule and believe that we will be up to the task this season," Bob Nelligan said.

Following the annual `Red vs. Black' intra-squad meet near the end of the 2008 calendar year, the Terps kick off the upcoming season with a home meet against Kent State on Jan. 9 before taking to the road to face nationally-ranked Ohio State on Jan. 17.

A home meet with fellow EAGL member NC State and Denver on Jan. 23 precedes a quad meet on Jan. 31 hosted by reigning EAGL champion West Virginia.

The 14th annual Governor's Cup, which pits Maryland and Towson against NC State and North Carolina in a battle for state bragging rights, will be held Feb. 7 in Raleigh, N.C. That meet begins a stretch in which the Terps participate in three road meets in a span of nine days, also competing against Pittsburgh, Kent State and Central Michigan during that span.

Maryland returns to College Park for a meet against New Hampshire on Feb. 20 before traveling westward to face Iowa on Feb. 28. Home meets with Temple and league opponents North Carolina and Pittsburgh are on tap before the Terps wrap up their regular season with the highly-anticipated March 14 home quad meet.

Following the completion of the regular season, Maryland will travel to Raleigh, N.C., for the 14th annual EAGL Championships on Saturday, March 21. The Terps then hope to qualify to compete at one of the six NCAA Regional Championships sites on April 4 and subsequently advance to the NCAA Championships at the University of Nebraska on April 16-18.