March 25, 2009
Written by: Kaitlin Joseph
Hi Everybody!
First of all, for those of you who have not yet heard, I am proud to announce that Terps gymnastics has qualified to NCAA REGIONALS in ALABAMA!!!! What a great way to extend an intense season and cap off Duke's collegiate gymnastics career! This news came at the end of a whirlwind week that I know we will all remember for a very long time.
This past week was our spring break, and we started it off with a visit to Bel Pre Elementary School in Silver Spring. Our aim was to foster excitement about reading, so we each chose a book to read to a class of children. Afterwards, we did a short performance of gymnastics skills, and Duke proved to be the crowd favorite, even throwing in some of his own creative moves. We all had a blast visiting Bel Pre! The kids and staff were welcoming and enthusiastic, and I am thankful that they gave us such a great opportunity to share our passion for two things we love: reading and gymnastics!
The rest of the week we used our break from schoolwork to devote our attentions to preparing ourselves in the best way possible for EAGL championships that weekend. Intensity in the gym peaked, and everyone knew that our performance at EAGLs could determine our regional bid. When Thursday rolled around and we boarded the bus headed for North Carolina, we felt ready to take on our conference rivals.
Once we arrived in Raleigh, the feel of a conference championship began to sink in. Featuring all eight EAGL teams, this meet was quite different than our other meets this season. Friday afternoon served as a practice time, when we got to go to the meet site and got a feel for the equipment. Then Friday evening was the annual EAGL banquet, which is always a great excuse for us to get dressed up (in Maryland colors of course!). The banquet featured a video presentation for the seniors on each team, and when Kelsey Nelligan's part came on, I know I wasn't the only one tearing up. Kelsey is one of our team captains this year, and she will be greatly missed!
Saturday finally arrived...MEET DAY. We got off to an uneasy start on bars, and during the bye afterwards, we knew that we really needed to draw upon each other's energy to pull together, which is exactly what we did. We proved on beam that we are a team who doesn't give up when things don't go our way. We fought harder than ever, and one after another, each girl in beam lineup hit her set. Not only did we hit, but we fought for stuck landings and perfect form. This determination shown through in every routine, and Abbey Adams even posted an incredible 9.875, tying for first place! We then moved to floor, where we continued this streak. Due to some injuries, we only put up five girls, but our confidence in each other helped each girl to nail her routine. Lastly, we went to vault, where we again competed with HEART. Candice King's new yerchenko full was a highlight of the event, as was Kyra Phillips' sky-high vault, as always. At the conclusion of the meet, Duke was named EAGL coach of the year, an honor truly deserved. Congratulations Duke, and thank you for all your hard work and dedication!
In the end, we ended up neck-and-neck with Pitt and UNH, and our team score was enough to land us tied for 35th in the nation, qualifying us to regionals! So now it's time to get back in the gym and work on those stuck landings, pointed toes and big leaps. In less than two weeks, all of our hard work will be put to the test as we head down to Alabama. Until then, you can bet that we'll give it everything we've got to prepare for this next exciting challenge! Bring on NCAA Regionals 2009! GO TERPS!
KJ
Previous Terps Tumble Talks:
March 16, 2009 - Kelsey Nelligan
March 2, 2009 - Kyra Phillips
Feb. 23, 2009 - Lisa Reifschneider
Feb. 18, 2009 - Talia Tossone
Feb. 4, 2009 - Abbey Adams, Brandi George & Becca Pang
Jan. 26, 2009 - Kyra Phillips
Jan. 21, 2009 - Candice King
Jan. 12, 2009 - Abbey Adams
Dec. 15, 2008 - Associate head coach Brett Nelligan
Dec. 8, 2008 - Michele Brenner
Dec. 2, 2008 - Kaitlin Joseph
Nov. 24, 2008 - Assistant coach Vicki Chliszczyk
Nov. 17, 2008 - Becca Pang
Nov. 10, 2008 - Allie Dama
Nov. 3, 2008 - Margaux Meeks
Oct. 27, 2008 - Kelsey McDermid
Oct. 20, 2008 - Brandi George
Oct. 13, 2008 - Lisa Reifschneider
Oct. 6, 2008 - Head coach Bob Nelligan
