Jan. 6, 2010

Meet notes

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland gymnastics team will head south this week to take on No. 6 Louisiana State in season-opening meet Friday night. The event will take place at 7 p.m. (CT) in LSU's Maravich Arena.

This will be head coach Brett Nelligan's first at the helm of the Terrapin gymnastics program. A six-year assistant with the Terps, Nelligan takes over for his father, Bob, who led the Terps for over 30 years. For the five newcomers to the team, Friday night will also be their first on the floor as Terrapins.

This is the sixth meeting all-time between the two teams and the Tigers own the series 1-4. They last met on January 10, 2003, and the Tigers have won the last three meetings.

The Terrapins are coming off of a 15-19 season that included a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Athletic Gymnastics League and an appearance in the NCAA Regional championships. The Tigers went 24-12, finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference and sixth in the NCAA Championships.

Live audio, video and stats will be available at lsusports.net.

MEET NOTES
• The Maryland gymnastics team commences its 2010 regular season this evening by heading south to take on #6 Louisiana State in a dual meet that represents the season-opener for both squads.
• Maryland's 2010 campaign marks the 35th season in program history. The Terps stand 21-13 all-time in season-openers, with their latest such victory coming over Towson and Penn during the inaugural meet of the 2007 season.
• This is head coach Brett Nelligan's first at the helm of the Terrapin gymnastics program. He took over this year for his father, longtime Terp coach Bob Nelligan, after serving seven years as an assistant.
• For the five Terrapin newcomers - freshmen Kesley Cofsky, Brooke Grohol, Ally Krikorian and Briana Melander and junior transfer Jennifer Iovino - this is the first meet on the floor as a Terp.

ABOUT THE TERPS
• Maryland features a senior-laden squad that returns 11 letterwinners from a year ago.
• The Terrapins competed in the NCAA Regional Championships for the 15th time in program history last spring.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• LSU returns 8 letterwinners and 4 All-Americans from a squad that went 24-12, and finished fourth in the SEC.
• The Tigers won the NCAA Central Regional and sixth at the NCAA championships.
• D-D Breaux enters her 33rd season as head coach of the Tigers with an overall record of 562-339-7 (.623).

SERIES HISTORY
• The Tigers own the all-time series record between the schools, 1-4, though the programs have not faced each other in six years.
• The Tigers have won the last three meetings (last was Jan. 10, 2003), while the Terps won their only meet against LSU on March 20, 1985.

UP NEXT
• Following their season-opener at Louisiana State, the Terps return home to host a quad meet against Temple, Cornell and Bridgeport on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.