March 11, 2011
WASHINGTON -Abigail Adams won the all-around competition and the University of Maryland gymnastics team earned its fourth straight score of 195 or better Friday night to beat East Atlantic Gymnastics League opponent George Washington 195.750-193.975 at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C.
"We had a great night tonight," said head coach Brett Nelligan. "The team came in with so much energy. We had a feeling we could do something big."
With an overall 39.350, Adams won the all-around title, while fellow Terrapin Kesley Cofsky claimed second at 39.175. GW's Betsy Zander rounded out the top-three at 38.875.
"Abbey and Kesley were on fire tonight," said Nelligan. "They have both evolved into solid all-arounders for us."
Looking to maintain their undefeated record against EAGL foes, the Terps quickly pressured the Colonials of George Washington, beginning in the first rotation.
On bars, Adams tied her career high with an event-best 9.900 to lead Maryland to 48.875 out of the gates. Elizabethe Manzi earned third on the uneven bars with a season-high-tying 9.775 while Kaitlin Joseph and Cofsky both pitched in scores of 9.750.
In the team's strongest event, vault, Maryland barely missed its season-best mark by posting a 49.050 in the event, 0.525 points ahead of George Washington. Ally Krikorian, Kyra Phillips and Kesley Cofsky all tied for top marks on the event with 9.825's to lead Maryland.
With 9.850 each, Adams and Krikorian led the Terps on floor as two of Maryland's four gymnasts to receive scores of 9.8 or better in the event.
In all, 12 Terps brought in plus-9.8 scores Friday night in the team's sixth head-to-head win over conference teams.
*Terps Honor Seniors, Host Final Quad on Sunday*
Maryland will look to close out the 2011 regular season undefeated in the conference on Sunday in College Park as the Terps welcome Kentucky, George Washington and North Carolina in its final quad meet of the season.
LIVE Coverage on TerpsTV Premium
• Fans will be able to watch the Maryland gymnastics meet live on TerpsTV Premium, which is a subscription service that offers exclusive video and audio content. The service is available for an annual subscription price of $79.95 or a monthly subscription of $9.95 per month. Click here to sign-up today! |
Sunday will also mark the final meet for seniors Abigail Adams, Jennifer Iovino, Kaitlin Joseph and Kelsey McDermid.
"Senior night is always a special event," said Nelligan. "This team has big plans to send our seniors off with a bang. You're not going to want to miss this one."
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