March 21, 2011
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland gymnastics team earned the No. 5 seed in the Athens region of the 2011 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship, the league announced Monday. The Terps will compete Saturday, April 2 at 4 p.m. at the University of Georgia.
Following a third-place finish at the 2011 East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championships on March 19, the Terps were one of six squads selected to the Athens Regional and have now earned three consecutive NCAA bids for the first time since 1999-2001.
“We're excited to be part of the Athens regional,” said head coach Brett Nelligan. “The University of Georgia always puts on a top-notch event.”
In the Athens region, Maryland will compete against top-seeded UCLA, second-seeded host Georgia, third-seeded LSU along with EAGL foes fourth-seeded NC State and sixth-seeded West Virginia.
“We're looking forward to seeing some out-of-conference teams as well as some familiar EAGL opponents,” said Nelligan.
Finishing the regular season ranked 28th nationally, the Terps had one of their strongest years in recent history. Senior Abigail Adams claimed top all-around honors at the EAGL Championships and Maryland earned three straight scores of 195.000 or higher for the first time since doing so in 2004.
Nelligan and the Terrapins also finished undefeated in the EAGL, which will send a total of five teams to NCAA in 2011 as New Hampshire (No. 4 seed) and North Carolina (No. 6) will travel to Norman in the Oklahoma Regional.
-ES-
