#25 Terps Travel to #23 Minnesota for B1G Opener
1/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 25 Maryland gymastics team opens Big Ten action in a top-25 showdown at No. 23 Minnesota Saturday at 4 p.m.
• Fans can watch live on BTN Plus. Live stats will be available here.
last time out
• Sophomore Abbie Epperson earned the bars title as the Terps picked up two wins over Pitt and Towson with a 194.400 in the opening weekend of competition.
• Freshman Megan McClelland placed second on bars with a 9.850 in her collegiate debut as the team tallied a 49.125 on the apparatus. Junior Sarah Faller notched a 9.825 and no gymnast scored under a 9.750.
• Senior Kathy Tang and sophomore Evelyn Nee tied for second on balance beam with a pair of 9.875s. Tang placed third in the all-around with a 39.025.
• The Terps posted their highest total score to start a season since 2013.
scouting the minnesota gophers
• The Gophers opened the season with a 194.700-194.025 win over Iowa State. Minnesota posted a 40.050 on vault.
• Senior Lindsay Mable won the all-around with a 38.900 while senior Madeline Hanley won the uneven bars with a 9.850.
• The Gophers rank No. 9 in the nation on vault, No. 24 on floor, No. 26 on beam and No. 32 on bars.
• In Maryland's first-ever Big Ten meet last season, the Terps upset then-No. 11 Minnesota, 194.325-193.350, in College Park.
The B1g Time
• The Big Ten is once again be one of the most competitive gymnastics conferences in 2016 as all 10 competing programs are currently ranked in the top 40 nationally.
• The Terps moved up to No. 25 in the rankings this week after posting a 194.400 in the opening weekend of competition.
• The other ranked Big Ten programs include: No. 2 Michigan, No. 19 Illinois, No. 23 Minnesota, No. 28 Ohio State, No. 29 Penn State, No. 31 Nebraska, No. 35 Michigan, No. 39 Iowa and No. 40 Rutgers.
In the rankings
• The Terps rank No. 6 nationally on uneven bars (49.125) and No. 19 on balance beam (48.600).
• Sophomore Abbie Epperson is tied for 15th nationally on bars (9.875) while freshman Megan McClelland is tied for 22nd (9.850).
• Senior Kathy Tang and sophomore Evelyn Nee lead the Big Ten and rank ninth nationally on beam (9.875).
• Maryland is fourth in the Big Ten and ranks second in the conference on bars and third on beam.
Epperson, Tang tabbed by big ten
• Senior Kathy Tang and sophomore Abbie Epperson were named Maryland's Gymnasts to Watch by the Big Ten Conference last month.
• A well-rounded gymnast, Tang competed on all four apparatuses in 2015. Tang placed 19th on vault at the 2015 Big Ten Championships and tied for 16th on floor at the NCAA Regionals.
• A freshman standout last season, Epperson competed on vault and bars in every meet in 2015. Epperson tied for fifth on vault at the Big Ten Championships and 12th on bars at the NCAA Regionals and was named Big Ten Specialist of the Week on Feb. 2, 2015.
• Defending conference champion Michigan was named the favorite in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll.
tang stars in annual red-black scrimmage
• Senior Kathy Tang turned in an outstanding all-around performance to lead the Red Team past the Black Squad, 79.400-79.300, in the Terps' annual intrasquad scrimmage last month.
• Tang won the vault, floor and all-around titles and shared the uneven bars title as the Red Team came from behind to defeat the Black Team.
terps announce 2016 schedule
• After posting the team's highest NCAA finish in 14 years last season, the Maryland gymnastics team once again faces a challenging schedule in 2016.
• Six of Maryland's opponents finished the 2015 season ranked by GymInfo, including No. 6 Michigan, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Illinois, No. 17 Minnesota, No. 19 Arkansas, T-No. 23 Iowa and No. 25 New Hampshire.
• The Terps will host five home meets in the XFINITY Center. For the Terps' promotional schedule, visit ter.ps/gymterps.
maryland posts highest ncaa finish since 2001
• The Terps finished the 2015 season on a high note as Maryland finished third at the NCAA Auburn Regional, the program's highest finish since 2001 with a 195.150.
•Maryland posted a 48.950 team score on vault and hit 23 of 24 routines. The Terps did not count a fall at the regional.
