RALEIGH, N.C. – The Maryland gymnastics team earned its highest postseason score in program history at the NCAA Raleigh Regional at Reynolds Coliseum Saturday evening. The team finished the meet with a 195.850 to earn fourth place in the competition. This was the Terrapins' eighth NCAA regional appearance under the tutelage of head coach Brett Nelligan and their first competition regional since 2015.
LSU won Regionals with a score of 197.675 and Nebraska claimed second (197.525) to advance to the NCAA Championship. Host NC State finished third (196.050), followed by GW (195.425) and Oregon State (194.975).
The Terps posted scores of 48.900 on vault, 49.075 on uneven bars, 48.950 on balance beam, and 48.925 on floor exercise to place fourth out of six teams.
Maryland started regionals off on vault, where freshman Audrey Barber led the squad with a 9.825 while sophomore Morgan Bixler followed closely behind with a 9.800. Freshman Collea Burgess notched a 9.775 and the sophomore pair of Kirsten Peterman and Deanna Magro earned matching scores of 9.750.
After a bye on the second rotation, the Terps moved to bars, their best apparatus of the competition. Peterman and Freshmen Emilie LeBlanc and Karrie Thomas posted 9.825s. Barber and sophomore Alecia Farina finished just behind the three with identical 9.800s. Junior Shynelle Agaran added a 9.775 to the mix to earn the team an overall score of 49.075.
The team went to beam for their next rotation. LeBlanc and fellow freshman Sabriyya Rouse notched a pair of 9.725s while Barber and Thomas followed with a pair of 9.800s. Agaran claimed the Terps highest score on the event by anchoring with a 9.850.
The Terrapins ended the meet on floor after a bye on the fifth rotation. Farina and Rouse both earned 9.850s, with Thomas trailing close behind with a 9.825. Peterman tallied a 9.800 and Barber anchored with a score of 9.600 to round out Maryland's NCAA Regionals appearance.
Maryland displayed incredible growth throughout the season by claiming wins over four top-20 teams and finishing the 2018 campaign with a 21-8 regular season record and 6-4 Big Ten showing.
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