Gymnastics Red/Black Preview

Tonight, the Gym Terps will kick off their 2023 campaign with their annual Red vs. Black intrasquad meet.

Coming off a successful 18-9 2022 season that saw the team top No. 6 Minnesota at home, Maryland is looking to improve even further in head coach Brett Nelligan’s 14th season. The Terps are led by a batch of highly-regarded newcomers as well as a plethora of key returners including senior Emma Silberman, junior Olivia Weir and sophomore Josephine Kogler.

Silberman is now in her fourth year in College Park and competes in all four events. Weir is a Garnett Valley, PA native competed in beam and vault in all 13 meets last year. Hailing from Centereach, NY, Kogler had a standout freshman campaign where she competed in 13 meets on vault and beam and four on floor. 

The trio sat down with umterps.com ahead of their Red vs. Black meet to preview the season and to allow Terp Nation to get to know them better.

What drew you to Maryland?
ES: The coaching staff was a big draw and the team felt like family as soon as I stepped foot on campus. The atmosphere that Maryland gymnastics has created is unmatched. 

OW: As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew it was like a family and I knew it was a place that really cared about culture. It’s also in close proximity to my house and the academics were a big draw. 

JK: The biggest things that drew me to Maryland were the location, the coaching staff and the opportunities the school had to offer both academically and athletically. 

What are you most looking forward to this season?
ES: This is my senior year so it’s kinda nostalgic, but I’m excited because our freshmen came in and we’re just immediately ready to get the job started. Our returners are coming in really strong like usual and I’m just excited to see what we can do. The Big Ten continues to go upward in gymnastics and I feel like we can really help that out. 

OW: I’m really excited because we’re coming off a really good season last year. I think this year’s team is going to match that or even do better than we did last year. It’s been really exciting to watch how both our freshmen and our returners have been doing. I just think we’re going to have a really good season and we’re really prepared. 

JK: I think we have a lot of depth in our lineups this year and it’s really exciting to see how we came in from day one ready to work. We’ve just been pushing really hard in the gym and we’re all ready to go.

What do you want people to know about this team?
ES: I feel like we all have such bubbly personalities and I like to think we’re pretty funny. I also think that the way we interact with the coaches is special. We have just a great understanding with them and they’re so great with us. We have a board in our locker room that says ‘School, gymnastics and everything else.’ They’re really understanding of our goals in life beyond gymnastics and they help us achieve everything. 

OW: We all live in the same apartment complex and last year we all lived on the 11th floor. It was like one big party everyday. We would prop our doors open and just go to each one. It was so much fun and we always had something to do. 

JK: Our team culture is super strong. The way we all get along is so loving and supporting and it feels like a big family. 

What’s your favorite event and why?
ES: Bars. Bars have been a roller coaster for me. I came in freshman year and it was my absolute favorite thing to do and then I hurt my knee on bars. But I came back and I think my love for bars never went away. The challenge that it’s brought me has helped me grow as a gymnast and a person. 

OW: Beam. I love how beam is an event where I’m in complete control. You’re on a four-inch piece of wood and it’s just you and the beam. That’s the event where I feel safe, even though most people probably don’t feel safe on a four-inch beam.

JK: Beam. It takes a different level of discipline. You have to be very dialed in and focused at all times. But, it’s also fun and I just like being up there.

What’s been your favorite memory as a Terp so far?
ES: The Towson meet last year. Just like Brett said in his interview at the time, we walked in and, even though it wasn’t our home meet, we looked at it as, it’s our home state and we’re going to attack this meet. That was the first time we went 197 on the road and it was so validating because it was done on the road, not in our home gym. 

OW: Beating No. 6 Minnesota. It originally got canceled because of COVID and then it got moved to a later date that was on a Monday. Just even competing on a Monday was an experience, we had never experienced anything like that. I came right from class. And then to top it off and go 197 to beat the No. 6 team in the country, that’s just something I’ll never forget. 

JK: The Minnesota meet was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. And it wasn’t because we beat a top-six school, it was because the energy just felt different right from the beginning of the night. We could feel right away that it was our night and we competed as a family. 

What’s your favorite part of campus?
ES: The football stadium over the past couple of summers. Our team has a big thing for sunsets so we’ll climb to the top of the stadium and watch the sun set. You can even see the Washington Monument from the top of the stadium.

OW: We all live at The View and we have the luxury of being college students who live by a pool. Our whole team will just sit out there after practice and it’s the best feeling. 

JK: The Mall and the area around it. It’s really pretty and when it’s warm outside and the weather is nice, it’s nice to just sit there and take a deep breath. You can just relax and not think about anything. That place is kind of like a little getaway.

What are your interests outside of gymnastics?
ES: I really like to cook. I’m not that good at it, but I love it. I just started cooking shrimp which is new for me, so I’m having fun with that. 

OW: I really like to go to the beach. I think that’s like the one place in the world that will calm me down. If everything in my life is going on, that’s always my safe space.

JK: I’m not good at it at all, but I like to just listen to music and sing. I think singing and having little jam sessions is so fun.

What is one other thing you want people to know about you? 
ES: I played competitive soccer until ninth grade and my dad was my coach.

OW: Competitive soccer is also mine. I did soccer and gymnastics when I was a level nine in eighth grade. Once you get to that high level, it’s really hard to manage your time. Me and Emma were high-level gymnasts, but also played on state-level soccer teams.

JK: I did Irish step dancing for a while when I was younger up until high school.