Guest Coaches Steal The Show At Beauty & The Beast Event

For the last few years, Maryland wrestling and gymnastics have joined forces to put on a one-day event on the main floor of XFINITY Center that showcases both programs performing at the same time.

The event, dubbed ‘Beauty and the Beast’, welcomed fans to watch the Terps take on Binghamton in wrestling and Southern Connecticut State in gymnastics on February 17.

Following in the footsteps of other programs on campus and the unique nature of the event, three UMD faculty members: James Bond, Dr. Pam Lanford and Taylor Sanders, served as guest coaches for both teams.

Like the energy brought out by the teams on the mat, Bond, Lanford and Sanders brought their own energy and excitement to an action-packed night that resulted in a clean sweep for the Terps.

“You think about the typical student and the extra work these students put into their expertise as wrestlers and gymnasts and it’s really fun to cheer them on,” Bond said. “It’s really fun to celebrate them and encourage them in this way.”

Bond, a Maryland alum himself and life-long Terps fan, currently serves as the Director of Student Conduct in the Division of Student Affairs and has worked for the university for nearly two decades, serving, among other jobs, on the Athletic Council.

He got a first-hand look, along with Lanford and Sanders, about the goings on of both programs on a match/meet day, something that began two hours before the event itself with watching workouts and warmups in preparation for in-match action.

The three then were transported over to Gossett Hall where all three received a tour of the facility that sits behind the far end zone of SECU Stadium, before heading back to XFINITY to watch final warm-up, speak with both teams, and then watch the Terps take to the mat at 7 p.m.

“I was so happy to be invited to be able to do this,” Lanford, a current research administrator for the Division of Research for Maryland and a 22-year faculty member of the university, said. “I serve on the Athletic Council and that has been such an eye-opening experience, seeing first-hand what the student-athletes do every day, all of the stuff they have to get done, all of the hard work they have to do.

“To be able to watch it all come to fruition, it’s just awesome. I’ve never been to a gymnastics meet or wrestling match at Maryland, so it’s great to get it all together at one time.”

The event on the 17th follows previous guest coaching events for other Maryland athletics programs, like in December 2022 when Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley and the Terps welcomed three faculty members from the Offices of Letters and Sciences as guest coaches for Maryland’s game against Ohio State.

It’s becoming an ongoing tradition in College Park as the connection between the athletics department and faculty across the university continues to strengthen.

"We wanted to provide a peek over the fence at what student-athletes experience," said Brady W. Rourke, associate athletic director for academics and director of the Gossett Student-Athlete Center for Academic and Personal Excellence. "If they see the time management and the organization that's required to successfully manage the rigors of college athletics and academics at Maryland, it provides a different perspective and appreciation."

To be able to not just witness one program, but two, compete in the same place on the same night for the Terps on the 17th gave an even better look at what exactly goes into the student-athlete experience in college athletics.

Bond, Lanford and Sanders also got to see some of the best athletes in the country at their respective sports and crafts, including Jaxon Smith and Braxton Brown, who both won decision victories against Binghamton, and the duo of Josephine Kogler and Madeline Komoroski on beam for Maryland gymnastics, both scoring a 9.900 on their routines.

“As an Academic Advisor, I feel like I have a little bit more understanding into what it’s like as a student-athlete,” Sanders, a Senior Academic Advisor in the School of Public Health, said. 

Sanders works with a number of gymnasts as their academic advisor, so the experience had an extra level of interest included. “Now, I’ve actually seen those faces and I know who is involved in that. I feel like I’m now better-equipped to let them know what their resources are.

“The study spaces are so cool and there are designated spots where they can go sit with other gymnasts so they can get their work done.”

Hearing how much these athletes have put into their craft, as well as the time and effort they put into academics, was an eye-opening experience for these three faculty members, one that they’ll surely remember when dealing with other student-athletes in the future.

A Maryland doubleheader sweep was the cherry on top of a fantastic event.