No. 25 Maryland Gymnastics Travels to Illinois Sunday
1/27/2026 6:41:00 PM | Gymnastics
No. 25 Maryland (4-1, 1-1 B1G) at Illinois (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
February 1, 2026
Huff Hall
3:00 p.m. ET
Free Admission
B1G+
SETTING THE STAGE
- Maryland posted a 49.575 team score on floor against No. 17 Penn State last Sunday, the highest floor event score in program history.
- The score surpassed the previous program record of 49.550, set against Temple on March 10, 2000.
- Maryland returned to the top 25 of the Road to Nationals rankings this week, checking in at No. 25.
- Senior Madeline Komoroski ranks third in the Big Ten on floor after posting a career-high 9.975 in Sunday's meet at Penn State.
- Katrina Mendez-Abolnik ranks fifth in the Big Ten on vault following a 9.800 performance at Penn State on Sunday.
- The Terrapins last faced Illinois in the Big Four Meet in March, earning a 196.125–195.275 victory over the Fighting Illini.
- Taylor Rech and Madeline Komoroski were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch entering the season.
- The Terrapins opened the 2026 season after recording the best NCAA Regional performance in program history, scoring a 196.825 and placing fourth in Session II of the NCAA Pennsylvania Regional last April.
- Maryland enters the meet with 11 new faces on the roster, including six freshmen and five transfers.
- The Terrapins are led by head coach Brett Nelligan, who is in his 17th season at the helm of the program.
- Nelligan signed a contract extension through June 2030, announced in August by Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics.
Senior Taylor Rech was named a 2026 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch.
Checking out the schedule
- Maryland continues conference play with a road meet Michigan State (Feb. 15), and home contests against Rutgers (Feb. 7) and Nebraska (Feb. 20).
- The Terrapins travel west on Feb. 27 for the Big Four Meet in Los Angeles, facing UCLA, Ohio State and Iowa in a nationally televised match up on FS1.
- March features a series of quad meets, beginning with the Temple Quad on March 5 in Philadelphia, followed by the Maryland Quad at home on March 7 and additional quad meets at Towson (March 13) and Washington, D.C. (March 15).
- Maryland closes the regular season at the Big Ten Championships on March 20 before advancing to NCAA Regionals on April 1.
Senior Maddie Komoroski was named a 2026 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch.
the newcomers Impact
- The Terps have welcomed five transfers this past offseason, bringing a new level of experience and talent to College Park.
- Megan Bingham is a Second-Team All-Conference All-Around gymnast who achieved a career-high score of 9.950 on beam. She joins the Terps from Bowling Green State University and is now a senior.
- Aine Reade earned First-Team All-Conference honors and was an eight-time Conference Rookie of the Week. She recorded a career-high 9.900 on floor and comes to Maryland from the University of New Hampshire as a sophomore. Reade marked a career-high 9.975 against Penn State last weekend.
- Chelsey Dennis is a First-Team All-Conference gymnast and two-time Conference Rookie Specialist of the Week. She posted a career-high 9.900 on balance beam while competing at Towson University and is now a junior.
- Katrina Mendez-Abolnik achieved a career-high score of 9.900 on vault, appeared in 10 of 12 meets in 2025 all on vault, and joins the Terps from Bowling Green State University as a graduate student. Mendez-Abolnik now is ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten on vault.
- Alexis Czarrunchick transferred from the University of Georgia and is now a sophomore. She was the state all-around runner-up in 2023 and previously trained at MG Elite.
Don't Miss the Fun In XFINITY!
Post-Meet Autographs available after every meet! except Senior Night (March 7).
Feb. 7 – 6:00 PM | vs. Rutgers | Baby Race (NEXT HOME MEET)
Watch the fastest crawlers compete during the meet—adorable chaos guaranteed!
Feb. 20 – 7:30 PM | vs. Nebraska | My Meet, My Cause
Cheer for community and causes close to our gymnasts' hearts. Grab cause-colored ribbons, fill out "I Compete For" signs, support Greek Life philanthropies, and see Testudo make an appearance.
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, April 15
Monday, March 09
Sunday, March 08
Saturday, March 07
