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they were some of the more consistent and high-scoring gymnasts last season. They each compete the full as well, as does Emily Brauckmuller and Dominiquea Trotter. Alex Robinson contributed to the lineup a time or two, but there will likely be no place for her less difficult Yurchenko layout on the vault team this year. Freshmen Morgan Bixler, Alecia Farina, Deanna Magro and Jen O’Neill should all join the
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On bars, Tang and Epperson will both be missed and the team’s depth will certainly suffer for it. Faller, Nee, Robinson, Shynelle Agaran and Megan McClelland all contributed to at least a few lineups last year and should return decent routines. McClelland is the most consistent of the bunch, not having a fall all last season. Most of the freshmen are weaker on bars, with some not even competing a single-bar release move yet. While they have time to improve and train, Peterman should be able to fill the final lineup spot with a routine that has earned her a berth in a few Canadian national event finals, most recently at the Elite Canada meet earlier this year. She competes both a Gienger and a Jaeger, as well as a difficult double arabian dismount, which will be a welcome addition to the Terrapin lineup.
Tang, Roberts and Epperson will all leave gaps that need filling on the beam team, especially Epperson. She competed beam in almost every meet of the season and broke 9.85 multiple times, so Maryland
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will need someone else to replace that kind of a contribution. Agaran, Faller, McClelland, Nee, Trotter and Leah Slobodin will all return solid routines, though most of them fell two or more times last season. Staying on the beam should be the big priority in training, whether that means drilling skills until they feel far more comfortable with them or downgrading some things to stay balanced. Freshmen Magro and Peterman
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Floor will see the most loss, as the same six girls did floor all season, and three of those are now gone. This leaves Brauckmuller, McClelland and Slobodin as the sole veterans on floor. Slobodin’s routine is
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especially key, as her front double twist is the only returning E pass for the Terrapins. However, don’t be surprised to see Faller or Nee step up and contribute, especially if they want to be in the all around. Freshmen Farina, O’Neill, Peterman and Emma Johnson should expect to contend for the rest of the lineup spots. Farina’s powerful tumbling gives her a great advantage, and O’Neill has trained both a double arabian
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In the all around, the most likely candidate is actually Peterman. Her elite experience gives her all the tools necessary to bring difficult and clean execution to each of her events, and she actually placed tenth in the all around at the Pacific Rim Championships earlier this year. She could definitely be a real contender for the title. Nee and Faller could also potentially compete all four, but both would have to add floor back into the mix, as neither has competed it since coming to college. With all the new talent coming in and the veterans training harder than ever, if coach Brett Nelligan plays his cards right, he could definitely have a historic season on his hands.
Check back tomorrow for our next Big 10 installment — the Michigan Wolverines! If you like what you saw here, check out more on potential lineups here, any of our previous lineup articles here or request a new team in a comment below. Rest assured, we will finish Big 10 before moving on to any new teams!
Illinois | Iowa
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