Maryland is coming off a dreamy 2023 season where it was able to post three of its top ten highest team scores ever. The Terps will be hoping to carry this energy forward into the season, and this meet will be our first look into whether they can build on last season’s success. It’s going to be an uphill battle without Alexsis Rubio, Aleka Tsiknias, and Reese McClure, but look out for some of the new freshmen like Layla Hammer, Logan Buckmon, and Natalie Martin (especially the Yurchenko 1.5 she showed at the intrasquad) to break into lineups.
This will also be our first look at West Chester who has its own things to prove at its season debut. The Golden Rams were fourth in the East Conference preseason coaches poll after finishing third at the GEC Championships and USAG Nationals in 2023. Losing McKenna Kissinger will be a blow, especially as The Golden Rams gear up to host USAG Nationals for the first time ever this year, but watch out for Kristina Rodriguez who has become West Chester’s most important all arounder and freshman Lianna Schultz who is expected to be an important asset to West Chester’s bar lineup.
Rotation 1: Maryland Vault, West Chester Bars
Warmups are underway…
Rech – Maryland: Andddd we didn’t even see the vault. Cool cool.
Betts – WCU : a little over on the blind full, but great overshoot to handstand. Pikey on the DLO dismount. 9.725
Christina shouting out CGN on the broadcast, yay!
Weir – Maryland: Solid FTY – just a bounce back. 9.725
Rodriguez – WCU – blind full to pak caught it super far but managed to swing out of it, short on handstands and some leg breaks, good full-in dismount. 9.675
Kogler – Maryland: Another solid FTY, slightly more amplitude than Weir. 9.775
Ringas – WCU: Geinger with some form breaks, overshoot with leg breaks, arches over on cast handstand, winds up for a good DLO dismount with a hop back
Silberman – Maryland: full-on back pike off, the first 10.0 vault of the lineup! Big lunge back on landing. 9.800
Shelton – WCU: Good first release, bent arms on some of her toe-on elements, very late on the blind full but is still able to connect to the double tuck dismount with a step back. 9.625
Rothenbuescher – Maryland: Tsuk full, does a really good job at controlling the landing! Definitely lacking some amplitude in comparison to some of her teammates though. 9.750
Eskew – WCU: blind full to Geinger, shy on handstands, winds up for a solid DLO and steps back
Martin – Maryland: Wonderful Yurchenko 1.5, definitely the best amplitude and distance of this lineup and takes a small hop forward. 9.850
Coleman: I missed the beginning of the routine but she hit and had a great blind full into double tuck dismount with a hop. Goes 9.925?!?
According to Christina, Coleman’s 9.925 is now WCU’s highest program bars score in program history
Gilbert – Maryland: Exhibition vault, Yurchenko half is a little pikey and takes a small step.
Vargo – WCU: Exhibition, Maloney to bail handstand, leg separation and some bent arms when catching the bail handstand, toe-on into double tuck with a lunge forward. Hope that makes it into the lineup!
After 1: Maryland 48.900, WCU 48.600
With three solid 10.0 SV vault options and some sturdy Yurchenko fulls, Maryland will be really happy with that first rotation. I was impressed with Natalie Martin’s 1.5 which I felt could have scored a bit higher? West Chester had a strong opening rotation on bars, but I was surprised at how loose scoring has been especially with some of the late handstands and form breaks. The highlight of the rotation was Jordan Coleman’s 9.925 which I think is a program record?
Rotation 2: Maryland Bars, WCU Vault
Sullivan – WCU: Small hop on her yurchenko layout, some feet and knees in the air. 9.500
Brozowski – Maryland: Jaeger with some feet form, bail handstand a little shy of handstand, stuck DLO dismount. Solid leadoff! 9.800
Rodriguez – WCU: Tucked FTY, lands a little crunchy and step forward. 9.700
Gatzendorfer – Maryland: Maloney into Pak with some leg breaks, tiny hesitation on half turn, stalder into double tuck dismount. 9.750
Gruber: Oops! I missed her vault but saw her take a large lunge back. 9.550
Kondo – Maryland: Biggg Jaegar and almost loses it on bail but collects herself well, winds up for a great DLO, takes a hop back. Another 9.750.
Coleman: Yurchenko layout, good position, just hop back and off to the side. 9.475
Silberman: Half turn into Geiner, arches over on cast and has to recollect herself, bail handstand, oops! She arches over on the cast again and has to come off this time. Stuck DLO. 9.000, riggghtt so you’re saying if she didn’t have those two arched-over handstands would that have been a 10? I guess one judge didn’t evaluate the first arch over as a fall and ignored all the swinging.
Carroll – WCU: Yurchenko tuck, I think this was intended to be a layout but looks like she came in too close to the table and had to bend her knees to get it around. 9.200
LeBlanc – Maryland: A little over on the blind change, good Jaeger but could use more amplitude, bail to handstand a little shy, nice DLO. 9.875
Eskew – WCU: Full-on tuck off, cool! Doesn’t get a lot of amplitude and has to take a big lunge forward. 9.575
Merchant – Maryland: Big Ray but catches too close and still tries to connect bail but she doesn’t have enough swing so she catches it to her hips noo, winding up really fast for her dismount and it’s a fantastic stuck FTDLO! Shame about the fall. 9.425 – one judge went 9.55, which has me like ???
I missed Vargo’s exhibition vault but it got a 9.425
Rothenbuescher – Maryland: Exhibition, nice Jaegar into bail, full-in with step back. 9.825
Ruffing: Great Jaegar into bail, winds up for a great DLO dismount. Nice work!
After 2: Maryland 97.550, West Chester 96.400
Maryland is going to be a little irked after that rotation having to count Merchant’s fall, but the team recovered with some solid 9.7s and 9.8s. Bars judging has been quite a time so far highlighted by a few mathematically impossible scores, but what kind of NCAA meet would it be if that didn’t happen a few times?
West Chester put up some solid Yurchenko layouts, highlighted by Rodriguez’s tucked full that went 9.700.
Rotation 3: Maryland Beam, WCU Floor
Silberman – Maryland: Solid BHS BHS LOSO series, switch leap to split quarter, back 1.5 dismount with just a step forward. Great opening! 9.775
Carrol – WCU: Solid double tuck opening pass, dance combo is kind of short on splits and really has to wrench it around. Oh her choreo EATS I just wish she could commit a bit more to it haha like she’s giving 60% right now, some leg form problems on the last pass. 9.625
Weir – Maryland: Very solid LOSO series, switch leap to LOSO is good, switch to straddle quarter jump is not that close to hitting 180. Good 1.5 dismount with a step.
Gruber- WCU: Big punch front double full, solid switch full but quite short on splits for the jump full, back 1.5 to front tuck, nice Rudi to finish. 9.725
Martin – Maryland: Small check on LOSO series, split leap into aerial I think, didn’t see her dance series but it was solid, almost stuck 1.5 dismount. She’s been so impressive tonight! 9.850
McFarland – WCU: Front through to double tuck is solid, pretty short on splits for her dance series, big lunge back on the double pike. 9.675
Gatzendorfer – Maryland: Solid BHS BHS LOSO series, those have been so strong for Maryland tonight, good switch to straddle quarter, switch leap to split jump, stuck pike gainer dismount and holds the stick. Great work! 9.875
Rodriguez – WCU: Double pike, lunge back, good positions on the switch into straddle half, front full into tuck is great, solid double tuck to finish.
Komoroski – Maryland: Off on her BHS LOSO series, cat leap to front aerial, she has really beautiful extension on all her elements, a bit short on some splits, step on the 1.5 dismount. 9.075
Kogler – WCU: Big double pike, just some knee form in the air, solid dance series, front full into pike, a bit short on her last pass so she needs to take a slide back.
Kogler – Maryland: Nice switch to straddle quarter jump, solid BHS BHS LOSO series, nice switch to split jump a tad short, she’s moving a bit slowly throughout this routine, good gainer full dismount. 9.925!
Cascadden – WCU: Double pike with a tiny stumble, layout into full with another little stumble, oh she’s giving 110% with the choreo here we LOVE to see it!
Hammer – Maryland: Exhibition, good front toss, nice dance elements, check on switch half, small check on gainer full dismount. I think I missed her acro series?
Sullivan – WCU: Exhibition, Rudi into big stag jump, love it! A bit short on her last pass.
Bredlinger – Maryland: Exhibition, good BHS LOSO, just some knees, a bit short on the switch half, check on the front toss, holds the stick on the 1.5 dismount.
After 3: Maryland 146.775, West Chester 144.875
Besides the small hiccup from Komoroski, Maryland put up a solid 49.225 on beam, almost as high as the 49.300 they put up at Regionals last year which is fantastic considering we’re still this early in the season. West Chester had a good floor rotation highlighted by Fred’s 9.725 but they could use a little cleaning up in the dance element department.
Rotation 4: Maryland Floor, West Chester Beam
Marshall – WCU: Some knees on the BHS LOSO but solid, cat leap to solid aerial, really cool switch leap into gainer back pike dismount.
Rech – Maryland: Big front double full, great double-tuck, okay vogue! vogue! vogue! Great last pass. ATE. 9.850
Eskew – WCU: Check on the BHS LOSO, small checks throughout the routine, step on the gainer full.
Silberman – Maryland: Back 1.5 to Barani to straddle is great, nice positions on dance series, nice front double-full last pass. 9.750. A 9.900/9.600 split, how fun!
Silberman’s score is raised to 9.800 for a 9.9/9.7 split…
Cascadden – WCU: Small check on the standing LOSO, short on some of the positions in her dance series, LOSO series is so solid, tricky split jump full, a tad short but cool to see, hop back on the 1.5 dismount.
LeBlanc – Maryland: A little crazy on the front double-full, good 1.5 to layout, big Rudi to finish. 9.825
Rodriguez – WCU: Off on the switch half, comes off again on the LOSO series, aerial full dismount.
Komoroski – Maryland: Floaty Rudi to open, ambitious switch ring to Ferrari but actually has really nice positions! Back 1.5 to layout is solid. 9.900
Whitaker – WCU: Some form issues on the LOSO series, quite crunchy on the front toss, moves well through dance series, solid gainer pike with a step back. Good recovery from Rodriguez’s routine.
Rothenbuescher – Maryland: Whip to double tuck, my favorite pass! She has so much attitude in this routine I’m so hear for it. Stuck the double pike cold YUP 9.925 career high for her.
McFarland – WCU: Solid LOSO series, cat leap into aerial, almost? stuck 1.5 dismount. Great work here. 9.875
Martin – Maryland: Opens with a big full-in, great control on 1.5 into front layout, switch half into wolf full, double tuck with a sizeable lunge back. 9.875. Fantastic first meet for her.
Vargo – WCU: Exhibition, Front aerial, misses the connection into LOSO series, quite sloppy on the LOSO series, finishes with a strong gainer back pike.
Sirota – Maryland: double-tuck to open, front layout to full is solid, big lunge back on the double pike and I think goes OOB?
FINAL: Maryland 196.150 West Chester 193.775
A 196.150 makes this Maryland’s highest opening meet team score since 2020. Last season it took until meet three to break into the 196s so being able to achieve this result with lots of areas to make quick improvements Maryland will for sure be a team to keep your eye on throughout the season. West Chester had some great moments by finishing with a 193.775 which is a very useable NQS score for them this season.
VT: Natalie Martin 9.850
UB: Jordan Coleman 9.925
BB: Josephine Kogler 9.925
FX: Alexa Rothenbuescher 9.925
AA: Emma Silberman 38.375
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Live blog by Daniel Rothwell
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