An increasingly tight Big Ten race serves as the backdrop for tonight’s dual between Nebraska and Maryland. Nebraska had been trending upward but dipped below 196 last week after solid but unspectacular beam and floor rotations. Bars provided a bright spot, as Whitney Jencks and Nya Kraus each posted 9.900s. Nebraska will look to regain its momentum on the road and post a score that strengthens its NQS position.
Maryland returns home after a competitive showing at Michigan State, where it surpassed the 196 mark but showed potential for more. While consistency on bars and beam remains a work in progress, Maryland has established strength on vault and floor. Maddie Komoroski and Aine Reade lead the floor lineup, each owning a season-high 9.975. That reliability provides a strong foundation, but improvement on bars will be key to raising Maryland’s overall scoring ceiling tonight.
The meet will be streamed on B1G+, and scores can be found here. Not a B1G+ subscriber? Sign up today for the monthly pass with the code COLLEGEGYM3 for just $10.99/month (regularly $12.99/month).
Tonight, the Terps support a variety of chosen causes by wearing bows in different colors.
Rotation 1: Maryland VT, Nebraska UB
Kogler (UMD): Yurchenko full, clean and open hips throughout, hop on place on the landing. 9.850
Burns (NEB): Blind to Jaeger flows well, bail good to handstand, nice HS on high, controlled giants to double layout, big step back. 9.650
Engelmayer (UMD): Yurchenko full, good form maybe a little pike, and HOLDS for the stick! 9.900
Sikon (NEB): Loose HS, high but close catch on the Jaeger, form on the bail, blind full to double tuck, medium step back. 9.725
Reade (UMD): Powerful Yurchenko full, lots of distance, good-sized step back. 9.775
Griffin (NEB): Maloney to Pak, Van Leeuwen is nice, stalder to front tuck half, steps. Her height lends itself well to bars lines. 9.700
Rech (UMD): Yurchenko full, extra power and hops and steps back. 9.775
Kraus (NEB): Great HS to a huge Ray to bail, great toe point throughout, big full twisting double back but slightly underrotated, big step forward. 9.750
Buckmon (UMD): Yurchenko full, another case of good distance, and you can tell she wanted the stick, slightly squatty landing and steps back. 9.800
Peterson (NEB): Maloney to bail HS, vertical HS on high, FTDT, steps back. 9.800
Mendez-Abolnik (UMD): Yurchenko 1.5, leg separation off the table, hops forward. 9.850
Jencks (NEB): Tall Ray to bail, hits HS, DLO, good chest position and a small hop back. 9.825
Exh- Mullen (UMD): Yurchenko full, slightly piked, hops back. Maryland certainly has consistent vault execution.
Exh- Griffin (NEB): Maloney to Pak, blind, has to take an extra toe circle on low, DLO, good landing position but shuffles forward.
AFTER ONE: Maryland 49.175, Nebraska 48.800
The Terps stayed solid on vault, a typically strong event for them, to open with a 49-plus score. Highlighted by Rayna Englemayer’s career-high 9.900 stuck Yurchenko full, the Terps gain the early lead over the Huskers. Nebraska had an acceptable bars rotation but steps and form breaks leave something to be desired, setting the Huskers slightly behind the host team after the first rotation.
Rotation 2: Nebraska VT, Maryland UB
Griffin (NEB): Clean Yurchenko full to a STICK! A bit of a wobbly landing, but it’s such a treat when the Yfulls are stuck. 9.850
Saville (UMD): Short first HS, Maloney to Pak, quick pirouette, definitely hits vertical on high, DLO and NAILS the landing. It looked like she released early but that clearly wasn’t a problem. 9.725
Peterson (NEB): Yurchenko full, some leg separation before the landing, steps sideways. 9.800
Buckmon (UMD): Good first HS, Shaposh to bail handstand, blind full flows well to a double tuck, steps back. 9.700
Jencks (NEB): Yurchenko full, incredible form and another stick for the Huskers! 9.900
Ruffing (UMD): Snaps first HS, straddle Jaeger with some leg form to bail, DLO takes a step back, some leg form on the dismount, also. 9.675
Baechle (NEB): Yurchenko tucked 1.5, great block and gets good height. Steps diagonally forward. 9.850
Reade (UMD): Switch pirouette to high Gienger to bail, DLO flies and she gets the stick! 9.775
Shaver (NEB): Yurchenko full, rebounds on the landing, good chest height. 9.875
Dennis (UMD): Blind to tucked Jaeger, to bail, muscles the HS on high, toe pike half, really fighting through, low chest on landing and stumbles forward. The Terps will want to drop this routine. Judges conference for a start value discrepancy.
Sikon (NEB): Yurchenko full, legs are glued, absolutely drills the landing. The Huskers are on a roll with these sticks! 9.900
Komoroski (UMD): After a long wait from a judges conference. Good HS, blind to a pretty straddle Jaeger, Pak, fights on the pirouette, finishes strong with a stuck DLO. 9.800
Exh- Pech (NEB): Clean Yurchenko full, hops back.
Exh- Bingham (UMD): Clear hip to a big Tkatchev, bail HS is a little loose, whippy DLO, lands with a hop in place.
AFTER TWO: Nebraska 98.175 (49.375), Maryland 97.850 (48.675)
Maryland, like the Huskers, has a subdued bars rotation. While not unexpected based on scores this season, it’s a relatively disappointing score and sets the Terps behind the Huskers. It comes down to the details–vertical handstands, form, and landings were just not where they need to be. Nebraska, meanwhile went lights-out on vault, setting a new season-high event score underlined by sticks from Griffin, Jencks, and Sikon, the latter two each posting 9.900’s.
Going next to beam, the Terps will need more than just hits–they require excellence. The Huskers head to floor, not their most consistent event but one with lots of energy and potential.
Rotation 3: Maryland BB, Nebraska FX
Bingham (UMD): Nice full turn, BHS LOSO, little lean there but corrects, cat leap to side aerial, lands shoulder dipped. Beat jump to split 3/4 is good and eyes are up, RO 1.5 and a stick! 9.775
Gard (NEB): Music delay… Double tuck to open, good controlled lunge, switch ring to switch full is well done. Front layout front full, controlled, closeish to the line. Impressive finish with a double pike, lunges OOB. 9.650
Reade (UMD): BHS LOSO, arm swing and wobble. Cat leap to switch half, under 180 and a lean. Switch leap to pike jump, RO 1.5 dismount and a step forward. 9.700
Sikon (NEB): High double tuck and incredibly controlled landing, RO 1.5 to front full, nearly on the line there but stays in. Leap combo to end, good flexibility on that. 9.825
Engelmayer (UMD): Beat jump to split ring is pretty. BHS LOSO is solid, controlled full turn, side aerial to two foot chest is up and no landing issues. Nails her side aerial 1.5 dismount! Engelmayer is putting on a clinic, tonight. 9.800
Kraus (NEB): Big double tuck opening, split full to Popa, RO 1.5 to front layout, double pike third pass, chest was a little low.
DeFrees (UMD): BHS LOSO, slight lean. Side aerial is nice, cat leap to switch side, fast full turn, RO double full is stuck, some crossed legs and low chest. 9.775
Baechle (NEB): FHS double full, steps sideways out of it, switch leap to switch 3/4 (?), RO 1.5 to front full, a little underrotated. 9.775
Kogler (UMD): Switch leap to straddle 1/4, little wobble, BHS BHS LOSO series is exquisite, she looks very centered, switch leap to split has good extension, gainer full shuffle on the landing. 9.800
Jencks (NEB): Front layout to Rudi rises well, switch half to wolf jump combo is good, double back to end, good landing. 9.875
Komoroski (UMD): One arm BHS LOSO floats, pretty front aerial, switch leap split jump, big back-and-forth wobble on her full turn,RO 1.5 and the smallest step. Really unfortunate wobble on the turn after an otherwise beautiful routine. 9.700
Homecillo (NEB): Powerful double pike, slides back in the lunge. RO 1.5 to front layout is well-controlled and rises. Double back to end, another small slide. Props to the Huskers for putting up so many three-pass routines. 9.850
Exh- Dennis (UMD): BHS LOSO looks nice, front aerial, lifts a leg, split to sheep jump, standing needle flex showcase, BHS gainer full, small hop to land.
Exh- Shaver (NEB): Big double pike, pointed toes, good lunge out, switch to switch half, split jump. Front through to double tuck, low landing and steps forward.
Exh- Frost (NEB): RO 1.5 to front lay, FHS front full to punch front, a little low. Switch half to straddle half is good, FHS to Rudi, looks a little gassed but finishes well.
AFTER THREE: Nebraska 147.375 (49.200), Maryland 146.700 (48.850)
The Huskers match their season-high on floor with a great showing, bolstered by Jencks and Kraus’ pair of 9.875’s. Ending on beam isn’t always easy, but the Huskers have set themselves ahead on the leg events. Maryland goes to floor after an up and down beam rotation. Engelmayer and Kogler led with 9.800s, but a mistake from the Terps’ best beamer took its toll. The Terps should be able to recoup on floor, one of their stronger events. But even a breakout floor rotation may not be enough for the Terps to catch up to the Huskers’ overall steady output tonight.
Rotation 4: Nebraska BB, Maryland FX
Jencks (NEB): BHS LOSO, loose knees, wobble. Full turn, front toss is solid, switch leap to split half, a little tentative, RO 1.5 and a stick. 9.625
DeFrees (UMD): Double tuck, slide back on the lunge, Front lay to front full to punch front done really well throughout, switch 3/4 to straddle, not sure if that’s what was intended. 9.850
Gard (NEB): BHS LOSO, lifts a leg and wobbles, hip break on the full turn, beat jump to side aerial, very solid, switch switch to spilt 180 extension, gainer pike off the end, stuck. She fought hard through those early wobbles. 9.625
Kogler (UMD): Double tuck, good landing position, switch split full to split full, leans back on the landing, RO 1.5 front lay, extra step on the lunge and is nearlyyy at the line but stays in. 9.850
Homecillo (NEB): Fast BHS BHS LOSO, tentative on the landing and falls. Quick full turn, beat jump to straddle 3/4, RO 1.5 lots of distance and sticks. 8.925
Engelmayer (UMD): FHS front double full, cross-steps, switch full to split full, split full, good turning precision. RO 1.5 to front lay, patient and nicely done. 9.875
Kraus (NEB): Pretty full turn, BHS LOSO, solid landing. Cat leap, switch half, gainer tucked full, shuffle on the landing but a great hit routine for Kraus after a fall. 9.775
Komoroski (UMD): FHS Rudi, superbly controlled landing, switch ring to switch ring full, RO 1.5 to branny to split jump, emphasizes the control. 9.900
Burns (NEB): BHS LOSO LOSO, wrestles for a controlled landing, full turn, beat to straddle half, RO 1.5, hops forward. 9.775
Rech (UMD): Punch double full, little underrotated and cross-steps, big double tuck with a great landing, switch full to wolf full, RO 1.5 to front lay, leaning back a bit, good lunge out. 9.850
Sikon (NEB): Independent cartwheel, BHS LOSO, solid. cat leap to switch half, 180 and well done, little wobble on her turn, BHS tucked 1.5, nails it for a stick! 9.725
Reade (UMD): RO DLO, lands well, such an interesting combo, switch full to wolf full. Front layout to front full, she’s got the facial expressions down! 9.875
Exh- Griffin (NEB): Front toss piked to BHS, well done. Switch to split, a little low back leg, full turn and finishes on releve, RO 1.5, slightly underrotated.
Exh- Ruffing (UMD): Double tuck, chest a tad low and heel is on the line, switch half to straddle half, RO 1.5 branny to double stag jump.
Exh- Mendez-Abolnik (UMD): Big FTDT, great lunge out, switch side, Popa 2x, front layout to front full, no problems there.
FINAL: Maryland 196.050 (49.350), Nebraska 195.900 (48.850)
VT: Rayna Engelmayer (UMD), Isabel Sikon (NEB), Whitney Jencks (NEB) – 9.900
UB: Whitney Jencks (NEB) – 9.825
BB: Josephine Kogler (UMD), Rayna Engelmayer (UMD) – 9.800
FX: Maddie Komoroski (UMD) – 9.900
AA: Whitney Jencks (NEB) – 39.225
Maryland ekes out a 196.050 supported by strong vault and floor showings, though bars and beam continue to be slower events for the Terps. Sophomore Rayna Engelmayer propped herself up as a staple for the Terps, posting new career-highs on both vault and floor.
Nebraska dealt with a several wobbles on beam, costing them the win by a tenth and a half. But excellence on leg events was the theme tonight, and the Huskers put on a clinic on vault: three stuck routines earned the Huskers a new season-high of 49.375 on the event.
Conference championships are still a ways away, but the Big Ten counts wins for seeding, and the Terps managed to hold the upper hand tonight at home. At this point in the season, the 196-mark is baseline for success in this deep conference. Next week, Maryland travels to the west coast to face a conference quad at UCLA, and Nebraska will head to Penn State.
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Live blog by Frances Leadman
