Maryland gymnastics falls for second straight meet in 196.625-195.800 loss to Ohio State

No. 25 Maryland gymnastics returned to the Xfinity Center this weekend hoping to get back in the win column after last weekend’s loss to No. 16 Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Unfortunately for the Terps, the impressive No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-2, 2-1 Big Ten) stood in their way. The Buckeyes, who entered the meet with three rotations ranked in the top ten in the country, ran away with things quickly. They beat the Terps, 196.625-195.800. 

Maryland (2-2, 1-2 Big Ten) started on vault, as it does at every home meet. The slow start it experienced last week was non-existent, as five out of six competing gymnasts scored a 9.800 or higher.  Once again, it was the impressive freshman Natalie Martin who led the way, finishing with a 9.875. Her score surpassed the best score from any gymnast on vault against Minnesota. Coach Brett Nelligan sung Martin’s praises postgame.

“I mean…[Natalie’s] arrived,” Nelligan said. “We knew she was talented, we knew she could be a big-time competitor in the Big Ten and on the national landscape, but she’s exceeding our expectations and I think her own expectations. She’s doing really great, and we just want to see her keep going.”

The Terps moved to the uneven bars next, where they struggled the weekend prior. This time around, all six gymnasts delivered good performances, each scoring a 9.700 or higher. Junior Victoria Gatzendorfer and senior Alexa Rothenbuescher continued their strong seasons, both delivering a score of 9.825. 

But Maryland then hit a bit of a wall on the third rotation, beam. Graduate student Emma Silberman struggled and finished with an 8.975, while senior Olivia Weir scored a 9.150 — both scores are very unlike what the two very accomplished gymnasts typically deliver. Silberman, who has been a mainstay in all four rotations for the last two seasons, only competed in two events last week and only on beam today. According to Nelligan, it wasn’t injury related.

“She’s having some difficulty with a few of her skills,” Nelligan said. “We just want to be safe, make sure she feels 100% confident before we put her back out there.”

Fortunately for the Terps, they recovered in a big way from the rough start, as the next four gymnasts all scored a 9.800 or higher. Martin again led the way with a 9.875, while sophomore Maddie Komoroski and junior Josephine Kogler both notched a 9.850. 

Maryland finished on floor, where the Terps saved their best for last. The squad finished with an all-around score of 49.275, highlighted once again by Martin and Rothenbuescher. Rothenbuescher scored an impressive 9.925, while Martin finished with a 9.900. Another awesome storyline from the final rotation was sophomore Shani Sirota, who competed in her first ever rotation due to an injury sustained by senior Tayler Osterhout in warmups. 

“It’s one thing to have your first time competing, and it’s another thing, you know, she found out during warmups that she had to go in for someone who was injured,” Nelligan said. “Her mental preparation was minutes. I’m really proud of her to step up. We tell everyone when your number’s called, you have to be ready, and she was ready today.”

Despite the strong finish, the deficit was too large for Maryland to overcome. The loss was the Terps’ second straight after a perfect start to the season. They’ll hope to fix their recent struggles before next Saturday, when they welcome the Nebraska Cornhuskers.