Photo courtesy of Dylan Davies/Maryland Terrapins
No. 23 Maryland gymnastics lost its season opener against No. 11 UCLA, finishing with a total score of 194.850 to UCLA’s 197.550. This was the first time the Terps and Bruins went head-to-head in Big Ten conference play, but they had previously faced each other in the NCAA Regionals in 2022, where UCLA finished in first place.
The Terps started on vault and had a decent start, finishing with a 48.950. Sophomore Natalie Martin scored the highest 9.875, followed by Rhea LeBlanc, who earned a 9.825.
During the second rotation, the Terps competed on uneven bars, scoring a total of 49.250, their highest event score of the meet. Senior Sierra Kondo led the team with a score of 9.950, trailing not too far behind UCLA’s total of 49.325 from its first rotation on uneven bars, which featured Olympian Jordan Chiles’ perfect score of 10.000.
In the third rotation, the Terps struggled on the balance beam, finishing with an overall score of 47.675. Lauren Brendlinger (9.800) and Madeline Komoroski (9.850) were the only two to earn above 9.700. On the other hand, UCLA performed its best in this event, earning a total score of 49.550. UCLA is also ranked fourth nationally on beam.
The Terps’ final rotation was on floor, where they had an event total of 48.975, closing the meet with stronger performances after a low score on beam. Taylor Rech led with a score of 9.875, followed closely by Rhea LeBlanc’s 9.850. However, it was not enough to surpass UCLA, which ended floor with a total score of 49.525.
Although the Terps faced some challenges, it is only the beginning of the season. They showed potential that could set them up for success at their next meet, which will be held at the University of Nebraska next Sunday.
