Photo courtesy of Rayna Engelmayer/Maryland Athletics.
No. 27 Maryland gymnastics (10-6, 3-6 BIG) traveled to Philadelphia to compete in a quad meet against No. 39 Towson (11-11, 2-1 EAGL), No. 54 Temple (7-16, 1-1 EAGL) and No. 35 (19-1, 8-0 GEC) University of Pennsylvania on Thursday evening.
The Terps finished first with 195.900, followed by the Quakers with 195.075, the Tigers with 195.000, and the Owls with 194.450.
The meet showcased Maryland’s resilience and consistency across all four events – the team scored close to 49.000 in each. Ranked No. 19 nationally on vault and No. 24 on floor, the Terps entered the meet looking to rebound after falling short to UCLA, Ohio State, and Iowa in their last meet.
Maddie Komoroski impressed with her effortless routines on both the balance beam and floor. The senior has shown versatility this season – coach Brett Nelligan has described her as “different and special.”
Maryland opened the meet on the uneven bars, finishing the rotation with a 49.050. Sophomore Sarah Saville set the tone early, sticking her double layout dismount to earn a 9.825. She paved the way for Komoroski and junior Chelsey Dennis, who matched her score.
Temple began the meet on vault, while Towson opened on the balance beam and Penn took to the floor.
The Owls saw the highest score of 9.800 from anchor Amelia Budd. Other routines were falling within the 9.700 range – her score helped boost the Owls to finish the rotation with 48.700.
Towson finished their beam rotation with a 48.125, averaging 9.625 across five routines. Florida native Isabella Minervini scored a high of 9.800, putting the team in third place at the conclusion of the round.
Penn scored consistently on the floor, with three 9.800s leading the team. The Quakers finished the rotation with 48.900.
Heading into the second rotation, The Terps held the lead over Penn, Temple, and Towson.
Maryland rotated to the balance beam. Freshman Emily DeFrees found success, earning a 9.875. The Terrapins finished the event with a 49.000, made possible by Komoroski’s precise 9.925 routine and Josephine Kogler’s 9.800 – a clean triple series.
The Owls went to the uneven bars, where freshman Ava Sutphen and sophomore Robyn Dunne scored matching 9.775s. Their performances allowed the team to finish the second rotation with a 48.575.
The Tigers transitioned to the floor and delivered strong routines, led by Carmella Calafati’s 9.850. They finished the rotation with 49.075, aided by Natalie Lindgren’s and Adriana Hoffman’s 9.825s.
Penn moved to the vault, where the team averaged 9.720. Maggie Murphy’s 9.825 routine stood out as the top routine for the Quakers – they finished with 48.600.
Maryland maintained its lead over the three teams, finishing the rotation with a total score of 98.050. Penn trailed closely behind with 97.500.
The Terps began the third rotation on the floor, where Komoroski’s 9.875 and DeFrees’ 9.850 helped Maryland maintain its momentum.
Temple went to the balance beam, recording a 48.275 behind 9.700s from freshman Ella Beck and junior Hailey Best.
Towson moved to the vault and finished the rotation with a 48.600 – the Tigers averaged a 9.720, scoring 9.700 and 9.775 on several routines.
The Quakers’ rotation on the uneven bars allowed them to remain steady and within reach throughout the competition. With the highest score of 9.800 from both Marissa Lassiter and Jordan Barrow, the Pennsylvania team concluded the rotation with 48.700.
For the final rotation, the Terps took to the event that they are ranked among the top 20 nationally in – the vault. Earning first place overall in the event, Katrina Mendez-Abolnik’s 9.825 vault helped solidify Maryland’s lead.
Temple rotated to the floor, while Towson went to the uneven bars and Penn moved to the balance beam.
Budd continued to find success for the Owls, scoring a high of 9.850 on her floor routine. She would tie for second in the event, right behind Maryland’s Komoroski.
Minervini led the Towson Tigers in the final rotation, scoring a 9.925 on her double layout dismount. Her performance led her to place first all-around and in the event itself.
The Quakers finished the rotation with 48.875.
Consistent scoring and minimal mistakes enabled Maryland to secure a much-needed victory – the Terps will look to carry their momentum into their final home matchup on Saturday, March 7 against No. 59 Cornell, No. 37 Ball State, and No. 54 Temple.
