Image courtesy of Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Athletics.
No. 24 Maryland gymnastics (6-3, 2-3 BIG) traveled to East Lansing Sunday afternoon – the Terps took on No. 11 Michigan State (5-4, 3-2 BIG) and Western Michigan (8-6, 2-1 MAC).
Despite showing noticeable improvements from their previous competition against Rutgers, Maryland ultimately came up short against the Spartans, losing by 1.05. The Terps split the event, beating the Broncos by a little less than a point.
While it was originally set to be a duel between the Spartans and Maryland, Iowa State’s cancellation of the remainder of its season prompted the addition of Western Michigan to the meet.
For the Terps, this meet was an opportunity for redemption following a loss to the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 7 behind uncharacteristic beam errors. Head coach Brett Nelligan emphasized that his goal in the days leading up to the meet was to improve focus and confidence of his athletes.
Maryland began on the uneven bars – its strongest event the previous week, with a team-high score of 49.100 against Rutgers. Both Maddie Komoroski and Gianna Ruffing performed highest for the Terrapins with 9.800 and 9.775, respectively.
Michigan State opened on vault, while Western Michigan competed on the balance beam. The Spartans started strong on vault, as Nikki Smith and Sage Kellerman each scored 9.900. The Broncos struggled on the beam – errors from freshmen Isabella Ciolfi and Casey Mooney impacted the team’s overall score.
After the first rotation, Western Michigan trailed with 48.075. Maryland held a 0.450 lead over the Broncos (48.800), but sat behind Michigan State, who claimed the early lead with a 49.250.
The Terps rotated to beam next, with Komoroski leading them once again. Her 9.875 followed 9.775 performances from Rayna Engelmayer and Emily DeFrees, which helped Maryland maintain its momentum.
The Spartans moved to the uneven bars, with exceptional performances from Smith (9.900) and Kellerman (9.925). The Broncos competed on the floor, where Brooke Gelesko achieved the highest score of 9.875.
The Terps closed the second rotation with a score of 97.625. Michigan State held the lead at 98.600, while Western Michigan remained in third at 97.150.
For the third rotation, Maryland took to the floor – an event that has been a strength this season, highlighted by a program-record score of 49.575 against No. 17 Penn State. Aine Reade’s strong performance earned a 9.925, while Komoroski earned a 9.900.
The Spartans rotated to the beam, while the Broncos traveled to the vault. Spartan MaKayla Tucker earned a 9.875, which was the highest team score for the rotation. Western Michigan averaged 9.765 on the event, with the highest score from Hannah Milton, Makenna King, and Gelesko.
As the third rotation wrapped up, the Spartans were clinging to their lead, with the order unchanged(147.675-146.975-145.975).
The Terps moved to vault for the final rotation – they rank No. 17 nationally in the event. Senior Taylor Rech and graduate student Katrina Mendez-Abolnik led Maryland with matching 9.875s.
Michigan State finished the meet on floor, while Western Michigan competed on the uneven bars. Kate Parks and Julie Korfhage scored best for the Broncos, both earning 9.875s. The Spartans showcased confidence and skill on the floor – all six athletes in the rotation scored a 9.900 or above.
Michigan State secured the victory with a final score of 197.250. Maryland placed second with a 196.200, while Western Michigan finished third at 195.225 – 2.025 points behind the Spartans.
The Terrapins will return home to compete against Nebraska on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
