Preview: Maryland gymnastics looks to snap losing skid against No. 24 Nebraska

After starting the season 2-0 with two scores of 196 or higher, Maryland gymnastics (2-2, 1-2 Big Ten) had sights set high for the program’s 50th season.

But since then the Terps have lost two straight to ranked Big Ten opponents in No. 15 Ohio State and No. 16 Minnesota, pushing Maryland out of the top 25 and back to a .500 record. 

Despite the two game losing streak, the Terps have seen some bright spots in their performances. Senior Alexa Rothenbuescher has delivered two straight excellent performances on floor with a 9.875 and a 9.925 respectively, along with a 9.825 on bars last weekend. Freshman Natalie Martin also continues to impress, as she has been the team’s all-around leading scorer for the past three meets. She scored a new career best 9.900 on floor against Ohio State.

Saturday the Terps welcome their third straight ranked Big Ten foe in the No. 24 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3, 2-1 Big Ten) to Xfinity Center. They’ll face an uphill battle in attempting to break their current slide. 

Nebraska started the season ranked 16th in the country, but the Cornhuskers have had an up and down start to their season to knock them out down the rankings. But they’re coming off an impressive conference win on the road against Iowa — Nebraska claimed every event title except for floor, with multiple gymnasts setting new career highs across multiple rotations. 

Senior Sophia McClelland competed in her first all-around meet in the young season, claiming the event with a 39.250 final score. McClelland also won the beam title with a 9.900. Sophomore Csenge Bácskay won the vault with a career high 9.875 and junior Emma Spence won the bars with a 9.900. 

The Cornhuskers have also had a couple freshmen impress early on — Whitney Jencks and Isabel Sikon have set new records for themselves in each passing week. Against the Hawkeyes, Jencks set two records, with a 9.825 on bars and a 9.850 on floor, while Sikon set a new high on vault with a 9.800 and tied her former high on beam with a 9.800. 

Nebraska has three ranked rotations: No. 20 floor, No. 25 vault, and No. 25 bars. Maryland matches up well on floor, with a ranking of No. 22, and holds the advantage on beam, ranked No. 25. 

The Cornhuskers lead the all-time series 16-5-1. But the Terps won the meet between the schools last season to open Big Ten play, 195.875-195.325 in Lincoln. They’ll hope to repeat last year’s success with the home crowd behind them this time.