Preview: No. 24 Maryland gymnastics gets set for NCAA Regionals

No. 24 Maryland gymnastics is headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to compete in its final meet of the 2023 campaign, the NCAA Regionals.

On March 18th, the Terps competed in the first session of the Big Ten Tournament in Iowa against No. 18 Minnesota, No. 22 Illinois, No. 23 Nebraska, Penn State and Rutgers. A few mistakes by the Terps and impressive performances by their opponents resulted in a disappointing finish, as the Terps came in fifth of six, only finishing above Rutgers. After the second session, they finished the entire tournament in ninth place.

This Friday, the Terps will have their hands full once again, as they take on No. 2 Florida, No. 15 Arizona State and Penn State in the second session of the night in the Steel City. The competition will begin at 7 p.m., with the first sessions beginning at 2 p.m. The four teams with the best score from both sessions will move onto the final on Sunday at 5 p.m., with the top two teams from there earning a trip to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, from April 13th-15th. 

Last year, the Terps finished third in the NCAA Regionals behind Michigan and UCLA but ahead of North Carolina. The Terps’ score of 196.025 marked the program’s highest team score ever posted at the NCAA Regionals. The squad will look to get back on track and exceed that mark this year after the disappointing Big Ten result. 

Florida has been one of the nation’s best programs for a few years, and this year was no different. Florida has been ranked as No. 2 for most of the season, and all four of its rotations are ranked inside the top-five: No. 2 on floor and bars, No. 3 on beam and No. 5 on vault. The Gators are coming off a first place finish at the SEC Championships, where they recorded a phenomenal 198.425, fueled by multiple perfect scores. That score was the competition’s best since Georgia’s score of 198.375 in 1997. They’ll be the toughest team Maryland has faced this year, and are a favorite to earn a nod to the Championships. 

No. 15 Arizona State won’t be an easy feat either. The Sun Devils have made five-straight regional appearances, with this season being their third time ever where their National Qualifying Score has been above a 197. All four of their rotations are ranked as well: No. 14 on bars, No. 15 on floor, No. 17 on vault and No. 19 on beam. The Sun Devils placed first in the first session of the PAC-12 Championship their last time out. In total, they placed fifth, coming behind No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Utah, No. 7 California and No. 11 Oregon State. 

Finally, the Terps will take on Big Ten foe Penn State. The Terps and the Nittany Lions have made themselves familiar with one another so far this season, facing off in the Big Five Meet on Feb. 24 and in the Big Ten Championships two weekends ago. Penn State has finished above the Terps in both competitions, but it may be tough to defeat them three times in one season. The Nittany Lions were able to keep their season alive after they beat Towson on Thursday, 195.700-195.450, in the opening competition of the Pittsburgh regional, earning the final spot in Friday’s session. 

The Terps have a tall task in front of them, but just like always, they’ll compete hard and as one. Once again, they’ll be leaning on both veteran leadership from gymnasts such as Emma Silberman and Reese McClure and the talent of young gymnasts like Maddie Komoroski and Josephine Kogler.