Preview: No. 25 Maryland gymnastics prepares for matchup against Rutgers

Fresh into the rankings, No. 25 Maryland gymnastics (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) heads to Piscataway, New Jersey for a date Saturday afternoon with Big 10 foe Rutgers (5-10, 0-4 Big Ten). On top of being ranked No. 25 overall, the Terps also currently rank No. 18 on vault and No. 20 on bars. 

The Terps are looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss last weekend to the No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes. The squad put up an impressive score of 196.475, their season-best, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done on the road against a talented Buckeyes squad.

Saturday’s match will mark the 67th matchup between Maryland and Rutgers, with the Terps leading the series 54-12. However, they will be looking to rebound after losing to the Scarlet Knights last year, 195.550-194.925. 

Rutgers is entering the meet winners of two in a row after dropping its previous four. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a second place finish in a quad meet at home against No. 3 Michigan, Fisk and Southern Connecticut State. They put up 194.700 total points. During the meet, the Scarlet Knights put up a season-high score of 49.200 on floor, with junior Avery Balser tying her career-high at 9.800, along with posting a career-high 9.900 on bars. 

Two weekends ago against Illinois, the Scarlet Knights set a program record for points in a home meet with 196.375 and set a new program record on beam with 49.375. Senior Hannah Joyner put up a personal score of 39.525 across all events, breaking a record held since 2013. She was named a gymnast of the week. Joyner also accompanies Maryland senior Emma Silberman on the Big 10’s 2023 “Gymnasts to Watch” List.

The Terps, on the other hand, are entering the match on a two-match skid. However, they are coming off a performance in which they matched their best bars rotation of the season at 49.350. Senior Alexa Tsiknias and Silberman both scored a 9.900 or above, with Tsiknias scoring a 9.925, tied for her career-high and her highest of the season. Silberman’s 9.900 was also her highest score of the season. Her score of 39.350 on the all-around was a career-high, and she placed top three in all four rotations. 

The dual will start at 1 p.m. at the Jersey Mike’s Arena.