2008 Woodie Awards
Gymnastics gears up for Tar Heels
Michael Katz
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports
The intensity in the gym this week has been higher than it has been all season for the Terrapin gymnastics team, at a level to be expected of a squad coming off its first win of the season.
Throw in the fact that this weekend's quad-meet is at rival North Carolina, and it's easy to see why the Terps are the most fired up they have been all year.
"Right after [the win], it was like a switch went off," senior Lindsey Bonomo said. "It was intense."
The win has breathed new life into a Terp team that has been fighting all season to back up good meet scores with a victory.
With a win under its belt, the team has noticed its levels of concentration and motivation have picked up in practice.
"Everybody wants [to do well] all the time, but there is definitely a little more intensity … in the gym this week," senior Gretchen Kittelberger said. "[Last weekend] we saw, 'Hey, this is within our reach,' and everybody has done a great job stepping up."
It is critical for the Terps to perform well in every meet for the rest of the season to qualify for the postseason, but the team has made no effort to hide the fact that North Carolina has been circled on its schedule.
"We don't really have ACC in gymnastics, but they're an ACC rival pretty much, and it's definitely an incentive," Bonomo said. "UNC is one of those teams that, I mean they're good, but we should be able to stick with them."
Coach Bob Nelligan hopes to use this meet as a catalyst for the rest of the season. For inspiration, he pointed to another team on the campus that benefited from a strong performance in Chapel Hill.
"Look at basketball," Nelligan said. "Their major win over UNC was a huge springboard for them. We're hoping to have the same type of thing, get a win down there and come back with a head of steam."
Nelligan believes the key to the Terps' success will be their performance on the vault, which has not been a strong point for the Terps this season.
The team's vaulting performances have often left them trying to play catch-up in the later stages of meets, something the coach said is a difficult task to accomplish.
"That's what's been hurting," Nelligan said. "[Being down] means beam has to be perfect, and it's harder to be perfect on beam than any other event."
Despite this particular issue, the Terps' new mentality is not lost on their coach. Nelligan noted that, following last week's victory, he has seen the team turn over a new leaf.
"I think you can tell by the temperament of the team, they're still pretty up," Nelligan said. "I'm pleased that our athletes are taking the lead. It shows the maturity that's necessary for us to become a good program. That's the sign of a team starting to grow into its expectations."
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Throw in the fact that this weekend's quad-meet is at rival North Carolina, and it's easy to see why the Terps are the most fired up they have been all year.
"Right after [the win], it was like a switch went off," senior Lindsey Bonomo said. "It was intense."
The win has breathed new life into a Terp team that has been fighting all season to back up good meet scores with a victory.
With a win under its belt, the team has noticed its levels of concentration and motivation have picked up in practice.
"Everybody wants [to do well] all the time, but there is definitely a little more intensity … in the gym this week," senior Gretchen Kittelberger said. "[Last weekend] we saw, 'Hey, this is within our reach,' and everybody has done a great job stepping up."
It is critical for the Terps to perform well in every meet for the rest of the season to qualify for the postseason, but the team has made no effort to hide the fact that North Carolina has been circled on its schedule.
"We don't really have ACC in gymnastics, but they're an ACC rival pretty much, and it's definitely an incentive," Bonomo said. "UNC is one of those teams that, I mean they're good, but we should be able to stick with them."
Coach Bob Nelligan hopes to use this meet as a catalyst for the rest of the season. For inspiration, he pointed to another team on the campus that benefited from a strong performance in Chapel Hill.
"Look at basketball," Nelligan said. "Their major win over UNC was a huge springboard for them. We're hoping to have the same type of thing, get a win down there and come back with a head of steam."
Nelligan believes the key to the Terps' success will be their performance on the vault, which has not been a strong point for the Terps this season.
The team's vaulting performances have often left them trying to play catch-up in the later stages of meets, something the coach said is a difficult task to accomplish.
"That's what's been hurting," Nelligan said. "[Being down] means beam has to be perfect, and it's harder to be perfect on beam than any other event."
Despite this particular issue, the Terps' new mentality is not lost on their coach. Nelligan noted that, following last week's victory, he has seen the team turn over a new leaf.
"I think you can tell by the temperament of the team, they're still pretty up," Nelligan said. "I'm pleased that our athletes are taking the lead. It shows the maturity that's necessary for us to become a good program. That's the sign of a team starting to grow into its expectations."
mkatzdbk@gmail.com
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