Gymnastics overcomes absences for win

The Terrapin gymnastics team overcame a pair of last-minute scratches to capture its second consecutive home sweep Friday, outscoring Ball State and Towson in front of a capacity crowd at Comcast Pavilion.

Competing without sophomore Ally Krikorian and senior Kelsey McDermid, the Terps relied on a team effort in bringing their home record to 4-0 on the season.

"Kelsey told me that she needed to attend to family concerns at 1 p.m., and Ally suffered a foot injury during warm-ups," coach Brett Nelligan said. "So we had to scramble to switch some lineups right before the meet started. Girls had to step up and compete in events they weren't necessarily used to."

The 26th-ranked Terps' depth was tested in the meet's first and final rotations when the shorthanded squad had an event-minimum five gymnasts compete in vault and floor exercise. Unable to field the usual six competitors, each routine was guaranteed to count.

"Since we only had five girls in those events, we all had to bring our best," senior Abigail Adams said. "Each routine was crucial."

Raising the stakes even higher, four Towson gymnasts received scores of 9.725 or better on the floor exercise, leaving the Terps at a deficit as the final rotation began.

Such pressurized circumstances proved unimportant, however, as an impressive finish on the floor exercise secured the victory over first-year Towson coach Vicki Chliszczyk, a former Terp assistant.

Led by an event-high 9.925 from Adams, the Terps combined for a score of 48.950 in the final rotation. The strong showing left the squad with an overall score of 191.975 — besting second-place Towson's 190.325. Ball State finished third with a score of 189.975.

"Everyone really stepped up," said Krikorian, who hopes to return for the Terps' next meet, Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Watching them from the sidelines, I couldn't have been more proud."

letourneau@umdbk.com