Gymnastics Rallies to Total 195.275 in Second Place Finish at Maryland Five Meet

Wednesday, March 1

College Park, MD

7PM

University of New Hampshire

195.275

195.800

Maryland

Photo by: Gil Talbot

Gymnastics Rallies to Total 195.275 in Second Place Finish at Maryland Five Meet

3/1/2017 10:39:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics

Results (HTML)Results (PDF)

By: Mike Murphy

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Senior co-captain Meghan Pflieger (Barneveld, N.Y.) earned a share of the individual victory on the floor exercise with a score of 9.850, as the University of New Hampshire gymnastics team improved to 15-4, scoring a 195.275 in a second place finish at the Maryland Five Meet.

After two uncharacteristic falls on the vault in the beginning of the meet, the Wildcats rallied with solid performances on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. New Hampshire would have preferred to finish the night on the floor instead of on a bye, but it could only watch as the other four teams competed. After the second place finish, the team will look to earn a few more wins in the final two meets of the regular season (Sunday, March 5 vs. Yale and Brown, and Friday, March 10 at LSU).

MEET INFORMATION
Date: March 1, 2017 (7 p.m.)
Score: Maryland (195.800) UNH (195.275), Temple (194.900), West Chester (193.225), William & Mary (191.050)
Records: UNH (15-4), Maryland (15-11), Temple (11-13), West Chester (8-11), William & Mary (1-20)
Location: XFINITY Center | College Park, Maryland

NEXT HOME MEET
UNH plays host to its final meet of the regular season Sunday, March 5 (1 p.m.) when Ivy League schools Brown University and Yale University invade Lundholm Gym for a tri-meet. Celebrate the illustrious careers of the seniors Meghan Pflieger, Jennifer King, and Jessica Gracia on Pride Night/Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night. Tickets are available HERE.

HIGHLIGHTS

Danielle Mulligan (Farmingdale, N.Y.) tied a career high on the uneven bars, as she earned the individual victory for the eighth consecutive meet, scoring a 9.925.

Casey Lauter (Northport, N.Y.) led the team on the balance beam for the second consecutive week, earning the victory with a score of 9.875.
Lia Breeden (York, Pa.), Nicole O'Leary (Newtown, Conn.), and Pflieger each earned a share of first place on the floor exercise with matching scores of 9.850.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wildcats began the night on the vault, where Pflieger and Elizabeth Mahoney (Hanson, Mass.) each scored a 9.800 to lead the team with a fourth place finish. Courtney Bondanza (Buffalo, N.Y.) also performed strongly, recording the second-highest score of her career (9.775) to finish in eighth place. UNH totaled a 48.275 in the event, which was only better than that of William & Mary (46.975).

New Hampshire then moved to the bars, where Mulligan won the individual competition for the eighth consecutive meet. The sophomore recorded an astounding 9.925 for the victory, which was a season high and tied her personal best. Senior co-captain Jennifer King (Freehold, N.J.) was another top scorer, achieving a 9.775 and a sixth place finish. As a team, the 'Cats recorded a 48.875 on the bars, to place second out of the five schools in the event.

On the beam, Lauter led the team for the second straight week, earning a 9.875 to take the individual victory. Riley Freehling (Southington, Conn.) tied a career high in the event, as she and Pflieger each recorded a 9.850 to tie for second place. New Hampshire totaled a 49.100 as a team to top all of the other four teams.

In the final event of the night, a trio of UNH gymnasts led the team with a 9.850 to share the individual victory. Breeden, O'Leary, and Pflieger all ended up in a seven-way tie for first place with their performances. As a team, the Wildcats recorded a 49.025, which was high enough for second place.

TEAM NOTES

The Wildcats totaled team scores of 48.875 or higher in three of the four events. Although none were season-highs, the consistently high scores helped the team reach a final score of 195.275 and a second place finish.
New Hampshire gymnasts recorded individual victories in three of the four events. Mulligan won on the bars, Lauter on the beam, and Breeden, O'Leary, and Pflieger shared the victory on the floor.
The 'Cats totaled 11 scores of 9.800 or better across all four events for the second consecutive meet.

The 2017 UNH gymnastics season is presented by Happy Bodies. Visit them at www.happybodies.com. For more information on the UNH gymnastics team, visit www.unhwildcats.com.