Friday January ninth will be a unique night in Maryland sports history. It won't be the first time that separate Terrapins teams have competed concurrently but it will be the first time they have done so in the same space. Fans of gymnastics will have the chance to watch Maryland wrestling while Terps wrestling fans can watch the gymnastics competition at the same time in the inaugural Beauty and the Beast event on January ninth at Xfinity Center.
The night will be the season opener for the gymnastics squad which will host two familiar foes in George Washington and West Virginia. Moving into the highly competitive Big Ten, the GymTerps will bring a team that blends youth and experience. The squad features 2012 All-Americans Katy Dodds and Stephanie Giameo as well as sophomores Sarah Faller and Nikki Chung and a touted freshman Abbie Epperson. The Terps are looking not only to make a splash in their inaugural B1G campaign but also to make a sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The wrestling squad, which has struggled in its early matches in the Big Ten, features eleventh ranked Geoffrey Alexander, a redshirt junior at 133 pounds, and 2014 NCAA qualifier sophomore Shyheim Brown at 141 pounds. Senior heavyweight Spencer Myers, who was an All-American as a freshman and who has spent the fall competing on the defensive line with the 7-5 Terrapins football team, may be available to return to the mat for the wrestling squad.
The event, which will not have an admission charge, is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm. In addition to the intrinsic interest juxtaposing the two sports, the configuration of the arena and the impact of the combined meet on one Robin Ficker add a layer of intrigue.