Dec. 10, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - One week following the Temple men's intrasquad, the Temple women's gymnastics team took to the floor on Saturday, December 8th in front of a packed gym full of alumni, friends, and family. The women had the chance to show second year head coach Aaron Murphy, and first-year assistant Caitlin Council just how badly they want the coveted six lineup spots on each respective piece of apparatus. Also on hand to offer her coaching expertise was volunteer assistant coach Jillian Kornett.

Dubbed as "Old Heads against the Newbies," the intrasquad pitted a talented freshman and sophomore class against their experienced junior and senior teammates.

The following is a recap of the afternoon's highlights: Vault

Chelsea Trouthman (freshman)- Layout Yurchenko (very aggressive vault)

Chelsea Lapent (freshman)- Layout Yurchenko (nice body position, one step on landing)

Monica Zuber (sophomore)- Layout Yurchenko (much improved body position from last season)

Nicole Catrambone (junior)- Layout Tsukahara (nicely stretched)

Natasha Crawford (junior)- Layout Yurchenko (clean and explosive)

Alycia Petitto (senior co-captain)-Handspring-front tuck (training pike)

Desireé Meredith (senior) Layout-Tsuk ½; Handspring front-tuck (training pike)

Uneven Bars

Kathryn Ho (freshman)- Toe-shoot to high; giant ½, giant-blind, front giant ½, overshoot; giant-full to double tuck (over-rotated)

Trouthman - Giant ½ bail to Pak salto (very nicely done); giant-full to double tuck dismount (stuck)

Danielle Viens (sophomore)- Healy, straddle back to handstand (caught in a dead handstand) immediate toe-shoot to high bar; giant-full to double back dismount (small step)

Caitlin Egan (junior co-captain)- Giant-full, giant ½, bail to handstand

Petitto- Tkatchev; healy-straddle back to handstand; free-hip immediate toe-on front tuck dismount.

Winter Sneed (junior)- Shaposhnikova; Hindorff (fall); bail to handstand; free-hip to double tuck dismount

Meredith- Giant-full, giant blind, piked jaeger; double tuck dismount (working on adding a ½ twist)

Christine McNeill (junior)- Healy-straddle back to handstand; toe-shoot to high bar; double tuck (very clean with perfect handstand positions)

Balance Beam

Tiffany Shepherd (sophomore)- Front aerial to side somi (uncharacteristic fall); solid punch front; running front-full off end. (Showed a lot of poise and confidence after suffering a nasty fall on the side somi)

Zuber- backhandspring (bhs)- bhs-back tuck (nailed); double-full dismount (stuck)

Viens- nice shoulder roll; bhs-back tuck; switch leap, straddle jump, tuck ¾; gainer pike dismount

Ho-switch leap immediate switch side (nicely done); aerial; pike jump to back tuck

Trouthman- bhs-layout step-out; switch leap-tucked full; aerial; stuck double-full dismount (solid throughout)

Kristin McRell (junior)- Punch-front tuck mount (solid); two consecutive back tucks (fall); gainer-full off the side. (Very nice to see Kristin battle back from years of injuries)

Sneed- switch leap immediate back pike; gainer pike dismount

Petitto- bhs-layout; trademark wolf ¾ to tucked-full dismount facing sideways

Floor Exercise

Trouthman- 2 ½ twist mount; rudi; double-full dismount (Excellent day for the young freshman)

Lapent- nice double tuck mount

Viens- double tuck; front layout-front layout; 1 ½ dismount

Nina Oteri (sophomore)- Huge double tuck mount; front layout-front layout; rudi dismount (very nice dance and presentation)

Catrmabone- big double tuck

Egan- whip ½- front-full; whip-immediate double-full; double-full. (Same routine as last year with much improved tumbling)

Meredith- whip-double pike; whip-double tuck

Sneed- double pike mount; rudi; double-turn with leg horizontal immediate wolf-full; 1 ½ dismount

At this point, the Owls appear to have the most depth on the uneven bars and balance beam. While beam produced several falls, the women are working the tricky apparatus with a much more aggressive approach than in recent years, which is mainly due to having Council as their beam coach. The team is hitting excellent handstand positions on bars, and has worked diligently with coach Murphy to push the envelope in terms of difficulty and combination bonus.

The Temple women's gymnastics team kicks off its 2008 season with three away meets, which should be a true test to their grit and determination this season. The first home meet will take place on Saturday, February 2nd at 1:00 p.m. in McGonigle Hall on the campus of Temple University.

The home-opener will be a quad meet featuring Temple, West Chester, Ursinus, and The College of William & Mary.