Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS 2004 SEASON IN REVIEW
4.21.04 | Women's Gymnastics
During the regular season, Temple's team vault and uneven bars all-time records were broken. For the second straight year, the Owls advanced to the USA Gymnastics National Collegiate Championships, where they placed fourth in an eight-team field. Juniors Erin Davis and Alexis Zafferes and sophomore Deidre Mattocks all earned USAG All-American honors on their respective apparatus. In addition, seniors Jennifer Beaver and Paige Ozaroski and juniors Davis, Erika Messa and Zafferes were named USAG Academic All-Americans. At the championship meet Temple's assistant coach Aaron Murphy was voted by the attending coaches as the USAG Assistant Coach of the Year.
Temple started the season by capturing first on every apparatus in its 186.925 -183.200 victory at Bridgeport. Freshman Noelle Moore led the Owl effort by placing first on floor exercise and on beam. Junior captain Davis recorded a meet-high score (9.550) as she took first on uneven bars, while vault specialist Zafferes won on vault.
Undefeated at home, Temple won all three meets at McGonigle Hall. In its home opener on February 5, Temple narrowly defeated Penn, 189.775-189.175. The Cherry and White hosted a quad meet with Rhode Island, Ursinus and West Chester on March 6. Outscoring all three opponents on every piece of apparatus, Temple won the meet. In the final home meet of the season the Owls defeated Cornell 193.275 -- 192.225.
On uneven bars Temple had unprecedented success during the season. In Temple's home quad meet on March 6, freshman Sarah Liebowitz broke Temple's all-time individual record on uneven bars with a 9.90 score. In the following meet, the uneven bars team broke the all-time record with a 49.350 team score and Ozaroski and Mattocks each tied Liebowitz's 9.90 individual all-time bars record.
Temple's vault team also recorded a new all-time school record with a 48.450 score on February 8 in a quad meet at Penn. Zafferes and sophomore Katie Domenico led the effort taking the top two spots. Zafferes, who provided the team's highest vault score in every meet this season, won the event with a 9.800 score, while Domenico tied her personal-best score with a 9.700.
The season culminated with the trip to Denton, Texas for the USAG Championships. Mattocks and Davis emerged as USAG All-Americans on bars in the Individual Event Finals. Mattocks placed third with a 9.525 score, while Davis earned her second career USAG All-American honor by placing seventh on the apparatus with a 9.200 score. Zafferes earned her first USAG All-American honor, as she placed fourth on vault with a 9.737 score.
