UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - The Temple men's gymnastics team was defeated in five of six events en route to a 202.450-190.050 dual meet loss to No.5-ranked Penn State at Recreation Hall Friday evening. The No. 13-ranked Owls won the horizontal bar competition, 32.000-31.950, to avoid an event shutout in their 2006 season opener.
Sophomore Sterling Kramer was Temple's top individual performer, placing second on horizontal bar with an 8.250 effort and third on rings with a 7.900 score. Junior Clay Stewart and freshman Jason Russo also performed well for the Cherry & White. Stewart placed third in the floor exercise with an 8.800 score and Russo finished third on horizontal bar with an 8.100 performance in his first collegiate competition.
Penn State's Casey Sandy won the pommel horse (9.350), parallel bars (8.350) and horizontal bar (9.050) en route to capturing the all-around crown with a 52.650 total. He also placed second on both the floor exercise and vault. Teammates Chad Buczek (9.100, floor exercise), Vladi Kurlman (rings, 8.200) and Santiago Lopez (vault, 9.500) also captured event titles for the Nittany Lions.
Kramer was the Owls' lone all-around performer, turning-in a 46.550 score.
Temple (0-1), under the direction of 30th-year head coach Fred Turoff, returns to action next Saturday, January 21, in Harrisonburg, Virginia versus James Madison in a 5:00 p.m. dual meet.
