Temple University Athletics
Temple Women's Gymnastics Returns to McGonigle Hall For Final Home Meet of the Season
3.7.08 | Women's Gymnastics
March 7, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's gymnastics team (7-13) returns home this Saturday for a dual-meet against Cornell (1:00 p.m.), the ECAC's 2nd ranked team. The last time the Owl's faced the Big Red was during both team's first competition of the 2008 season, the George Washington Invitational. Cornell finished 4th compiling a 185.975, with Temple right behind them in 5th tallying a respectable 184.900 score.
Temple is coming off of a season-high 190.150 at UPenn last week and a decisive victory over West Chester on Thursday. Against Penn, the Cherry and White were lead by sophomore Nina Oteri's 9.675 on the balance beam. The Owls had the top four finishers in all four events against West Chester, with junior Christine McNeill leading the way with a first place finish in the vault (9.725) and uneven parallel bars (9.750).
In continuing the tradition of honoring the senior athletes during the last home competition of the season, five gymnasts will bid farewell to the competitive floor of McGonigle Hall. The senior class of Nicole Catrambone, Caitlin Egan, Kristen McRell, Desireé Meredith, and Alycia Petitto should all see action this Saturday. Christine McNeill was given the option of competing for one more year due to missing her sophomore season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. McNeill has confirmed with 2nd year head coach Aaron Murphy that she will indeed finish out her eligibility.
Owlsports.com had the opportunity to catch up with the five seniors and get some comments on their feelings regarding their last home meet, as well as looking back to their careers here at Temple University.
Nicole Catrambone (Kinesiology, Pre-Physical Therapy) "I would have to say that it is bittersweet. This is a very proud moment for me knowing that I pushed myself harder than I ever thought I could. I could have never made it this far without the support of my family and teammates. The bonds that I made with my teammates...they are like family to me. They are what made my collegiate career so worthwhile."
Caitlin Egan (Psychology) "It's a very sad feeling. Of the 17 years that I've put into gymnastics, these last four years have by far been the best. I always look forward to the adrenaline rush that comes with competing at home, so knowing that I won't have that feeling anymore breaks my heart. My best memory as an Owl would be my first competition as a sophomore. I had comeback from a fractured spine and was out for nearly a year. As soon as my floor music started, my eyes filled with tears... I've had so many great memories here.
Kristen McRell (Elementary/Special Education) "It is definitely a surreal moment knowing that all of my years of dedication and hard work have finally come to an end. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family and team behind me as I face one of the happiest and saddest moments of my life. I'm really looking forward to this meet because it will be my return to competition after four shoulder surgeries and a broken foot. My doctors told me that I should never do gymnastics again, but like the true Leo that I am, I pushed through!"
Desireé Meredith (Kinesiology- Exercise and Sports Science) "It's very sad. Just hearing it brings tears to my eyes. I'm just going to go out there and show my routines to the best of my ability and leave our home crowd with something to remember me by. Being a part of a competitive team is amazing, and I never imagined that I'd be learning the skills that I've learned under coach Murphy."
Alycia Petitto (Kinesiology- Health and Physical Education) "I am excited and pumped to compete at my last home meet as a senior, but knowing that it's my last is what sends feelings of sadness through my body. I am very fortunate to have been able to compete on a Division 1 gymnastics team with such amazing teammates and friends. As an Owl, I have experienced both sides of the emotional spectrum; complete elation and total frustration. Through my affiliation with Temple, I've become so much stronger both physically and psychologically."
All of these seniors have big plans ahead of them, with Catrambone pursuing her doctorate in physical therapy at nearby Drexel University; Egan will complete her prerequisites prior to attending physical therapy school; McRell will teach second grade while obtaining her master's degree in English; Meredith will complete her studies at Temple while continuing to coach at her home gym, Precision Gymnastics; and Petitto will return to her home state of New York where she plans on coaching and seeking a teaching position at a high school.
Fans who cannot attend the dual-meet between Temple and Cornell can view the action live on OwlAccess. The service is free for all Temple students, and can be viewed at http://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=tem.
