Temple University Athletics
NCAA Champion Gymnastics Team Highlights Temple Hall Of Fame Class
9.15.08 | General
Sept. 15, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - The 1949 NCAA Champion Men's Gymnastics Team headlines the 2008 Temple Athletics Hall of Fame Class which will be inducted at the Owls' homecoming football game against Western Michigan on September 27 at Lincoln Financial Field. Joining the men's gymnastics team will be football standout Mark Bright, baseball star Jesse Hodges and two-sport (women's lacrosse, women's basketball) athlete Carol Schultz Greenberg.
"We are proud to honor three outstanding individuals and also one of the greatest teams in the history of Temple University," Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said. "This class truly represents the best of Temple Athletics."
The 1949 Temple men's gymnastics team reached the pinnacle of success, becoming the first Owl squad to capture an NCAA championship. Coached by Hall of Famer Max Younger, the Cherry and White won the Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League Championship prior to capturing the national title. The team was led by individual NCAA champions Bob Stout (horizontal bar) and Joe Berenato (side horse). Younger, Stout and Berenato have all been previously inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame. Stout later went on to compete for the United States at the 1952 Olympic Games.
The sixth all-time leading rusher in the history of Temple Football, Bright accumulated 1,943 yards on 351 carries with 17 touchdowns. The Warminster, Pa. (William Tennant) native saved his best season for his final one (1979), making 193 rushes for 1,036 yards while reaching the end-zone seven times. He led the Owls to the program's only Bowl victory, a 28-17 win over California in the Garden State Bowl. He gained 112 yards on 19 carries in that game, earning Most Valuable Player honors for his efforts. It was one of six 100-yards games in his career with a high of 163 yards coming against Syracuse in 1979.
One of only two Temple Baseball players to earn ABCA First Team All-America honors, Hodges had a breakout season on the diamond as a senior in 1967. The Owl third baseman batted a team-best .387 with eight home runs and 36 RBI while playing in just 28 games. The Hatboro, Pa. (Upper Moreland HS) native led the Cherry and White to a 22-10-1 record that season. Hodges, who owns three master's degrees from Temple, signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees following the season and spent one year in their farm system.
Schultz Greenberg is one of the most decorated women's lacrosse player in Temple history. The Wyndmoor, Pa. (Abington Friends HS) native earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1984, while helping lead the Cherry and White to the NCAA Championship. A two-time NCAA All-Tournament ('83, '84) selection, she set a NCAA Tournament record with seven goals in a 13-3 win over Delaware in the 1984 national semifinals. Schultz Greenberg also shares the school-record for most points in a game, tallying nine goals and three assists for 12 points in a win over Princeton. A 2007 Inductee into the Philadelphia Jewish Hall of Fame, she also was a two-year member of the TU women's basketball team.
