Temple University Athletics
Men's Gymnastics Tops Air Force in Home Debut
1.25.09 | Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 25, 2009
PHILADELPHIA -Competing at home for the first time this season the Temple men's gymnastics team topped Air Force 327.200-325.900 in a tight meet from McGonigle Hall.
The Owls (7-4) were lead by junior Pat McLaughlin, sophomore Adam Al-Rokm and freshman Jeff Zack. McLaughlin was firt on high bar (13.850), Al-Rokm took first on pommel horse (13.700), while Zack took the top spot on vault (15.500.)
The Owls got things started on floor exercise, with Jeff Zack's double layout and tucked double Arabian (13.800) and Tyler Croteau's stuck piked Arabian double and whip-immediate tucked double Arabian (14.300). Although Croteau faltered on his final pass of 2.5 twist, he still won the event over Air Force's Aaron Zaiser (tucked full-in for a 14.200). Freshman Evan Burke threw some difficult tumbling (triple-full dismount) but had some landing errors throughout.
The Falcons got their day started right on pommel horse, with Chase Nobles and Jaco Houder's 13.700 and 13.550, respectively. Still, after one rotation, Temple took a commanding lead of nearly two points--a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of the afternoon.
In the second rotation, the Owls moved to pommel horse, where a few shaky routines wouldn't mar Adam Al-Rokh's meet winning 13.700 (tied with Air Force's Houder). Freshman Chris Mooney made his McGonigle Hall debut with a clean set as well.
Meanwhile, Air Force was tumbling up a storm on floor exercise, highlighted by Zaiser and Joel Uptmor's clean double layout mount.
Rotation three saw Temple on the still rings and Air Force on vault, with the Falcons not taking advantage of the typically high vault scores being given these days, instead choosing cleaner vaults with a low degree of difficulty. The exception was Zaiser, who vaulted a stellar Kasamatsu for a 15.150 and second place.
Over on the still rings, the Owls placed three freshmen in the rings lineup, a strategy that is typically unheard of from coaches Fred Turoff and Theo Maes.
"Our freshmen have made an immediate impact. They came in ready to compete and have earned their spots on all of the events," said Maes after the meet.
Leading the freshman trio was Matt Martin, who scored a 13.850 for third place. Leading the way, however, was senior John Vogtman's 14.000 (nice tucked full-in dismount).
In the fourth rotation, Temple moved to vault and Air Force to rings, and it was in this rotation that Temple completely pulled away from the Falcons. Jeff Zack got things started right with a stuck Kas, good for a meet-high 15.500 and first place. Junior Scott Bloomfield anchored with a huge Kas 1/1, but took a large step back for a 14.850.
The fifth rotation almost saw the wheels come off for Temple, as many gymnasts struggled with tricky pirouetting skills and dismounts. Vogtman and Martin were once again tops for the Owls, chipping in scores of 13.750 and 13.700, respectively.
After the fifth rotation, Temple led 274.50-272.70.
Air Force got into some of the same trouble as Temple did on p-bars, but were led by Houder's 13.850, good for first place on the event. Meanwhile, Temple was eager to drop Vogtman's routine, after two missed attempts at his Tkatchev release. Earlier in the rotation, Martin cranked two huge releases (layout and straddled Tkatchev's), and Russo caught a risky Kovacs, but had trouble swinging out of it.
Anchor Pat McLaughlin needed to be clean but not spectacular to seal the win for Temple, and he did just that with tricky pirouetting sequences and a nearly stuck full-twisting double layout dismount for a meet winning 13.850.
Russo had to settle for second all-around behind Air Force's Nash Mills (78.200-78.150)
After the meet, assistant coach Maes summed up the afternoon by saying, "The guys were pretty tired after competing two days this weekend, but I think they stepped it up today for how early it is in the season. From here, we will continue to fight to clean up our landings, while slowly adding in some more difficulty as the season progresses."
The Owls head to the University of Illinois-Chicago on Saturday, January 31st, and will then enjoy a week off from NCAA competition before heading back to McGonigle Hall to meet conference rival William & Mary for a February 14th dual slated for a 7:30 PM start.
Floor:
1 Tyler Croteau, TU, 14.300
2. Aaron Zaiser, AF, 14.200
3. Jeff Zack, TU, 13.800
Ph: 1t. Adam al-Rokm, TU, 13.700
1t. Chase Nobles, AF, 13.700
3. Jaco Houder, AF, 13.550
R:
1. Jacob Schonig, AF, 14.050
2. John Vogtman, TU, 14.000
3. Matt Martin, TU, 13.850
VT: 1. Jeff Zack, TU, 15.500
2. Aaron Zasier, AF, 15.150
3. Scott Bloomfield, TU, 14.850
P Bars:
1. Jaco Houder, AF, 13.850
2. John Vogtman, TU, 13.750
3. Matt Martin, TU, 13.700
H Bar:1. Pat McLaughlin, TU, 13.850
2. Jaco Houder , AF, 13. 750
3. Nash Mills, AF, 13.250
AA: 1. Nash Mills, AF, 78.200
2. Jason Russo, TU, 78.150
