Temple University Athletics
Men's Gymnastics Aims for Three-Peat at ECAC Championships
4.3.09 | Men's Gymnastics
April 3, 2009
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Temple men's gymnastics team will go for its third consecutive ECAC Championship tonight as the Owls travel to Gross Sports Center on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in hopes completing the three-peat.
The team competition is set for tonight at 7:00 p.m. The winner will earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, while the top eight finishers from each apparatus advancing to the individual finals Saturday evening where the event champions are crowned.
The Owls enter the championships on a roll, winning of five their last six meets, which included posting a season-high 340.800 in a tri-meet with Navy and Army.
The Owls are currently ranked third in the conference by Illinois-Chicago and William & Mary.
The Cherry and White's hottest gymnast heading into the championships is McLaughlin. Against Penn State, he worked the all-around for the first time this season and scored an impressive 84.45, while taking first place on vault (15.75) and parallel bars(14.700) and second place on pommel horse(14.0). In the alumni homecoming meet a week later, he took first in the all-around (85.7500, floor (14.550), parallel bars (14.550) and second on the still rings (14.400). McLaughlin currently tops the conference on average parallel bars score (14.317) and is sixth on still rings (14.167).
McLaughlin and teammate Scott Bloomfield will both be defending their individual ECAC champions on Saturday. McLaughlin is the defending champion on floor and Bloomfield is the defending champion on vault.
