Temple University Athletics
Friday, April 19
1:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Temple University
at
National Qualifying Competition at Penn State
Taylor Brana
Photo by: Mitchell Leff
No.12 Men's Gymnastics Readies For Bid At NCAA Championship
4.18.13 | Men's Gymnastics
NCAA Championships Central
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The 12th-ranked Temple men's gymnastics team is set for NCAA Championship competition, held April 19-21 on the campus of Penn State University. The ECAC Champion Owls will compete in the evening session of the NCAA Qualifier at Recreation Hall on Friday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m., where they will be joined by host and top-seeded Penn State, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa and No. 9 California. The first session begins at 1:00 p.m. and features No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Nebraska and No. 11 Air Force.
The top three teams and top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams, plus the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor, will advance from each pre-qualifying session to the finals session. Final competitions will take place April 20 (team finals) and 21 (individual finals). The top eight finishers in each of the six events will be awarded All-America status.
This will be the first national championship event that uses the five-up, five-count system introduced earlier in 2013, in which only five gymnasts can compete per event, and every single competitor's score is counted toward the team total. Previously, six gymnasts could compete with five scores counted, giving teams the ability to drop their lowest score on an event.
Thirty-seven year head coach Fred Turoff, who was named ECAC Head Coach of the Year along with his second-year assistant Patrick McLaughlin, come into the national title meet with a 17-6 record. Over the course of the season, Temple has competed against No. 1 Penn State multiple times and visited No. 9 California and No. 11 Air Force during its Spring Break trip.
Temple is making its second straight and 26th overall appearance to the NCAA Championship and is looking for its first national title since 1949.
Nissen-Emery Finalist and ECAC Senior Athlete of the Year Alex Tighe is the Owls' leader on pommel horse (13.661) and horizontal bar (14.015), while ranking second on the team on parallel bars (13.781) to graduate student and team captain Taylor Brana (13.955). Earlier this week, Tighe was recognized locally as the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year.
Fellow grad student and team captain Evan Burke also holds the highest individual average in multiple events on the team in the floor exercise (14.350) and on vault (14.164). Burke topped out in the floor exercise in Temple first win at the West Point Open since 1995 when he was handed a 15.300, which set a new program record by a Temple gymnast in the event, His season-high score on vault came in the team's second meet of the season at Springfield when he nailed his routine for a 14.9.
Senior Allan Malone, who is the ECAC silver medalist in the floor exercise, led Temple in the all-around with an average score of 80.542. The Owls' fourth-year gymnast was tabbed with his season-best six-event score at home against William & Mary and Penn State when he totaled an 83.1.
The Owls have a pair of freshmen on the squad that have made a strong impact and have helped fill the voids of several talented gymnasts that graduated from the program after last season's NCAA Championship run. Rookie Jon Rydzefski is averaging an all-around score of 80.470. His highest total came in the final regular season meet against Army and Navy when he totaled 82.750 through all six events, which led him to ECAC Rookie of the Week honors.
Freshman Evan Eigner, also was recognized by the ECAC as a Rookie of the Week (March 17) competes on still rings and in the floor exercise. In the team's dual meet at SUNY Brockport, Eigner set season-highs in both events (13.950 and 14.550, respectively).
Temple's leader on pommel horse this season has been senior Assaf Zoor, who has averaged a 14.020 on the apparatus, having his season-best score come at the ECAC Championship title meet when he registered a 14.4.
All-session tickets to the NCAA Championships ($28 Adult, $16 Youth and PSU Students) are on sale now and can be purchased at GoPSUSports.com or by calling the Penn State Ticket Office at 1-800-NITTANY. Single-session tickets are on sale now and will be available for purchase on the day of competition at the Recreation Building at least one hour prior to the event.
Click here for more information about the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships.
TEAM QUALIFIERS
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The 12th-ranked Temple men's gymnastics team is set for NCAA Championship competition, held April 19-21 on the campus of Penn State University. The ECAC Champion Owls will compete in the evening session of the NCAA Qualifier at Recreation Hall on Friday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m., where they will be joined by host and top-seeded Penn State, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa and No. 9 California. The first session begins at 1:00 p.m. and features No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Nebraska and No. 11 Air Force.
The top three teams and top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams, plus the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor, will advance from each pre-qualifying session to the finals session. Final competitions will take place April 20 (team finals) and 21 (individual finals). The top eight finishers in each of the six events will be awarded All-America status.
This will be the first national championship event that uses the five-up, five-count system introduced earlier in 2013, in which only five gymnasts can compete per event, and every single competitor's score is counted toward the team total. Previously, six gymnasts could compete with five scores counted, giving teams the ability to drop their lowest score on an event.
Thirty-seven year head coach Fred Turoff, who was named ECAC Head Coach of the Year along with his second-year assistant Patrick McLaughlin, come into the national title meet with a 17-6 record. Over the course of the season, Temple has competed against No. 1 Penn State multiple times and visited No. 9 California and No. 11 Air Force during its Spring Break trip.
Temple is making its second straight and 26th overall appearance to the NCAA Championship and is looking for its first national title since 1949.
Nissen-Emery Finalist and ECAC Senior Athlete of the Year Alex Tighe is the Owls' leader on pommel horse (13.661) and horizontal bar (14.015), while ranking second on the team on parallel bars (13.781) to graduate student and team captain Taylor Brana (13.955). Earlier this week, Tighe was recognized locally as the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year.
Fellow grad student and team captain Evan Burke also holds the highest individual average in multiple events on the team in the floor exercise (14.350) and on vault (14.164). Burke topped out in the floor exercise in Temple first win at the West Point Open since 1995 when he was handed a 15.300, which set a new program record by a Temple gymnast in the event, His season-high score on vault came in the team's second meet of the season at Springfield when he nailed his routine for a 14.9.
Senior Allan Malone, who is the ECAC silver medalist in the floor exercise, led Temple in the all-around with an average score of 80.542. The Owls' fourth-year gymnast was tabbed with his season-best six-event score at home against William & Mary and Penn State when he totaled an 83.1.
The Owls have a pair of freshmen on the squad that have made a strong impact and have helped fill the voids of several talented gymnasts that graduated from the program after last season's NCAA Championship run. Rookie Jon Rydzefski is averaging an all-around score of 80.470. His highest total came in the final regular season meet against Army and Navy when he totaled 82.750 through all six events, which led him to ECAC Rookie of the Week honors.
Freshman Evan Eigner, also was recognized by the ECAC as a Rookie of the Week (March 17) competes on still rings and in the floor exercise. In the team's dual meet at SUNY Brockport, Eigner set season-highs in both events (13.950 and 14.550, respectively).
Temple's leader on pommel horse this season has been senior Assaf Zoor, who has averaged a 14.020 on the apparatus, having his season-best score come at the ECAC Championship title meet when he registered a 14.4.
All-session tickets to the NCAA Championships ($28 Adult, $16 Youth and PSU Students) are on sale now and can be purchased at GoPSUSports.com or by calling the Penn State Ticket Office at 1-800-NITTANY. Single-session tickets are on sale now and will be available for purchase on the day of competition at the Recreation Building at least one hour prior to the event.
Click here for more information about the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships.
TEAM QUALIFIERS
Session One
2. Oklahoma
3. Michigan
6. Minnesota
7. Illinois
10. Nebraska
11. Air Force Academy
Session Two
1. PENN STATE
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
8. Iowa
9. California
12. Temple
2. Oklahoma
3. Michigan
6. Minnesota
7. Illinois
10. Nebraska
11. Air Force Academy
Session Two
1. PENN STATE
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
8. Iowa
9. California
12. Temple
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