Temple University Athletics
Senior Stephanie Verry
Women's Gymnastics Set To Host Eighth Annual Ken Anderson Memorial Invitational
2.12.15 | Women's Gymnastics
PHILADELPHIA— Posting their season high score of 192.15 last weekend against Penn, Temple women's gymnastics gets set to host the Eighth Annual Ken Anderson Memorial Invitational against Bridgeport and West Chester this Saturday at 1 p.m in McGonigle Hall. This meet will also honor the Owls senior class with a presentation following the competition.
For the last seven years, Temple University has hosted this annual home meet in remembrance of the late Ken Anderson, who served as the head coach of the school's women's gymnastics program for 21 years before passing away in 2008 after a long battle with cancer.
During his tenure as Temple's women's gymnastics coach, Anderson directed seven teams to the NCAA Regionals, with his 1992 Owl team advancing to the one NCAA Championships. The all-time winningest women's gymnastics coach in school history, he also guided five Temple teams to the USA Gymnastics National Championships and a school record 235 wins. His 1988-89 and 1991-92 squads posted identical 20-6 won-loss records, the most wins for an Owl team. Anderson earned numerous accolades as a head coach, including Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1987 and 1992. He also earned the NCAA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year award in 1989.
This season the Owls have shown great improvement, now having reached an event total score of 48 or above on every event but floor exercise, where the season high was set last weekend with a 47.95. Bars was the strongest event for the Owls, with a total event score of 48.15. Freshman, Kerry Arone once again showed her strength in the event, scoring a personal best of 9.85 that ranked second amongst all competitors. Fellow bar workers, Victoria Reggiani and Michaela Lapent, posted scores above 9.6.
Lapent showed her consistency on beam and floor as well, contributing a 9.6 to the balance beam's 48.125 total score. Her personal-best 9.625 floor score was also a highlight and she looks to remain consistent with scores of 9.6 and higher on all of her events.
Senior Lauren Capone, garnered her season-best floor score with a 9.8 that tied for second place with fellow senior, Stephanie Verry. The 9.8 score was also a season-best for Verry, who ranks fourth in the conference on the event. Alexandra Forcucci is also ranked in the conference's top 10 on the floor, with an average of 9.712 and season-high 9.725 mark earned this weekend.
Season-highs seemed to be contagious for the Owls on Saturday, as Alexis Arena also posted her season-high balance beam score of 9.85, which took first place among all competitors. Arena now holds a balance beam average of 9.72 that ranks fourth in the conference.
Other season-high scores of the day included Mikaela Postlethwait's 9.6 vault score and Briana Odom's 9.625 vault score, which places Odom ninth in the conference on the event.
This weekend, the Owls look to improve on their 192.15 team score at home for the final time of the season. West Chester has had a record-breaking season, coming off a home meet where they broke their school team score record with a 191.825. Rams to watch are sophomores Selena Swanger and Majesta Valentine, as well as junior Meghan Brannon. Bridgeport has posted a season high score of 194.125. Senior Sasha Tsikhanovich has a season high all-around score of 38.9 and has scored a 9.9 or above on both beam and floor. Other notable Knights are sophomore Kim Stewart, floor specialist, Caitlin Perry, bar specialist, Amber Hill, and freshman Kelsey Campbell.
Live Video
For the last seven years, Temple University has hosted this annual home meet in remembrance of the late Ken Anderson, who served as the head coach of the school's women's gymnastics program for 21 years before passing away in 2008 after a long battle with cancer.
During his tenure as Temple's women's gymnastics coach, Anderson directed seven teams to the NCAA Regionals, with his 1992 Owl team advancing to the one NCAA Championships. The all-time winningest women's gymnastics coach in school history, he also guided five Temple teams to the USA Gymnastics National Championships and a school record 235 wins. His 1988-89 and 1991-92 squads posted identical 20-6 won-loss records, the most wins for an Owl team. Anderson earned numerous accolades as a head coach, including Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1987 and 1992. He also earned the NCAA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year award in 1989.
This season the Owls have shown great improvement, now having reached an event total score of 48 or above on every event but floor exercise, where the season high was set last weekend with a 47.95. Bars was the strongest event for the Owls, with a total event score of 48.15. Freshman, Kerry Arone once again showed her strength in the event, scoring a personal best of 9.85 that ranked second amongst all competitors. Fellow bar workers, Victoria Reggiani and Michaela Lapent, posted scores above 9.6.
Lapent showed her consistency on beam and floor as well, contributing a 9.6 to the balance beam's 48.125 total score. Her personal-best 9.625 floor score was also a highlight and she looks to remain consistent with scores of 9.6 and higher on all of her events.
Senior Lauren Capone, garnered her season-best floor score with a 9.8 that tied for second place with fellow senior, Stephanie Verry. The 9.8 score was also a season-best for Verry, who ranks fourth in the conference on the event. Alexandra Forcucci is also ranked in the conference's top 10 on the floor, with an average of 9.712 and season-high 9.725 mark earned this weekend.
Season-highs seemed to be contagious for the Owls on Saturday, as Alexis Arena also posted her season-high balance beam score of 9.85, which took first place among all competitors. Arena now holds a balance beam average of 9.72 that ranks fourth in the conference.
Other season-high scores of the day included Mikaela Postlethwait's 9.6 vault score and Briana Odom's 9.625 vault score, which places Odom ninth in the conference on the event.
This weekend, the Owls look to improve on their 192.15 team score at home for the final time of the season. West Chester has had a record-breaking season, coming off a home meet where they broke their school team score record with a 191.825. Rams to watch are sophomores Selena Swanger and Majesta Valentine, as well as junior Meghan Brannon. Bridgeport has posted a season high score of 194.125. Senior Sasha Tsikhanovich has a season high all-around score of 38.9 and has scored a 9.9 or above on both beam and floor. Other notable Knights are sophomore Kim Stewart, floor specialist, Caitlin Perry, bar specialist, Amber Hill, and freshman Kelsey Campbell.
Live Video
Players Mentioned
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BB, FX
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
V, BB, FX
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