Owls' Gymnastics in McGonigle For Alumni Day on Sunday

PHILADELPHIA - The Owls' gymnastics team will be in McGonigle Hall for the first time this Sunday as they host Towson for a dual meet. Sunday's meet will be the annual Alumni Day meet and will start at 5 p.m. ET. Throughout we will recognize the gymnasts from years gone by.

After the meet, they 2024 team will move to the concourse level to sign autographs.

LAST TIME OUT
The Temple Owls gymnastics team earned a pair of event wins from juniors Sarah Stallings and Madison Dorunda and a 9.900 from senior Brooke Donabedian last Sunday at the George Washington quint meet. The Owls scored a season-high 194.100, but Penn won the five-team meet with a score of 195.375, followed by the host Colonials with a 195.025. In fourth place was Yale a 193.325 and Cornell with a 192.850 in fifth.

ROAD TO THE NATIONALS
After three meets in 2024, Temple ranks No. 61 in the Road to the Nationals rankings with a 192.750. Thus far, the Owls' best event after three meets is floor exercise where they have averaged a 48.850 which the team 41st in the nation. The other NQS national scores included Vault - 48.342 (58th), Bars - 48.033 (58th), Beam- 47.525 (66nd).

VAULT
The Owls used eight gymnasts, with freshmen Haily Best, Hannah Weklar, Amelia Budd, and junior Madison Dorunda seeing action on the apparatus for the first time in their careers. Fellow junior Summer Ruskey returned to the Owls' vault lineup for the first time since 2022.

The Cherry and White averaged a 48.342 throughout the first three meets to start the year. Throughout those three meets, Dorunda walked away with an event win after the second meet of the season at West Virginia as she scored a career-high 9.775. The Waterford, Conn. native has averaged a 9.763 after two times out on the vault.

Notably, senior Renee Schugman is one three Owls to be on the vault lineup in each of three meets this season. The Smithtown, N.Y. native has averaged a 9.692 during each of the three meets.

BARS
In their last time out at George Washington, the Owls scored a 48.450. Junior Sarah Stallings won the event title with a 9.800. Sophomore Emily Johnson added a fifth-place finish in her debut event with a 9.750. Fellow second year gymnast Reese DeHaan tied her career-best with a 9.700.

Over her career, Stallings has won eight bars championships, while adding her 18th career 9.8 or better.

BEAM
During the quint meet at George Washington last Sunday, the Owls scored a season-best 48.175 with Madison Dorunda leading the way as she earned her second-career win when she scored a season-best 9.850.

Another first happened over on the beam at the West Virginia dual two weeks ago. Though she's competed as a regular in the beam lineup for the past three seasons, senior Renee Schugman never won an event championship on the apparatus. That all changed at West Virginia as she scored a 9.800.

In three meets, Schugman has been the Owls most consistent gymnast as she's averaged a 9.775, including the aformentioned 9.800 and just last week at George Washington she came up with a with a fourth-place finshed by Dorunda.

Last year's second-team all conference performer, Brooke Donabedian has scored a 9.750 over the last two meets.

Head coach Hilary Steele has used seven different gymnasts on the beam with five having seeing action in all three meets.

FLOOR
Temple's floor team put on its best performance of the season last week at George Washington as it scored a 49.175. During the meet, senior Brooke Donabedian led the team as she scored a season-best 9.900. It was her ninth 9.900 score or better in her three-plus year career. As a team, each of the six gymnasts scored at least a 9.725 or better. Highlighting the group, was 9.850s from freshman Payton Monk and Renee Schugman, while Summer Ruskey scored a 9.800.

The freshman Monk's 9.850 is her second 9.8 or better out of the first three meets. The Hanover Township native has averaged 9.817 in those three meets. The senior Donabedian has improved her floor score in each of her three meets.

SCOUTING TOWSON
Last weekend, the Tigers finished in third place at the Ohio State Tri Meet with the Buckeyes and Ball State. Towson led throughout the first two rotations, on the floor and vault, receiving scores in the top 10 all-time scores in school history. The team started off with a 49.275 on floor, led by five scores above 9.800. Towson stretched its lead after posting the highest team vault score of the meet, 49.250, for the second rotation. Eventually, the Tigers fell to Ohio State after struggling in the third rotation, ultimately placing third at the conclusion of the meet.

Elise Tisler was named East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Specialist of the Week after scoring a career-high 9.850 on vault at Ohio State last weekend.

The Tigers scored their highest road scores on vault and floor in school history to start a season.

On the vault, Towson scored a 49.250, the third highest in school history as Camille Vitoff tied for second place as she posted a 9.900, just .25 shy of her career high. Jenna Weitz and Tisler rounded out the top five. Weitz scored a 9.875 to finish fourth, while Tisler finished in fifth.

Led by Grace Villancourt's career-high 9.900, the floor team posted a top 10 score in program history (49.275). Each of the six gymnasts scored at least a 9.700.

UP NEXT
The Owls will have a week off before traveling to Auburn for a tri meet with the Tigers, Fisk, and Talledega College on Feb. 2.

For complete coverage of Temple gymnastics, follow the Owls on social media @TUWG (Twitter), facebook.com/ TempleWGymnastics (Facebook), @templegymnastics (Instagram), or visit the official home of Temple University Athletics at owlsports.com and on TikTok @templeowls.

Owls' Gymnastics in McGonigle For Alumni Day on Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Amelia Budd

Reese DeHaan

Brooke Donabedian

Madison Dorunda

Emily Johnson

Summer Ruskey

Renee Schugman

Sarah Stallings

Hannah Weklar

Temple University Athletics