Temple University Athletics
Friday, February 9
Philadelphia, PA
6:00 PM
Temple University
at
Penn
Temple Gymnastics Ready For Friday Dual With Penn
2.8.24 | Women's Gymnastics
The Owls and Quakers opened the year with the Keystone Classic
PHILADELPHIA – The Temple gymnastics team will return to action on Friday, Feb. 9 at the Palestra as they take on Penn in a dual meet. It's the second meeting between Owls and Quakers in 2024. The two teams opened the year at Penn as they took part in the Keystone Classic on Jan. 5. Friday's meet will start at 6 p.m. and will be available through a simulcast on ESPN+ and locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.
ROAD TO THE NATIONALS
The Owls fell from 58th to 59th in the Road to Nationals rankings after Week 5 when they scored a 193.425 at the Auburn quad meet against the Tigers, Fisk, and Talladega. After five meets in 2024, Temple has averaged 193.515. Thus far, the Owls' best event after five meets is the floor exercise where they have averaged a 48.900 which the team 47rd in the nation. The other NQS national scores included Vault - 48.550 (58th), Bars - 48.265 (57th), Beam- 47.800 (68th).
VAULT
The Owls used nine gymnasts thus far this season on vault, with freshmen Hailey 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 last time out on the vault, Temple scored 48.650 in which four of the six gymnasts earned a 9.7 or better. Led by freshman Amelia Budd's career-high 9.800, senior Renee Schugman and junior Summer Ruskey earned 9.750s. Fellow senior Mackenzie Aresta rounded out the 9.7 scores with a 9.700.
Notably, Schugman has been the most consistent TU performer on vault, averaging 9.725 as she's earned a 9.7 or better in four of the five meets.
BARS
During their last time out during the Feb. 2 quad meet at Auburn, the Owls scored a season high 48.550. Junior Sarah Stallings and sophomore Emily Johnson led the bars squad with 9.775s. Fellow sophomore earned a career-best 9.750 and senior Cyrena Whalen rounded out the 9.7-scoring with a 9.725.
Thus far through five meets, junior Sarah Stallings has won a team-best two times on bars. Stallings started out the season with three-straight 9.8s or better. In her career, the Raleigh, N.C. native has earned 18 scores of 9.8-plus and eight bars event championships.
BEAM
In the quad meet at Auburn, Temple earned a 47.450. Temple struggled on the beam, earning just one 9.700. The Smithtown, N.Y. Schugman scored a team best 9.700, while Sarah Stallings finished with a respectable 9.600.
Just two meets ago at home versus Towson, four of the six gymnasts scored a 9.825 or better, including the event winner Brooke Donabedian who scored a 9.875. Juniors Summer Ruskey, Madison Dorunda , and the senior Schugman added 9.825s.
After five meets in 2024, Schugman has been the Owls' most consistent gymnast on beam, averaging, 9.770. Schugman has scored 9.8 in three of the five meets, including picking up a win at West Virginia earlier in the season.
FLOOR
During the last time out on the floor at Auburn, Temple scored a 48.775 with each of its six gymnasts scoring 9.7 or better. Senior Renee Schugman led the team with a 9.825. Schugman's score marked the third straight meet, she scored a 9.8 or better.
The Owls have used the same six gymnasts on the floor all season which includes Hannah Stallings, Brooke Donabedian, Renee Schugman, Summer Ruskey, Payton Monk, and Madison Dorunda.
Temple's floor team put on its best performance of the season three weeks ago home versus Towson as it scored a 49.175, tying the score from a week earlier. During the meet, senior Brooke Donabedian led the team as she scored a 9.875. As a team, each of the six gymnasts scored at least a 9.800 or better. Highlighting that group, was 9.850s from freshman Payton Monk and junior Hannah Stallings. For Monk, it was the second time in meets she scored her career-benchmark, while Stallings earned her career-high for the first time.
The freshman Monk and the senior Donabedian have been the only two floor team members to score at least a 9.700 each time out this season. Monk has scored at least a 9.825 in three of the first five meets of the season, including putting together a 9.850 in back-to-back meets earlier this season.
Donabedian has also been a consistent performer on the event with three scores in at least the 9.8 range. Earlier this season at George Washington, the Maple Valley, Wash. native has scored a 9.900, the 10th of her career and her highest tally of the season. Just one week later at home against Towson, she earned her second floor event win this season, scoring a 9.875.
SCOUTING PENN
The Quakers gymnastics team sits on top of the Gymnastics East Conference with the highest average team score (194.471). Thus far in 2024, Penn has put together three scores of 195.000+, including its season high 195.550 at Yale on Jan. 28.
The Quakers earned a first-place finish at Towson on Friday night, earning a 194.550. Towson finished in front of Towson (194.225) and William & Mary (190.500) and then on Sunday, Penn finished in second place (193.750) to Cornell (194.125), but ahead of William and Mary (192.750) and Brideport (191.225).
Skyelar Kerico earned GEC Gymnast of the Week after she set two new career-best scores in the all-around last weekend. On Friday, the sophomore scored a 39.150 and then broke it again with a 39.225 on Sunday, tied for the second-best all-around score in program history.
Penn's best event this season is bars where they rank No. 47 (48.625) in the RoadtoNationals. Leading the way on the apparatus is Kerico who averages 9.833. Kerico has scored a 9.8 in each of the teams six meets. Last Friday at Towson, Kerico scored a 9.875, tying her career high.
Also in the top 50 of the nation's rankings is the vault team. The Quakers are currently No. 48 with a 48.738. Kiersten Belkoff is the teams' leader with a 9.813 average, but in just only two meets. Freshman Jordan Barrow is second on the team, averaging a 9.754, and has competed in all six meets. Barrow and Kerico tied for first place on Sunday on vault with a 9.825.
In other team RoadtoNational rankings, the Quakers' beam team ranks third in the GEC and 52nd in the country with a 48.304. Samantha Wu is the lone Quaker in the GEC top 10 where she averages, 9.719.
Likewise on the floor, the Quakers rank third in the GEC and 53rd in the nation with a 48.804. Emma Davies and Skyelar Kerico are in the conferences' top 10 with 9.808 and 9.800 averages, respectively.
UP NEXT
Temple will return to McGonigle Hall on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. ET with the Ken Anderson Invitational. During the meet, each of the Owls' gymnasts will display an important cause that has touched their lives. Following the meet will be a post meet autograph session with all of your favorite Temple gymnasts.
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.
ROAD TO THE NATIONALS
The Owls fell from 58th to 59th in the Road to Nationals rankings after Week 5 when they scored a 193.425 at the Auburn quad meet against the Tigers, Fisk, and Talladega. After five meets in 2024, Temple has averaged 193.515. Thus far, the Owls' best event after five meets is the floor exercise where they have averaged a 48.900 which the team 47rd in the nation. The other NQS national scores included Vault - 48.550 (58th), Bars - 48.265 (57th), Beam- 47.800 (68th).
VAULT
The Owls used nine gymnasts thus far this season on vault, with freshmen Hailey 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 last time out on the vault, Temple scored 48.650 in which four of the six gymnasts earned a 9.7 or better. Led by freshman Amelia Budd's career-high 9.800, senior Renee Schugman and junior Summer Ruskey earned 9.750s. Fellow senior Mackenzie Aresta rounded out the 9.7 scores with a 9.700.
Notably, Schugman has been the most consistent TU performer on vault, averaging 9.725 as she's earned a 9.7 or better in four of the five meets.
BARS
During their last time out during the Feb. 2 quad meet at Auburn, the Owls scored a season high 48.550. Junior Sarah Stallings and sophomore Emily Johnson led the bars squad with 9.775s. Fellow sophomore earned a career-best 9.750 and senior Cyrena Whalen rounded out the 9.7-scoring with a 9.725.
Thus far through five meets, junior Sarah Stallings has won a team-best two times on bars. Stallings started out the season with three-straight 9.8s or better. In her career, the Raleigh, N.C. native has earned 18 scores of 9.8-plus and eight bars event championships.
BEAM
In the quad meet at Auburn, Temple earned a 47.450. Temple struggled on the beam, earning just one 9.700. The Smithtown, N.Y. Schugman scored a team best 9.700, while Sarah Stallings finished with a respectable 9.600.
Just two meets ago at home versus Towson, four of the six gymnasts scored a 9.825 or better, including the event winner Brooke Donabedian who scored a 9.875. Juniors Summer Ruskey, Madison Dorunda , and the senior Schugman added 9.825s.
After five meets in 2024, Schugman has been the Owls' most consistent gymnast on beam, averaging, 9.770. Schugman has scored 9.8 in three of the five meets, including picking up a win at West Virginia earlier in the season.
FLOOR
During the last time out on the floor at Auburn, Temple scored a 48.775 with each of its six gymnasts scoring 9.7 or better. Senior Renee Schugman led the team with a 9.825. Schugman's score marked the third straight meet, she scored a 9.8 or better.
The Owls have used the same six gymnasts on the floor all season which includes Hannah Stallings, Brooke Donabedian, Renee Schugman, Summer Ruskey, Payton Monk, and Madison Dorunda.
Temple's floor team put on its best performance of the season three weeks ago home versus Towson as it scored a 49.175, tying the score from a week earlier. During the meet, senior Brooke Donabedian led the team as she scored a 9.875. As a team, each of the six gymnasts scored at least a 9.800 or better. Highlighting that group, was 9.850s from freshman Payton Monk and junior Hannah Stallings. For Monk, it was the second time in meets she scored her career-benchmark, while Stallings earned her career-high for the first time.
The freshman Monk and the senior Donabedian have been the only two floor team members to score at least a 9.700 each time out this season. Monk has scored at least a 9.825 in three of the first five meets of the season, including putting together a 9.850 in back-to-back meets earlier this season.
Donabedian has also been a consistent performer on the event with three scores in at least the 9.8 range. Earlier this season at George Washington, the Maple Valley, Wash. native has scored a 9.900, the 10th of her career and her highest tally of the season. Just one week later at home against Towson, she earned her second floor event win this season, scoring a 9.875.
SCOUTING PENN
The Quakers gymnastics team sits on top of the Gymnastics East Conference with the highest average team score (194.471). Thus far in 2024, Penn has put together three scores of 195.000+, including its season high 195.550 at Yale on Jan. 28.
The Quakers earned a first-place finish at Towson on Friday night, earning a 194.550. Towson finished in front of Towson (194.225) and William & Mary (190.500) and then on Sunday, Penn finished in second place (193.750) to Cornell (194.125), but ahead of William and Mary (192.750) and Brideport (191.225).
Skyelar Kerico earned GEC Gymnast of the Week after she set two new career-best scores in the all-around last weekend. On Friday, the sophomore scored a 39.150 and then broke it again with a 39.225 on Sunday, tied for the second-best all-around score in program history.
Penn's best event this season is bars where they rank No. 47 (48.625) in the RoadtoNationals. Leading the way on the apparatus is Kerico who averages 9.833. Kerico has scored a 9.8 in each of the teams six meets. Last Friday at Towson, Kerico scored a 9.875, tying her career high.
Also in the top 50 of the nation's rankings is the vault team. The Quakers are currently No. 48 with a 48.738. Kiersten Belkoff is the teams' leader with a 9.813 average, but in just only two meets. Freshman Jordan Barrow is second on the team, averaging a 9.754, and has competed in all six meets. Barrow and Kerico tied for first place on Sunday on vault with a 9.825.
In other team RoadtoNational rankings, the Quakers' beam team ranks third in the GEC and 52nd in the country with a 48.304. Samantha Wu is the lone Quaker in the GEC top 10 where she averages, 9.719.
Likewise on the floor, the Quakers rank third in the GEC and 53rd in the nation with a 48.804. Emma Davies and Skyelar Kerico are in the conferences' top 10 with 9.808 and 9.800 averages, respectively.
UP NEXT
Temple will return to McGonigle Hall on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. ET with the Ken Anderson Invitational. During the meet, each of the Owls' gymnasts will display an important cause that has touched their lives. Following the meet will be a post meet autograph session with all of your favorite Temple gymnasts.
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.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
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