Feb. 17, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's gymnastics team and first-year head coach Aaron Murphy placed fourth on Saturday afternoon in the six-team Shelli Calloway Towson Invitational. Towson, winners as hosts in 19 of the last 22 invitationals, placed first with a score of 193.500 followed by Cornell (189.575) and Penn (187.700). The Owls (186.825) bested Ursinus (186.775) and James Madison (185.175) while falling to 6-8 overall.
The Cherry and White's best individual performances came from sophomore Christine McNeill, and seniors Noelle Moore and Sarah Liebowitz. McNeill, ranked eighth among all ECAC competitors on the uneven bars (9.500), bested her season average with a 9.700 en route to a fourth place finish. Moore, ranked second in the ECAC in the floor exercise entering today's meet, tallied a third place score of 9.775. In Liebowitz's first all-around role of the season, the senior co-captain finished sixth with a 37.275.
Temple's best team performance came on the vault with an overall score of 47.650. The Owls were paced by five scores of 9.000 or better from senior Jillian Kornett (9.625), junior Desiree Meredith (9.550), freshman Tiffany Shepherd (9.525), junior Nicole Catrambone (9.475) and Liebowitz (9.475).
The Owls were led in the floor exercise, with a team score of 47.200, by Moore and followed by sophomore Nikki Berrian (9.375), freshman Tiffany Shepherd (9.500) and Liebowitz (9.375).
Moore led the way on the balance beam with a team-high 9.500 as the Cherry and White posted a 46.425 team score. Liebowitz and Shepherd each chipped in with scores of 9.350 while Kornett tallied a 9.300.
McNeill's team-high 9.700 on the uneven bars was followed by sophomore Natasha Crawford's 9.100 and Liebowitz's 9.075. The Owls' team score of 45.550 was an afternoon-low.
The Owls remain on the road Friday night, February 23 for a 7:00 p.m. dual-meet at Maryland.
