Temple Men's Gymnastics Places Second In Team Finals At West Point Open
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Temple men's gymnastics team opened the 2011 season with a second place finish at the West Point Open, combining for a team score of 329.700 only being topped by powerhouse Penn State (348.400). The Owls were led by a third place all-around finish from senior Adam Al-Rokh, who along with the rest of the squad will be competing for individual titles tonight at 7:00 p.m.
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Temple men's gymnastics team opened the 2011 season with a second place finish at the West Point Open, combining for a team score of 329.700 only being topped by powerhouse Penn State (348.400). The Owls were led by a third place all-around finish from senior Adam Al-Rokh, who along with the rest of the squad will be competing for individual titles tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Host Army placed third with a team total of 320.000, followed by Navy (319.600), Springfield (319.400) and Brockport (263.600).
Al-Rokh, who missed last season due to injury, looks to be back to fine form. The Bensalem, Pa. native turned in an all-around score of 81.600, which included a second place finish on pommel horse (13.600). Also faring well all-around was junior Chris Mooney, who tallied 80.700 for fourth place.
Mooney led the Owls on vault, placing second (15.600) on the apparatus and being edged by Penn State's Francisco Vasquez for first (15.700). Senior Scott Bloomfield backed Mooney's efforts, scoring 15.500 for fourth place. Also placing in the top eight were sophomore Brett Statman (6th, 15.400) and junior Evan Burke (7th, 15.400).
Al-Rokh and senior Patrick McLaughlin were the lone top-eight finishers on pommel horse for the Owls. McLaughlin, also making a steady return from a 2010 season ending injury, posted a score of 13.000 for eighth place.
Penn State dominated the rings, with finshers in the first five spots. Al-Rokh represented Temple in the top eight, placing sixth with a score of 14.400. Mooney was the next best finisher, posting a score of 13.600.
On high bar, a familiar face from last season led the Owls. Sophomore Allan Malone, coming off of a sensational freshman campaing, placed second on the apparatus with a score of 14.400.
The Owls struggled on floor, with the top finisher Mooney turning in a score of 13.700 to place 13th. Al-Rokh and freshman John Leonard posted identical scores of 13.500.
Sophomore Alex Tighe, another gymnast who had a stellar freshman debut, turned in a fourth place finish for the Owls on parallel bars with a score of 14.300. Mooney finished in the top eight for the Owls as well, scoring 13.900.
Temple wraps up its time in West Point with the individual competition tonight, slated for 7:00 p.m.