Temple Claims First Ever ECAC DI Gymnastics Championship Title
Full Results
ITHACA, N.Y. - Temple University claimed its first ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Women's Gymnastics Championship Saturday.
The Owls totaled 194.75 points to take first place, hosted by Cornell University. Finishing in second place was Yale University with a team score of 194.4. Taking third place was the University of Pennsylvania with a team score of 193.925. Rounding out the field was host Cornell with a team score of 193.3, Brown University (192.225) and the College of William and Mary (192.025).
Freshman Ariana Castrence played a key role in Temple's first ever ECAC Title. Casterence won the all-around competition with a score of 39.175. She was joined by teammate Monica Servidio in claiming fourth place in the all-around with a score of 38.20. Jade Buford of Yale came in second in the all-around with a mark of 38.95 and William & Mary's Caroline Caponi captured third with a 38.425.
Servidio also added to Temples achievement with a first-place tie on the balance beam with Emma Firmstone of Yale University. The two earned a mark of 9.9. Other noted marks for Temple came on the uneven bars with Daisy Todd placing in a tie for third with a score of 9.8 with Brown's Mei Li Costa. Also on uneven bars Tori Edwards would tie for fifth with a score of 9.775.
Other highlights from the meet were host Cornell's Izzy Herczeg earning a 9.95 on floor, the highest score of any event on the day. The College of William and Mary had a second and third place finish on the floor with freshman Samantha Sakti taking second with a 9.9 and Aaliyah Kerr scoring a 9.875 to take third. Cornell also had the vault champion, Sara Maughan, with a score of 9.825. The second place finish on vault was Temple's Jaylene Everett winning the silver medal with a score of 9.8 to aid in the teams championship victory. Brown and Pennsylvania tied for first on uneven bars with Kate Nelson and Allison Frommer scoring a 9.825.
During the awards ceremony, the ECAC handed out yearly individual honors, as voted on by the head coaches.
Yale's Jade Buford and Temples Monica Servidio, take home Co-Athletes of the Year. This marks the second consecutive athlete of the year award for Buford after winning Co-Rookie of the Year in 2017. Temple picked up two other major awards with India Anderson winning Specialist of the Year and Ariana Castrence winning Rookie of the Year.
Additionally, four student-athletes were selected as ECAC Division I Women's Gymnastics Scholar-Athletes of the Year for their academic achievements. The four award winners are Emma Hansen of Brown, Kelsey Kurfirst of Cornell, Lyanda Dudley of Cornell and Madison Dwyer of William & Mary. This marks the third consecutive year that Kurfirst wins the award to end her Cornell career. It also marks the second consecutive year that Dwyer wins the accolade.
Co-Athletes of the Year
Monica Servidio - Temple University, So.
Jade Buford - Yale University, Jr.
Specialist of the Year
India Anderson - Temple University, Sr.
Rookie of the Year
Ariana Castrence - Temple University, Fr.
Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Emma Hansen - Brown University, So.
Kelsy Kurfirst - Cornell University, Sr.
Lyanda Dudley - Cornell University, Sr.
Madison Dwyer - The College of William & Mary, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Josh Nilson - Temple University
Assistant Coach of the Year
Rachel Inniss- Temple University
ABOUT THE ECAC
Established in 1938, the ECAC is the nation's largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. The ECAC hosts numerous championships in men's and women's sports across Divisions I, II and III, offering opportunities for thousands of student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.
STAY CONNECTED
Stay updated on the latest news, championships and more by connecting with the ECAC on
Facebook (ECACSports),
Twitter (@ECACSports) and
Instagram (@ECACSports).