Temple Owls Set For High-Stakes Gymnastics And Track Weekend

The city of Philadelphia is buzzing with anticipation as the Temple Owls prepare for a pivotal weekend packed with high-stakes collegiate competition. On Friday night, Temple University will host a quad gymnastics meet at McGonigle Hall, welcoming George Washington University, Penn, and Texas Woman’s University to the mat. Meanwhile, the women’s indoor track and field squad is heading north to New York City for the Dr. Sander Columbia Scorcher, a two-day event at the Armory Track & Field Center featuring top programs from across the country. Both teams are eager to showcase their progress and resilience as the 2026 season heats up.

For Temple gymnastics, this meet is more than just another date on the schedule—it’s a chance to measure themselves against stiff competition and continue their climb back to national prominence. The Owls haven’t captured an East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) title or qualified for NCAA regionals since 2021, but there’s a fresh sense of optimism in the gym. Head coach Hilary Steele, now in her third season at the helm, is steering the program through a significant roster overhaul. After graduating six seniors last spring, Temple now fields a youthful squad with just one senior, Reese DeHaan, anchoring the lineup.

Steele’s approach this year has been all about cultivating chemistry and shared leadership. Rather than naming team captains, she’s encouraged every gymnast to have a voice, no matter their class standing or experience. “This year as a team, we are very invested, the team culture feels great and a lot of us are really bought into the common goal,” said Robyn Dunne, one of four returning all-EAGL performers. “As a whole, there is no sense of class being relevant in being leaders. A lot of people are comfortable speaking up and participating or giving their opinion.”

The Owls finished last season with an 11-18 record, but showed progress by jumping two spots to finish second in the EAGL standings. That upward trajectory has continued into 2026. Temple opened the season at the Rutgers Meet on January 4, finishing second out of three teams. The squad then traveled to Gainesville, Florida, on January 9, where they faced national powerhouses Florida, North Carolina, and West Virginia and emerged with a 1-2 record. But it was the home opener on January 17 that really turned heads: the Owls notched a season-high score of 194.150 to defeat Long Island University, a performance that sent a jolt of confidence through the team.

“Our goal for this year is, we want to be at regionals, so every single all-around score is going to be important,” said DeHaan, Temple’s lone senior. “Even if we lose to a major team like Florida, if we get a higher all-around score than we usually do, we’re going to be excited about that.”

Steele has leaned heavily on preseason intersquad competitions to accelerate the development of her nine freshmen, mixing and matching lineups to see where newcomers and returners alike might excel. The results have been promising. Freshman Ava Sutphen scored an impressive 9.8 on bars in her collegiate debut at Rutgers, while Brooklyn Thomas has already proven her versatility by contributing across multiple events. “I think during preseason, working on that so frequently, putting them in intersquad situations, not being in our own gym and just making it not a big deal to them,” Steele explained. “The more we emphasize that you are a new person in the lineup, the scarier it can be, but just acting like they are expected to be there and not making it a big deal for them.”

The Owls’ depth is further bolstered by the return of all-EAGL honorees Kyrstin Johnson, Hannah Weklar, Megan White, and Dunne. DeHaan, who has grown from a quiet freshman into a vocal leader, is quick to credit her teammates for stepping up in support. “I don’t really feel like the only senior, we have a bunch of juniors and they all step into roles that maybe I don’t fill or I can just lean on them when I have a question,” she said. “I think in preseason, we were all a bit nervous, who’s going to go in these lineups, who’s going to step up and fill these roles, but freshmen and sophomores alike have stepped into those spots.”

As Temple prepares to host Friday’s quad meet at 6 p.m.—streamed live on ESPN+ and Virtius—the competition promises to be fierce. George Washington University arrives after finishing third at their home-opening invitational with a 191.375, highlighted by event victories from Deana Sheremeta on beam and all-around, and Maya Peters on floor. Penn, who bested GW at the Lindsey Ferris Invitational with a 194.075, brings their own momentum. Texas Woman’s University rounds out the field after recently hosting Denver and Arizona, with Denver posting a meet-high 195.275. For Temple, matching or exceeding their home opener score of 194.150 could signal that this young team is ready to challenge for postseason honors.

Meanwhile, the Temple women’s track and field team is set for a marathon of its own at the Dr. Sander Columbia Scorcher. With 20 athletes competing across 14 events, the Owls will test their mettle against a who’s who of collegiate track: Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, Oregon, Washington State, and many more. The meet kicks off Friday at 9:30 a.m. and continues Saturday, offering Temple’s squad a valuable chance to build early-season momentum.

Temple’s lineup is stacked with talent and versatility. In the jumps, Emelie Beckman, Kamryn Ohm, and Reece Sullivan will contest the pole vault, while Aly Doyle and Smilla Ranebro take on the long and high jumps. Shalisha Robertson will double up in the triple jump and shot put, and Inara Shell is set for both long jump and triple jump. On the track, Janae Pettaway and Lila Ziegler headline the sprints, with Briyel Brown, Kei-Mahri Hanna, Grace Hickman, Mariah Jameson, and Chloe Smith targeting the 400m. The 800m will see Laila Cottom, Emilie Creighton, and Dagny Shiffler in action, while Rian Johnson tackles the mile. Amelia Sabatino and Rose Tuomisto eye the 5,000m, and Temple will field a 4x400m relay team as well as a Distance Medley Relay (DMR) for the first time this season. The DMR, a grueling 4,000m race split among four runners, will test the Owls’ depth and tactical savvy.

After a jam-packed weekend, the track and field team will return home for the Penn Invitational at the Ott Center in South Philadelphia on January 30, offering another opportunity to fine-tune performances ahead of the heart of the indoor season.

As the weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on Temple’s gymnasts and track athletes to see if their hard work and revamped team cultures can translate into results. With a blend of youthful exuberance and experienced leadership, both squads are determined to keep raising the bar—one routine, one race at a time.