TWU gymnast Courtney Arno to be back competing in 2008

by PegNews wire

Courtney Arno, one of the most highly decorated student-athletes in the history of the TWU gymnastics program, will compete for the Pioneers during the team’s 2008 season.

Arno, who has been an integral member of the TWU team for the last three seasons (2005, 2006, 2007), has one year of NCAA athletic eligibility remaining because a serious knee injury forced her to redshirt the 2004 season while she was a freshman at Utah State University.

After weighing her options during the initial months of the off-season, Arno determined that she wanted to wear a TWU leotard for one more year.

“I’ve really enjoyed my first three seasons as a TWU gymnast,” she said. “I love my teammates, coaches, and the tradition of excellence associated with the program. I’m excited to be coming back for my final year.”

TWU head gymnastics coach Frank Kudlac is thrilled to have Arno as a member of his squad for another season.

“Courtney has developed into a really high-level collegiate gymnast over the last three years. She is one our leaders, both in and out of the gym, and I expect her to play a huge role in any success that we have as a team in 2008,” he explained.

Arno enjoyed a tremendous 2007 campaign for the Pioneers. She competed three events for TWU throughout the season - bars, beam, and floor. Her top event was bars, and she tied her own school record on the apparatus with a 9.925 score on March 10.. Additionally, she tied for fifth on the event at the 2007 NCAA South Central Regional Championship on April 14. On April 21, she won the 2007 USA Gymnastics (USAG) Uneven Bars National Championship (pictured at left). The national championship was the second of her career. She claimed the 2006 USAG Balance Beam National Championship a year earlier. For her outstanding efforts last season, Arno was honored as a first-team USAG All-American (on bars and beam), an All-Midwest Independent Conference first-team member (on bars) and the Midwest Independent Conference Senior of the Year. She also received two academic honors last year as she was named a USAG Scholar Athlete and chosen for the All-Midwest Independent Conference Scholastic Team.

Arno graduated on May 12 of this year with her bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing. She will continue her studies at TWU during the coming year as a member of the school’s MBA program. Additionally, she will serve as an administrative assistant at the prestigious TWU Leadership Institute and work under the direction of Major General Mary Saunders, the Executive Director of the Leadership Institute. Major General Saunders is counting on Arno to be a valuable member of her staff.

“Courtney is an outstanding individual who will be a great asset to us as we build the Institute’s backbone here at TWU,” stated Saunders.

Arno will be a very busy woman during the coming school year at TWU. In addition to her responsibilities as a gymnast, a student, and a staff member at the Leadership Institute, she will also be stepping into a new role as a wife. She will marry Talon Templet in a ceremony on Saturday, July 14, at the Trophy Club Country Club.

“I’m at an amazing point in my life,” she said. “I’m about to be married to a wonderful man, and I’ve got the opportunity to continue both my athletic and educational careers at TWU. Things couldn’t be better for me right now!”

For additional details, please contact the TWU Sports Information Office at (940) 898 - 2373.

Source: TWU