Texas Woman’s gymnastics chooses 2007-08 captains

by PegNews wire

Seniors Courtney Arno-Templet and Nicole Poling will serve as the team captains for the 2008 Texas Woman’s University gymnastics team.

Each season, the Pioneers’ team captains are determined through a team-wide voting process. Frank Kudlac, TWU’s head gymnastics coach, feels that his squad made two excellent choices in Arno-Templet and Poling.

“Courtney and Nicole are leaders both in and out of the gym. They’ve had success here at TWU, and they know what our program is all about. I expect them to set the tone for the way this team performs this season,” he explained.

Arno-Templet will be a TWU team captain for the third consecutive season. A native of Coppell, Texas, she is one of the most highly-decorated gymnasts in the 30-year history of the Pioneers’ program. Last season, she won the 2007 USA Gymnastics (USAG) National Championship on the uneven bars. In 2006, she claimed the USAG National Championship on balance beam. She is also a three-time (2005-2007) first-team USAG All-American on bars and beam and the winner of the 2005 Mari-Rae Soper Award winner, an honor presented annually to a female gymnast in recognition of their passion, dedication, and devotion to the spirit of gymnastics. Arno-Templet received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from TWU in May of this year. She is currently enrolled in the school’s MBA program and working as an administrative assistant at the prestigious TWU Leadership Institute.

Poling has competed on every event for the Pioneers - vault, beam, bars, and floor - during her first three years as a TWU gymnast. Last season, she was an All-Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) second-team selection on both vault and floor. In 2006, she was an All-MIC second team choice on vault, beam, and floor. Poling, a biology major who will graduate from TWU in May 2008, has also received USAG, MIC, and National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics/Women academic honors over the course of her career.

Arno-Templet, Poling, and the rest of the TWU gymnastics team will open their 2008 season with an Intrasquad meet on Friday, December 7, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in Kitty Magee Arena. The Pioneers will begin regular season competition on Friday, January 4, 2008, when they compete at the Cancun Classic in Cancun, Mexico.

Source: TWU