Several of Temple’s non-revenue teams are nearing the end of their spring campaigns as the academic year draws to a close. Some still have a few competitions left before chasing hardware, while others have the opportunity to win a trophy sooner rather than later.
Here’s what to know about each spring team’s season as some pursue adding trophies or titles to the record books before summer begins.
LACROSSE
Temple Lacrosse bounced back after a disappointing 2023 season by clinching a return to the American Athletic Conference Tournament, and the Owls will play James Madison in the first round on May 2. The Owls started the season on a four-game win streak, their longest to open a season since 2013, but lost three of their next four games.
Temple got hot in conference play, defeating Vanderbilt on March 16, East Carolina on March 23 and Old Dominion on March 30 before clinching its spot against Cincinnati on April 13.
Several players have stood out, and Belle Mastropietro has continued to etch her mark in Temple’s history. The midfielder leads the Owls in goals and points with one game remaining in the regular season. Defender Katie Shallow has anchored the Owls’ back line, ranking second in the country in caused turnovers per game.
Temple will face No. 10 Florida on April 27 before the conference tournament kicks off. The Owls will look to get their first win in the AAC tournament since beating No. 18 UMass in 2021.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Temple Women’s Tennis boasted two nationally ranked duos last season with Jamie Wei and Maiko Uchijima as well as Veronika Kulhava and Evie Wei. This season, the Owls were without half of each tandem when Kulhava transferred to Kansas State and Jamie graduated.
Samford transfer Samantha Nanere partnered with Uchijima, and the pair advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA Fall National Championships in November. The fall success gave the Owls optimism, but the latter half of the season was plagued with inconsistencies.
Temple lost its first two games to start the spring before rattling off six straight wins behind the likes of Uchijima and Wei. The Owls’ good fortune ended, and they lost six of their final nine games.
Temple faced UAB in the opening round of the AAC tournament on April 17. Nanere and Uchijima were able to pick up the first victory of the day in doubles, but Temple lost the next two matches.
Uchijima’s success translated to singles play where she and Jessie Zheng both won their matches. However, no other Owl got in the win column, and Temple’s season came to an end with a 4-2 loss.
MEN’S TENNIS
Temple Men’s Tennis was on a tear last season, picking up 16 straight wins before bowing out in the AAC Tournament to the eventual conference-winner SMU. The Owls expected to build on their success when 2024 rolled around.
Instead, they fell flat, losing three of their first four games en route to their worst record since the 2012-13 campaign. The Owls’ biggest problem was getting wins away from North Broad Street, finishing just 2-9 in road meets this season.
Dante Russo and Erden Er led the squad as they traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to face No. 64 Charlotte on April 18 in the AAC Tournament as an underdog looking for an upset. However, the Owls’ season came to an end after the 49ers swept every match for a decisive 4-0 victory.
CREW
Temple Crew entered the season ranked No. 23 in the nation, and the Owls showed why by sweeping all five of their races against Marietta and Mercyhurst to win the Michael Quinn Cup on March 23.
They continued to earn awards, taking down No. 24 Colgate on April 6 and claiming the Murphy Cup for their second trophy. Temple has finished with strong times against ranked opponents, including No. 13 Boston University, No. 17 Drexel, No. 18 Georgetown and No. 23 Holy Cross.
But the Owls still have several big events to close out its season. They’ll be racing on the Schuylkill for the first time this spring on April 27 at the Bergen Cup Regatta. The team will also compete in the Dad Vail Regatta on May 10 and the IRA Nationals event starting May 31.
ROWING
Temple Rowing followed up its 2023 campaign with an even stronger 2024 so far. The Owls started their schedule at the Doc Hosea Regatta on March 30 and began to pick up momentum at the George Washington Invite on April 12 and 13.
Then, the Owls picked up some hardware, as the Second Varsity 8 team won the program’s first Kerry Cup since 2016 on April 20. They beat Drexel by three seconds in the grand final to take home the trophy.
Temple has several competitions remaining this season, including the Kelly Cup on April 27, the Dad Vail Regatta from May 10-11 and the AAC Championships on May 12.
OTHER UPDATES
Temple Golf had a bit of an up-and-down year, having its best showing in the form of a fourth-place finish at the East Carolina Intercollegiate meet on March 19. However, the Owls finished tied for 10th in the AAC Championship on April 21 as Ethan Whitney tied for eighth among all competitors.
Track and Field is set to compete in the Penn Relays, which began April 25, before heading to San Antonio, Texas, for the AAC Championships from May 10-12.
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