About
Temple’s Advanced Sports Reporting class, part of the university’s Klein College of Media and Communication, reports stories in and around the city of Philadelphia on a variety of different digital platforms. The class is also one of several that is part of Klein’s newly-established Sports Media Certificate program.
Our Spring 2024 student staff
Hayden Bandel: A junior Media Studies and Production major pursuing Klein College’s Sports Media Certificate, Hayden is the sports director at WHIP Radio, was a Temple football beat reporter for TUTV’s Inside the Nest, and also anchored TUTV’s basketball show Courts in Session. He has gotten some professional experience as a play-by-play broadcaster and sideline reporter for ESPN+ at Lafayette College. He is also a peer mentor for the Klein courses Klein Rising and Introduction to Professional Development, in addition to being a part of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. He loves nothing more than expressing his opinions in the sports world and is a huge New York sports fan.
RJ Franceschini: A senior Journalism major from Vineland, New Jersey, RJ has worked diligently, covering sports for WHIP Radio as a beat writer and on-air personality. He has also worked as a freelance photographer for The Temple News and has published photos at WHYY. He has also had experience working with ESPN+ covering women’s basketball and volleyball, usually working in the studio and behind the camera. RJ has also spent three years as a forward for Temple’s club rugby team and hopes to bring more coverage on what many people would consider an obscure sport in the United States.
Jake Gabel: A senior Media Studies and Production major from Souderton, Pa, Jake is a television anchor and reporter for OwlSports Updates’ football show Inside the Nest and basketball show Courts In Session. Outside of television, Jake is a commentator for the Sports Fan Base Network and WHIP Radio commentating men’s and women’s basketball and football. Jake loves to combine two of his passions – sports and on-air reporting – and is pursuing a career in sports television.
Ryan Mack: A sophomore Journalism student who is completing the Sports Media Certificate at Temple’s Klein College, Ryan works at The Temple News as an assistant sports editor and is an intern at Temple’s Rivals affiliate, OwlScoop.com. Ryan also freelances at Temple’s student radio station WHIP. Ryan grew up in a passionate Pittsburgh sports fan family, so he decided to stray away from that and is an avid Boston sports fan.
Amarna Milne: A junior journalism major from Oxford, England, Amarna is a student-athlete on the Temple women’s rowing team. Alongside athletics, she is a keen writer with a passion for sports writing and magazine writing. Amarna is the social media coordinator for Temple’s Global Owls Club, a student-led organization supporting international student-athletes. She plans to stay in the United States after college to pursue a career in sports media.
Jaison Nieves: A sophomore Journalism major who is completing the Sports Media Certificate program at Temple’s Klein College, Jaison currently works as The Temple News‘ Sports Social Media Manager, as an intern with OwlScoop.com, and as the S.T.A.R.S representative for the Temple Association of Black Journalists. He is also a freelancer with WHIP Radio, hosting his own show R&B Now on Mondays. Jaison loves all sports but is especially fond of Premier League team Arsenal, which he hopes to work with in some capacity in the future.
Antonio Perez: Antonio is a senior journalism major with a focus in sports. He is also pursuing Klein College’s Sports Media Certificate. Perez spent the Fall of 2023 covering the Temple men’s soccer team for The Temple News. He also is the host of the Sideline Summit podcast that covers NFL and NBA news while providing analysis.
Our student staff from the Spring 2023 class
Taylor Hess: A senior Journalism major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Taylor is currently a Temple Update sports anchor, assistant director and reporter. Next semester, she will also become the Sports Producer for Temple Update. She is also the Guest Speaker Coordinator for the Sports Media Society for Women, as well as a media assistant for the Temple Ice Hockey Team. In previous semesters, she also was a reporter and camera operator for Owl Sports Update.
Morgan Killian-Moseley: A senior Media Studies and Production major who is also looking to complete the Sports Media Certificate program, Morgan is a 36-year-old non-traditional student from Lansdale who first attended Temple in 2005. He wants to honor his mother’s memory by making the most of his second chance and finishing what he started 17 years ago. Morgan has been on the call for multiple sports for WHIP Radio over his four semesters with the station. He takes pride in the fact he was on the call for WHIP when Mia Davis became Temple women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer, and that his play-by-play debut for WHIP was an overtime win for Temple field hockey that clinched them a spot in the Big East semifinals. He has also been part of OwlSports Update for three semesters, filling multiple roles for the program, and has written game recap articles for multiple sports for whipradiotu.com and Philadelphia Sports Digest. Morgan also occasionally takes part in Improv Club. Outside of Temple, Morgan works for HopeWorx, Inc. as part of Montgomery County’s Community Satisfaction Team that surveys people who use mental health services in order to find strengths and areas of improvement in those services. CST also leads MontCo’s Community Support Program (CSP), where Morgan served as treasurer for three years until returning to Temple. He also spent last summer as a statistics intern for the Nor-Gwyn Packers of the Perkiomen Valley Twilight Baseball League.
Declan Landis: A junior Journalism major from Elkton, Maryland, Declan is the Sports Director at WHIP Radio, the Senior Sports Writer at Templar, and a writer for The Temple News and OwlScoop.com, the Temple affiliate for Rivals.com and Yahoo! Sports. He is also a Peer Advisor at Klein College. An avid sports fan, Declan wants to tell the stories of people through the context of sports. He hopes to do this on a bigger stage through any medium, as he especially loves writing and being on the radio. He is also the biggest T.J. McConnell fan you’ll find.
Matt Rineer: A senior Media Studies and Production major, Matt is currently an anchor/reporter for OwlSports Update and Play by Play announcer for The Sports Fan Base Network (SFBN). Matt has spent the last years of his time at Temple trying to voice his opinions and stories on the world of sports through his work as a sports broadcaster. Matt has also interned at the Delmarva Sports Network and as a reporter for the Philadelphia Sports Digest. Matt is extremely passionate about football and ice hockey and hopes to have a long and fulfilling career as an on-air talent in any capacity in the world of sports media.
Jacob Smedley: A junior broadcast journalism student from Danville, Pennsylvania working toward Klein College’s Sports Media Certificate, Jacob has loved sports since a very young age. Between broadcasting midget football in high school to play-by-play for Temple football and men’s and women’s basketball, he has always loved to be in front of the microphone calling games. Jacob also is a producer for TUTV’s show OwlSports Update, which airs every Thursday at noon. His dream is to be a play-by-play broadcaster for FOX or ESPN calling Major League Baseball, NFL, or NBA games.
Giovanni Tecce: A senior journalism major from the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, Giovanni attended Roman Catholic High School and Loyola University in Maryland before transferring to Temple. An avid football, American football and basketball fan, Giovanni enjoys video games and spending time with friends and family when he’s not writing.
Ricky Turner: A senior journalism major at Temple, Ricky is currently involved with WHIP, Temple’s student-run radio station, and as a writer and broadcaster with TUTV’s OwlSports Update program. Upon graduating, he looks forward to getting a job in the sports media industry as a pre/half/post broadcaster with basketball or football or as a radio personality in a major sports city. He’s also a diehard Steelers fan and hopes to cover them or work with them in some capacity in the future.
Our student staff from the Spring 2022 class
Alexis Beckett: A senior Media Studies and Production major from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Alexis is currently a reporter, anchor, host and producer for Temple Update, Temple’s student-run news show. Alexis has spent the last four years trying to tell the stories of Temple athletes while pushing to humanize sports. Alexis is also an intern at NFL Films and a sideline reporter for the Sports Fan Base Network- a Philadelphia based production company. Alexis is most passionate about football and basketball and hopes to have a career as an on-air talent telling the important stories of those sports.
Owen Boyle: A junior Media Studies and Production major from Wilmington, Delaware, Owen is currently the Assistant Sports Director at WHIP Radio, Temple’s student-run radio station, where he has experience as a beat reporter, radio show host and play-by-play announcer. Owen also has an interest in the social media side of sports. He managed the WHIP Sports social media pages during his sophomore year and held a social media intern position with Perfect Game USA this past summer. Owen’s favorite sports are soccer and hockey, and he is a diehard Philadelphia Union fan. In his free time, Owen loves to cook, hang out with friends and play sports video games. His ultimate goal is to work in soccer as a sports content personality or broadcaster.
Mike Cornaglia: A junior Journalism student from South Philadelphia out of Roman Catholic High School, Cornaglia is an on-air personality for Temple’s student radio station, WHIP Radio, where he hosts Temple Sports Hour Tuesdays from 12-1 p.m. and co-hosts The Main Event Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. At 21, Cornaglia started as a co-host on WHIP’s Tuesday edition of Temple Sports Hour and filled in on other shows. He is also a Philadelphia Phillies contributor for Philly Sports Network. After joining in November 2021, Cornaglia finished top-five in the company’s rookie of the year voting. During his free time, Cornaglia enjoys anything having to do with baseball, a game he has loved since birth. He has aspirations to cover the Phillies and be in the broadcast booth calling their games. He also likes to spend time with his girlfriend in his free time.
Max Green: A junior Media Studies and Production major from West Orange, New Jersey, Max currently holds roles as a producer at OwlSports Update and an on-air host at WHIP, Temple’s student-run radio station. He has also worked as WHIP’s women’s soccer beat writer and as The Temple News‘ men’s and women’s Cross Country beat reporter. He hopes to continue to improve as a student in sports media and hopefully work in the field of sports media in the future.
Max Gretzula: Max is a Temple senior and a anchor and reporter for OwlSports Update. He has reported on multiple sports on campus, such as women’s basketball and field hockey. Max is also a co-host and producer at WHIP Radio, where he has worked on the pre, half and postgame shows for the station’s Temple men’s basketball coverage, and he has also been a weekly on-air personality on WHIP’s “Stadium Talk” show. Tune in on Mondays from 1-2 p.m. to hear Max and the show.
Sean McMenamin: A junior Communication Studies major, Sean currently writes for The Temple News, serves as a host on WHIP Radio’s sports shows, and serves a Philadelphia Union blogger for Philadelphia Sports Nation. Along with hosting radio shows, Sean has been a play-by-play commentator for Temple men’s soccer games and worked as a host on pre, half and postgame shows for Temple football and basketball for WHIP. Sean is a beat reporter for the men’s soccer and women’s gymnastics teams for The Temple News and has held this role for the past few seasons. He has always been an avid sports fan and enjoys sharing his knowledge and expertise with others through his writing. Sean grew up rooting for Philadelphia teams and has watched countless Philadelphia sports games over the years. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows on Netflix, hanging out with friends, and playing sports outside.
Luke Meli: A junior media studies and production major from Ocean City, New Jersey, Luke is an anchor at OwlSports Update. In addition to anchoring OwlSports Update, Luke works as a play-by-play broadcaster for WHIP Radio, TUICE Network, and Sports Fan Base Network. He is also a co-host at WHIP, Temple’s student-run radio station, on its weekly radio shows. He currently works as a gameday associate for the Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers G League affiliate, writing game recaps and select game previews for the website.
Cayden Steele: A junior journalism major from Lewes, Delaware, Cayden covers recruiting, football and basketball for OwlScoop.com, and he is also the Temple men’s basketball color commentator for WHIP, Temple’s student-run radio station. He has also worked at OwlSports Update. When not covering or watching sports, Cayden enjoys exploring Philadelphia.
Brandan Thomas: A junior journalism major, Thomas describes himself as a “fun-loving kid from South Philadelphia.” He is an avid writer and passionate NBA fan, someone who is looking to grow and improve in every sense of the word.
Greg Van Riper: Greg is a senior Journalism major originally from Pembroke, Massachusetts. He can be found on WHIP as an on-air personality on Wednesdays from 2-3 p.m. He’s a Navy Veteran that served as an Operations Specialist on the USS Stockdale (DDG-106) in San Diego, Greg has an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Massachusetts in 2008. His interests include sports, movies, music, food, writing, traveling and politics. He’s always looking to try new IPAs.
Miles West: Miles is a fifth-year senior from Cherry Hill, New Jersey majoring in journalism. Following two years in Fox, he realized journalism was a much better fit for his passion for writing and storytelling. Miles currently writes for College Magazine as an intern. After graduation in the spring, he hopes to land a role as a writer while studying for the LSATs. Long term, he hopes to pursue magazine journalism and ultimately wherever else journalism takes him.
Isaiah Wilbourn: Isaiah is a senior journalism major at Temple. In his young career, he has been a football beat writer at his high school’s newspaper and has also freelanced at The Temple News. In his spare time, Isaiah is an avid golfer and a diehard fan of Philadelphia sports.
Alex Zywalewski: Alex is a junior journalism major from Phoenixville. He spent his first two years at West Virginia University before ultimately transferring to Temple. He recently joined The Temple News staff and has published a few articles on a small blog. He is a huge basketball, baseball and soccer fan. In his free time, Alex enjoys playing video games and watching sports.
Our Fall 2021 produced stories covering issues like Name, Image and Likeness and Temple’s mental health resources for its student athletes.
Matthew Aquino – A senior journalism major who writes for The Temple News after starting as a freelancer in the fall of 2020, Aquino has also written for the Temple Update Sportsdesk and has produced for OwlSports Update in the past. When he’s not writing, you can find him going to concerts, watching sports, listening to music and binge-watching Netflix series.
Victoria Ayala – A senior neuroscience major from North Philadelphia, Victoria is currently working with The Temple News as the Assistant Sports Editor. She is using this class as a tool to improve her sports writing after serving as an assistant news editor at The Temple News during the 2020-21 academic year. She is a Philly sports fan and loves to combine her love for sports, writing and neuroscience. After college, she hopes to continue to medical school to become a neurologist who works with professional athletes in sports at high risk for head injuries, like football.
Jesse Dimich-Louvet – I am half- French, half-American and was born in Billings, Montana where I lived until the age of 12. I then moved to a bilingual school in Paris, France until the age of 16. After a lot of tough conversations and the potential excitement of playing high school sports, I moved back to Montana to finish off high school. Much of my time in high school was spent either playing or watching sports. I was fascinated with the promo videos that ESPN would make regarding the biggest events in sports and cultivated a passion for documentaries. I was the sports editor for our school newspaper, were I started my own blog. Despite my passion of wanting to play college tennis and winning the state title as a Sophomore, my potential was detected in another sport that I shared much less affinity for: cross country and track. During my senior year I was recruited to run cross country for some school in Philadelphia that was not Villanova but located on North Broad Street: Temple University. After a difficult freshman year during the pandemic, my interest for running faded and my passion for journalism and storytelling blossomed. I got involved with Owl Sports Update and The Temple News. This past summer I took the most difficult decision of my life, when I decided to trade in my shoes for even more textbooks with the excitement of learning all the phenomenal opportunities Klein had to offer. I don’t not know what the future holds but I am excited to take this next step in my journey.
Javon Edmonds – A junior Journalism major from Baltimore, Edmonds serves as the Programming Director for WHIP Radio, Temple’s student-run station. The 20-year-old got his start with WHIP as a co-host in WHIP’s sports department. During his sophomore year, Edmonds pitched the idea of and produced Around The American, a weekly social media show focusing on athletics in the American Athletic Conference. Starting off as a WHIP exclusive, the show had AAC commissioner Mike Aresco and ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi, a Klein alum, as hosts in its first season. Since then, the show has expanded to include student media from seven of The American’s 11 football-playing schools. Now, the junior interns as a staff writer for OwlScoop.com, Temple’s Yahoo!/Rivals affiliate. Edmonds also begins a Sports Programming internship with SiriusXM’s Fight Nation channel in 2022.
Ajay Patel –An aspiring sports media talent, Ajay wrapped up his first full year of college. Now a sophomore, Ajay has gotten involved with media outlets at Temple such as WHIP and OwlSports Update. Ajay is also a Klein College Peer Mentor and serves on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. On the weekends, you can find him checking out new food places, exploring the city, and hanging out with his friends.
Valerie Pendrak – Valerie is a sophomore Communication Studies major with a minor in sports management. Valerie grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated from William Tennent High School. She is a huge Philly sports fan and has been since the time she was old enough to listen to her father yelling at the television on a Sunday afternoon watching the Eagles. Valerie has grown up playing sports, especially swimming and basketball. Sports have modeled her into the person she is today, and she one day hopes to work as a part of a sports team’s non-profit helping others in need while continuing to support her love for sports.
Rymir Vaughn