St. Thomas Aquinas Secures Historic 21st New Jersey Gymnastics Sectional Title
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st. Thomas Aquinas High School cemented its dynasty in New Jersey high school gymnastics, claiming its fourth consecutive Section B Championship and an unprecedented 21st overall title. The Trojans finished with a commanding score of 112.65 at their home facility in Edison, solidifying their position as the premier program in the Garden State.
Dominance Displayed at Sectionals
The victory wasn’t simply about winning; it was about continuing a legacy. According to the team’s head coach, Brant Lutska, the achievement is a testament to the dedication of the athletes. “It’s not something that I win, it’s something that they’ve done because they worked so hard to get here,” Lutska stated. He emphasized the immediate focus on preparation for the upcoming state championships.
Bridgewater-Raritan secured second place with a score of 106.325, followed closely by Marlboro with 104.95. However, the day unequivocally belonged to St. Thomas Aquinas.
Moore Leads the Charge
Senior Supriyha Moore spearheaded the Trojans’ success, delivering a stellar performance that underscored her status as a First Team all-State selection. Moore captured the all-around title with a score of 38.1, and also excelled in the vault (9.6) and floor exercise (9.85).Earlier in the season,she repeated as the GMC all-around champion,earning gold medals in bars,floor,and vault with a score of 38.125.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s really fun simultaneously occurring,” Moore said.”I just try to go out there and do my best.”
Cerchio’s Contribution
Junior Gianna Cerchio also played a pivotal role in the Trojans’ victory. “I’ve learned that hard work pays off,” Cerchio added. “I put a lot of time in, and it just feels great to win this big title for our team.”
Looking Ahead to the State Championships
Lutska outlined a straightforward strategy for the State Championships: consistency and execution. “Be consistent and hit your events,” he advised. “We knew this wasn’t the final meet, so if we made a couple of errors, it was okay, but we knew coming out of this meet we would decide what we needed to work on for the state championship.”
st. Thomas Aquinas will be joined at the State Championships by Middletown South (section C winner),Hillsborough (Section D winner),and Mount Olive (Section A winner). Additional qualifiers include St. John Vianney, Brick, Scotch plains-Fanwood, and Lenape.
Individual Standouts
Beyond Moore and Cerchio, several gymnasts delivered noteworthy performances.Sofia Bertocci of St. Thomas aquinas finished second in the vault with a 9.425, while Alison Lardieri of Bridgewater-Raritan earned the third-best score (9.35). Kylie Devincenzo of Pascack Hills posted the highest score of the day on the bars with a 9.325,followed by Lardieri (9.3) and Moore (9.25). Julianna During achieved an individual-high score of 9.65 on the beam, with Moore (9.4) and Bertocci (9.35) close behind.
Changes to Qualifying Procedures
This season saw adjustments to the sectional tournament format. The winning team from each section automatically qualifies for the Team Championships, scheduled for next Thursday at brick Memorial. The four highest-scoring teams across all sections, excluding the first-place finishers, will also advance to the state meet.
Notably, individual qualification for the Individual Championships, to be held next Saturday at Brick Memorial, has shifted. Gymnasts can no longer automatically qualify based on their sectional placement.Instead, qualifying will be steadfast by a gymnast’s top three scores from the regular season and sectionals, with an all-around requirement of two scores of 35.5 or higher.
