BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer
The RBC girls gymnastics team wrapped up its near-perfect season this past weekend with a second-place finish in the state championships Saturday at Rutgers University.
The team finished with a regular season record of 14-0, and also secured a second-place finish at the recent Shore Conference Tournament behind Colts Neck.
“We had a great meet this past weekend,” said coach Maureen Sutphen, whose Caseys finished behind defending champion Bishop Ahr, 110.1-109.725. “We just missed first place. With such a young team I’m so proud.”
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Beate Jones (above) and Julia Carpenter were among the many RBCgymnasts that helped the Caseys put together a memorable season this fall. During the season the team was led by a trio of senior captains, who not only helped their teammates, but their coach as well. Jenn Merezio, Kelly Bain and Amanda Grohl stepped up in their fourth season on the varsity level to propel this young team to its highly successful campaign.
“These are real great girls who have been with me since the beginning,” said the coach. “With no assistant coach and a big team, they stepped up and played a big role in guiding the team and bringing the team together.”
The Caseys saw a great deal of talent and depth from their underclassmen, and according to Sutphen, the team’s second-place finish in the state tournament can be attributed to the team’s freshmen and sophomores.
Leading the team this season was sophomore Beate Jones, who finished the season with Shore Conference all-around title, and went on to finish third in the state finals with 37.725 points. Ridgewood’s Chelsea Steinberg was the AA champ with 38.475 points, followed by Elizabeth’s Tiffany Lewis (37.8).
“She’s [Jones] our top all-around gymnast on the team,” said Sutphen. “She’s a great kid with a tremendous work ethic. She’s a fabulous gymnast who’s a pleasure to work with.”
Jones took second on the beam (9.6), vault (9.6) and floor (9.5), and was 15th on the uneven bars (9.025) en route to her second place in the AA.
Freshmen Kristin Cahn, Julia Carpenter and Ainsley Keating showed great promise as well while competing in the state finals. Cahn finished 12th in the vault (9.4) and 13th on the beam (9.15) en route to a 13th-place finish in the all-around (36.425), while Carpenter and Keating had strong outings as well, propelling the team to the top of the pack.
“These girls fit right into the team this year,” said the coach. “They worked real hard for what they got, and I’m really proud of what they did.”
The team’s memorable season can also be attributed to junior Nicole Whesper, and sophomores Alexis Meante, Lauren D’Alessio and Gina Fontes.
“Nicole stepped up this year and had a great season,” said Sutphen. “They all around worked wonderfully together and supported each other throughout the season.”
With the majority of the team returning for next season, Coach Sutphen is looking forward to a bright future with this young team. She is more than happy with the results of this season, and is sure to have many to come.
“We just missed first place, and I am so proud of what this team has done,” said Sutphen. “We’re all looking forward to 2005, and we hope to have an even more successful year.”
Ocean Township’s Kim Black also enjoyed her trip to Rutgers on Saturday, finishing third in the vault (9.575).