By: Rich Fisher
Some things never change.
When Erika Perjesy was setting school records at South Brunswick High in the mid-1990’s, Bishop Ahr was the team to beat in Greater Middlesex Conference gymnastics.
When Perjesy and her assistants guide the Vikings into today’s (Thursday’s) meet against the Trojans, they are still the team to beat a decade later.
"I don’t think there’s anyone beating Bishop Ahr," Perjesy said. "I saw their scores the other day, they’re scoring like a 109.
"Our goal is just to do the best we can do, regardless of what scores they can get, regardless of what they can do. Whether you’re setting a personal goal of qualifying for sectionals or just staying on the beam, all we ask is you do the best you can."
The Vikings enter the meet having been off from competition for a week. Their last meet was a 98.025 to 69.55 win over Piscataway last Thursday, which raised their record to 4-1.
Although their team score was not one of their better ones, the Vikings had little trouble with the Chiefs, taking top three finishes in all four events. Becca Castagnola won vault (8.4) and was second in bars (7.875) and beam (8.125), Carissa Macay won bars (8.6) and took second in vault (8.3) and floor (8.4), Lisa Bondi won beam (8.2) and was third on vault (8.2) and floor (8.4), and Chrissy Saragnese was second on vault (8.3) and floor (8.4) and third on beam (7.525).
"Marisa Liptak could not compete, and I actually took Carissa and Becca off all-around just to give the other girls an extra chance to compete and to qualify for a varsity letter and the state sectionals," Perjesy said. "Almost everybody got to compete in one event, that was nice to see."
Other results against Piscataway were: vault (Rachel Thompson, 7.7, Courtney Johnson, 7.6), bars (Nikki Kaytus, 3.4, Arielle Lopez, 3.25), beam (Chelsea Reilly, 6.9, Ali Schwartz, 5.975), floor (Michelle Davies, 7.95, Jess Attardo, 7.625).
The win left the Vikings at 4-1 as they enter today’s big meet. South Brunswick may get another of its walking wounded back for the Trojans, as Sarah Caputo is likely to return on bars.
"It could be very interesting," Perjesy said. "We didn’t have Sarah or Chrissy at the Pioneer Classic (won by Bishop Ahr). It will be interesting to see how those two will replace the scores that we had, considering we had a great meet at the Pioneer."
The coach added there should not be any extra pressure on the Vikings in this meet, only added excitement.
"It’s real important that the girls just stick together," Perjesy said. "It’s great to show another team you’re equal to them, that you can score those scores, but it’s not all about that.
"Everybody knows Bishop Ahr is a great school. Our girls don’t feel intimidated, and they shouldn’t. It’s all about good sportsmanship and having a good time performing while the other team watches you perform."
Speaking of good sportsmanship, Caputo and Ellise Kaplowitz have been attending practice sessions despite being sidelined with injuries.
"They’re giving the girls extra support," Perjesy said. "They’ve been giving suggestions. It’s like having a mentor in the gym, because the girls look up to them, so it’s important they have a presence at practice."
Kaplowitz may actually return from foot surgery earlier than expected. She gets her cast off on Sunday.
"Depending on how things go with orthopedics and physical therapy, she may be able to do bars in one of our last few meets or the GMC’s," Perjesy said. "She really, really, really wants to compete, so we’re hoping for something magical to happen."
BACKFLIPS: It has been made official that South Brunswick will host the Greater Middlesex Conference meet on Oct. 20 . . . the Vikings have tentatively added two far-away meets to the schedule (after losing one when Sayreville shut down its program). South is scheduled to visit Montclair on Tuesday and go to Southern Regional (just over the bridge from Long Beach Island) next Friday . . . Perjesy can’t say enough about the job her assistants, Mindy Galella and Danielle Fiorentino, have done. "They are great assistants and they don’t get enough credit," Perjesy said. "It’s all of us coaching, not just me." . . . Saragnese qualified for state sectionals in vault, andneeds one more qualifying score for floor and beam. Bondi has missed qualifying for floor by .1 point her last two attempts.
