HHS gymnasts qualify for states again

Big floor show earns team No. 3 seed

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   FLEMINGTON — A solid start and fabulous finish propelled the Hillsborough High gymnastics team to a second-place finish in Saturday’s Central Section 2 Championships at Hunterdon Central. The Raiders set a school post-season record with 110.7 points to qualify for the NJSIAA Championships for the seventh straight year.
   HHS head coach Beth Murrin, who will lead the Raiders to the state finals for the sixth consecutive season, was thrilled with her team’s early execution and late recovery from bad breaks in the middle of the meet. The Raiders started with a solid effort on vault but stumbled a bit on the uneven bars and balance beam. Those falls became a distant memory after the HHS girls delivered some knockout routines on the floor exercise to leave Central on a high note.
   "They started out awesome but I’m really proud of the way they came back at the end," Murrin said.
   Murrin gave her girls a little pep talk after a low team score on beam took Hillsborough out of the team title chase. Bishop Ahr, the defending state champ and heavy favorite to repeat this weekend, had moved comfortably in front. Murrin simply wanted to remind the Raiders that there was still plenty to accomplish.
   The NJSIAA format allows 10 teams to qualify for the state finals – five sectional champions and the next five highest team scores. Although HHS has qualified the past seven years, it has done so as a wild card runner-up six times, including the past four seasons. Hillsborough has been stuck behind Bishop Ahr the past few years but is the only other team in state history to compile more than 113 points in a meet.
   "We had to make sure we qualify so we can give them another run next week," Murrin said. "We’re amazing on floor and we had to move forward and show what we can do. It wasn’t just about winning today. We didn’t want the season to end today. We wanted another week. They responded."
   Four HHS competitors scored well over 9.0 on floor and the team came close to a school record. Senior Lauren Watts, who saw her chances for the sectional all-around title disappear after falling off the beam, soared back into the spotlight with an electrifying floor routine that yielded a 9.65 score which tied for second place.
   "I didn’t feel any pressure, I just tried to have fun on floor," Watts said. "I wasn’t worried about beam. After it’s over, there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to put it behind you."
   Watts still finished third all-around (37.325) thanks in large part to a championship performance on the uneven bars (9.55). Watts nailed her routine, which included perfect execution of a spinning handstand where she switches hands in mid-air. She also stuck a double-back dismount that clinched her first place score.
   "I finally hit a good bar routine," Watts said. "I’ve been wanting to do that and I did it on the right day. I added a double-back and stood it up."
   Watts and her teammates started the day on vault and posted four scores of 9.0 or better. Freshman Chrissy Weber tied for second in the section with a team-high 9.45, while Watts (9.375) and Mary Kate Lynch (9.1) gave the Raiders a fast start.
   Weber slipped on bars, where she had won the Skyland Conference crown with a magnificent routine that scored 9.55. The fabulous freshman roared back to lead her team on beam (9.275) and produced a solid floor routine (9.35) that left her ninth all-around (36.575).
   Leah Goldberg contributed on bars (9.025) with a broken foot. Freshman Christina Rhoades posted the team’s third score on bars (8.975). The Raiders actually threw out a 9.225 by Rhoades on floor. That score nearly gave Rhoades (35.775) enough points to qualify for the state finals as an individual all-arounder.
   Murrin was hoping to get four HHS girls in as individuals. Watts, Weber and Lynch (12th, 36.075) qualified for the Raiders.
   Lynch delivered another clutch routine on floor to end her day in style. She holds the school record on floor (9.725) and has posted many scores over 9.6 this season. She finished fourth with a 9.625 at the sectional meet.
   "We’re definitely happy with what we did on vault and floor," Watts said. "We did really well as a team. We have to improve on bars and beam."
   The Raiders plan to spend a good chunk of their practice time this week on beam. Even with those mistakes at sectionals, the team still produced a monster score that ranked third in the state’s five sectional competitions. Only Bishop Ahr (112.725) and North Section 1 champion Ridgewood (111.0) will be seeded ahead of Hillsborough this Saturday.
   The team competition begins at 10 a.m., with individuals taking center stage at 1 p.m. Morning team scores may count toward the individual scoring, but gymnasts have the option to return and compete again. As usual, the Raiders are more concerned about the team event.
   "We have to come in like we came in here today," Watts said. "We can do just as well as any teams out there. We just have to do it. It’s about confidence. Even if you make a mistake, you have to come back."
   "There’s always a couple of kinks and we’re still looking for that perfect team day," Murrin said. "We have the skills and we can compete for a state title, but we’ll see who hits. If we can hit the skills, it will be interesting."