Howell may not catch Shore Conference gymnastics by surprise this fall but it may not matter anyway.
Everyone expected newcomers Austyn Fobes (an elite gymnast at the club level) and Brianna Ecklof to have a big impact on the team, but did anyone expect the Rebels to go 11-0 in dual meets, winning the A North Division title and then capture the Shore Conference championship? Not really.
With Fobes, the NJSIAA floor exercise champion, and Ecklof returning, the Rebels are the team to beat once again. Besides their starlets, the Rebels have a very deep squad where there is competition for the other starting slots.
“We’re looking to be contenders,” said Howell’s new head coach Jennifer Eaton, a Howell grad who has been an assistant with the team the last four years.
It all starts with Fobes and Ecklof, now a junior and sophomore respectively, who if it is at all possible are improved over last year. The duo will have more pressure on them but Eaton doesn’t see that as a factor.
“They just like to go out there and have fun,” said Eaton. “They enjoy competing and the competition. They love the sport.”
Fobes was the Shore Conference and Central Jersey all-around champion and finished fifth at the state finals.
Ecklof was third in the all-around competition at the conference championships and ninth in Central Jersey.
Molly McNamara, Megan Hatch, Lindsey Rehberge and Alexandra Barone are among the returners competing for spots.
The team’s depth is important because they lost their third all-arounder Megan Grotheus to injury.
Howell opened its season on Sept. 9 against Brick Township rolling up 105.25 points in the 105-25-88 win.
The real drama here was the all-around competition between Fobes and Brick’s Lindsay Poplaski, last year’s balance beam state champion. Poplaski had the slim edge in this dual, 37.70-37.65.
In their second meet, the Rebels improved to 106.55, beating Brick Memorial (77.375). Fobes, Ecklof and DeCanio took the top-three spots on every event.
While Red Bank Catholic, which after finishing second to Howell in the SC topped the Rebels in Central Jersey, remains Howell’s biggest hurdle, the Rebels don’t have to go very far for competition. It’s right in their backyard in the Freehold Regional District. Last year, every team from the District was represented at the Central Jersey Championships. Colts Neck and Marlboro were second and third in A North behind Howell.
The Rebels are at Colts Neck tomorrow afternoon (4:30 p.m.). They don’t go up against Marlboro until Oct. 16 in Howell
4:30 p.m.)
Under Cathy Pierson’s tutelage, the Mustangs have been the one constant in the Freehold District for the last decade and more. They are always a top-five team in the Shore and more often than not, ranked in the Top 10 in the state.
The Mustangs graduated four-year star Lauren Jack and Diana Hartman, but are ready to reload and take on the best.
Co-captains Marissa Glassman and Lauren Zwang will provide the leadership and experience.
It’s a freshman, Nicolette Vignola, who has stepped in to become the team’s top allaround gymnast.
“She looks pretty good right now, she has good form,” said Pierson.
Jessica Lowry, who missed last season due to injuries, is back and she will be going all-around.
Marlboro is getting a lot of its all-around depth from a strong incoming freshman class. Danielle Ballantonio and Jessica Minkoff can both compete AA for the Mustangs.
Seniors Jennifer D’Auria and Kara Monday, junior Priscilla Panaro, sophomore Isabelle Mecker and frosh Jordyn Leder, round out a team that will be relying on contributions from everybody this year.
“Everyone has a role to play,” noted Pierson.
The Mustangs’ goals are again to qualify for the Shore Conference and Central Jersey meets and contend for the A North title with Howell, Colts Neck and Freehold Township.
Thanks to the presence of Lindsey Diamond, Colts Neck became a powerhouse from the start. With Diamond providing the spark, the Cougars captured a state title in their first year of varsity competition.
Now that Diamond (a Central Jersey allaround champion and state all-around runner up) has graduated, the Cougars head into the season without their vaunted allarounder.
Danielle D’Elia teamed up with Diamond the last couple of years to give Colts Neck a solid one-two in the all-around. Now, it’s D’Elia, a senior, who is the team leader. She was eighth in the AA at the Shore Conference championships last year and qualified for the state championships. Having someone of her caliber is always a good way to start a team.
Coach Nicole Pandozzi is confident that despite the loss of Diamond, the Cougars remain very strong.
“After working with these girls last year, I am fully aware of the team’s potential,” she said. “The girls have an incredible bond and passion for the sport, and we are anticipating a great season.”
The Cougars, 7-2 in dual meets last year, are young with D’Elia as the only senior.
Juniors Sam Pecoraro, Erin Payne, Kaitlyn Dietsch and Allison Mandelbaum will be counted on to provide upperclass leadership.
Sophomores Kelsey Hoffbauer, Ashley Fedor and Allie Burke and freshman Allegra Kraut round out the Cougar squad.
Manalapan has been a consistent postseason qualifier for coach Doreen Shapiro, and the Braves will be looking for nothing less in 2007.
Senior co-captain Lacey Salberg and freshman Nicole Oppedisano provide a good one-two punch in the all-around.
Co-captain Jackie Martin, Toni Razzagone, Nicole LaSpina, Heather Kravitz, Brittany Barry and Michelle Bambara will provide the points behind Salberg and Oppedisano. All are returners from last year.
Freehold Borough returns its big point scorers to a team that was missed by less than .2 points from making the SC field last year. They finished seventh just behind Marlboro. Six teams qualifying on the basis of the team’s scoring average from its top-three meets.
The Colonials opened their season with a 101-8-99.8 win over crosstown rival Freehold Township.
New coach Emily Knight has Nicole Panzarino, Lindsey Gumann, Laura Gallo and Alexandra Puntolilo all back. Panzarino is one of the best all-around competitors in the area.
Freehold Township has been helped by the addition of Nicole Frietas, a freshman allarounder. She finished first for the Pats in every event against the Colonials.
Megan Doherty, Meagan Knauf, Andrea Acampora and Katie Wilk are among the veterans returning on a deep squad.
The Shore Conference championships are Oct. 27 at Brick Memorial High School. The NJSIAA Central Jersey Sectional is Nov. 3 in Manalapan and the state finals are schedule for Rutgers University on Nov. 10.

