Austyn Fobes had a pretty good idea what to expect at Saturday’s NJSIAA Central Jersey I Sectional Gymnastics Meet at Manalapan.
“From the Shore [Conference], you have an idea where you’re going to place,” said the Howell sophomore.
In that case, it was first place in the allaround for the second straight year.
Fobes followed up her win at the SC meet by scoring the best all-around score in the state this year, 38.65, in winning her second straight sectional title.
“Winning the Shore Conference builds your confidence,” noted Fobes. “I knew I could hit my routines.”
She did, better than ever in topping SC runner-up Danielle D’Elia of Colts Neck (38.075) for the second straight week.
Fobes and teammate Brianna Ecklof won three of the four individual events just like they did at the conference meet. Fobes won the vault (9.6) and uneven bars (9.775) while Ecklof captured the floor exercise (9.8). Fobes was second to her teammate on the floor (9.725) and she was third on the balance beam (9.55).
Ecklof was seventh in the all-around scoring 36.35.
The combination of Fobes and Ecklof has turned Howell into one of the best teams in the state. Fobes said that Ecklof, who usually precedes her on all the events, inspires her to do better.
“I feed off her,” she said. “I get a lift when she nails her routine.
“Before every event we remind ourselves to have fun,” she added.
Fobes’ point of concentration at Manalapan wasn’t the all-around, she noted, but how the Rebels did as a team.
“I was more concerned for how we’d do,” she said. “That was my focus.”
Howell finished third (109.150) behind SC champion Red Bank Catholic (111.875) and Colts Neck (109.850).
D’Elia sparked Colts Neck to its best score of the year and a second place behind RBC. In addition to finishing second in the AA, the senior won the balance beam competition with a score of 9.675. She was runner up to Fobes on the bars (9.725) and fourth on the floor (9.625).
Her teammate Erin Payne came through with a third place on the vault (9.375), which helped make a difference with the team score.
Nine teams qualified for the CJ team competition on Saturday with five of them from the Freehold District. Besides 2-3 Colts Neck and Howell, Freehold Township was fifth (105.00), Freehold Borough was seventh (101.750), Marlboro was eighth (100.450) and host Manalapan was ninth (99.60).
The NJSIAA State Gymnastics Championships are Saturday at Hunterdon Central High School. Fobes goes in as a contender for the AA title along with D’Elia. Fobes won the floor exercise state title in ’06.
Colts Neck is going as a team to the championships having won a spot in the 10- team field with its 109.850 score. Making up the team competition field were the five state sectional winners and the five nonwinning teams with the highest scores. Colts Neck goes in as the No. 10 seed.