By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
The future of South Brunswick High gymnastics is looking better than ever.
That’s because the present for Crossroads is better than ever.
For the first time in school history, the Vikings won the Middle School Meet of Champions for a second consecutive year with 105.7 points. They had four Top-10 finishers in the all-around, including two-time champion Lindsay Carbone with a score of 37.2.
It was such a great season, coach Mindy Verderami did not want to see it conclude.
”All in all, the end of this season is bittersweet, as these girls carried themselves so well, they were the most mature out of most of my Crossroads teams,” the veteran coach said. “They worked hard last season and this season and it paid off. But all together, they have immense talent. It is very exciting and a thrill to watch.”
Carbone became the first Viking gymnast to sweep back-to-back MOC All-Around titles as well as winning all eight events both years.
In this year’s meet, she claimed vault (9.2), bars (9.05), beam (9.5) and floor (9.45). The 8th-grader holds every Crossroads record except for vault, in which she is second (Shannon Martin holds the record). Carbone broke the AA record twice this year.
Also finishing high in the MOC were Sarah Capraro (5th, 33.7), Brianna Giorno (8th, 32.25) and Maddy Anand (10th, 31.9).
Carbone, Kelsey Rule (9.35) and Giorno (9.3) took 1-2-3 on MOC floor, the first time that has ever happened in school history. That also makes them 1-2-3 in the Vikings’ record book.
Other MOC results were as follows:
Vault: 5th, Rule, 8.3; 7th, Caitlyn Borghi, 8.2; 8th, Anand, 8.15; 9th, Samantha Bramm, 8.1; 9th, Amanda Zimmerman, 8.1; 10th, Giorno,8.05.
Bars: 4th, Capraro, 8.0; 9th, Nicole Travers, 7.3.
Beam: 3rd, Capraro, 9.1; 4th, Borghi, 8.95; 7th, Anand, 8.65; 9th, Giorno, 8.3; 10th, Travers, 8.25.
Floor: 8th, Anand, 8.75; 9th, Capraro, 8.65.
”Caitlyn Borghi and Sarah Capraro were two of the top gymnasts on beam I have ever had,” Verderami said. “They are so beautiful watch, as their lines and extensions on this event are going to get them real far in high school gymnastics.”
The coach felt the best part of her team, which finished 4-2 in dual meets, was the way they combined work with pleasure.
”They know how to have fun and when to be serious, which is so important when it comes to school athletics,” said Verderami, who also coaches the SBHS varsity. “All 12 of them are willing to try anything, which is a pleasure. They never say ‘I can’t’ whenever a coach asks them to try something new for their routines.
”It has been great and I can’t wait to see what the future brings to South Brunswick High School in the fall and in the years to come. It is so amazing to know that South Brunswick will continue to have so much talent and positive attitudes coming through its gymnastics program and we all get to be a part of it.”
Should be one heck of a future.
But for now, the present is nice to soak in.
In the Middle School Novice meet, Reina Butler won beam (7.8), Zimmerman took third in bars (5.55) and fourth on floor (7.6), and Butler was seventh on floor (7.2). Alex Calabro and Nisreen Mandviwa also participated.
