Carbone successfully flows in South Brunswick program
By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
With expectations comes pressure.
Lindsay Carbone came into the South Brunswick High gymnastics program with both.
Fortunately, the freshman has the perfect personality to handle both.
”Lindsay is the type of person who goes with the flow, which is totally awesome,” said Viking coach Mindy Verderami, who has coached Carbone since middle school. “She doesn’t complain about much and rolls with everything.”
Lindsay is one of the most touted freshman in SBHS gymnastics history, as she holds the Crossroads record in all-around and every individual event except vault (held by current Viking Shannon Martin). She is a Level 9 club gymnast who has trained at Princeton’s Arena Gymnastics with SBHS teammates and state all-around qualifiers Martin, Marissa Liptak and Jess Macay.
This past May, Carbone qualified for Eastern Nationals in Toledo, Ohio, after finishing eighth in regionals.
Is it any wonder people were awaiting her arrival at SBHS?
But pressure?
Nah!
”I knew that people were going to expect a lot because I’m at a high level, but I wasn’t really worried about it,” Carbone said. “I knew what I had to do. I just had to get the job done when I was competing and I knew everything would turn out well.”
So far, it couldn’t be better. In her first high school meet, Carbone won all-around against Montgomery with a 35.25 to help the Vikings to victory last Friday. In her second meet on Tuesday, Lindsay amassed the third best all-around score in SBHS history, as her 36.75 helped South defeat Scotch Plains by just over a point.
”Lindsay is the real deal,” Verderami said. “She doesn’t have a certain event where she’s a standout, but she’s an all-around standout. She adds to every event with high scores.
”I can count on her for a lot, as she is dependable at the meets to compete the way I would expect her to. I am never biting my nails, wondering how she is going to perform today.”
Carbone started gymnastics at age 3 and kept working her way up the ladder. She became Level 9 two years ago and like so many club gymnasts, is enjoying the team concept of high school.
”It doesn’t make a big difference in how you perform,” she said. “But you really want to do well because if you mess up, you’re messing things up for the team. I need to step it up for myself and the team.
”This year I really want our team to win (the Greater Middlesex Conference title), and I just want to have a good season. I don’t really want to have any major big mess-ups. I want to hit four-for-four in every meet.”
Carbone says it helps coming to a team on which she already knew several of the girls.
”It was great having Marisa, Jess and Shannon by my side,” she said. “But all the girls are really great, I’ve made so many friends. They’re all so friendly.”
It takes one to know one.
”She is a very friendly person who gets along with every one,” Verderami said. “I guess that goes along with the go-with-the-flow personality.”
It’s a personality that has Carbone and the Vikes flowing in the right direction.

