Howell High School’s Monica Servidio had another big year for the Rebels. She was second in the all-around at the NJSIAA state sectional and 10th at the state championships. DORINE SHAPIRO The wealth of gymnastics talent has never been greater than it is right now in the Freehold Regional High School District (FRHSD). It could be called the Golden Age for the sport.
Individually, Marlboro High School sophomore Melissa Astarita won the NJSIAA state championship on the vault and finished third in the all-around.
Howell High School junior Monica Servidio was the allaround runner-up at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Section I meet and was 10th at the state championships.
A record eight girls from the district qualified for the allaround competition at the individual state championships.
All six district schools were among the 10 teams qualifying for the Central Jersey, Section I Championships, with Colts Neck High School (112.000) and Howell (107.500) finishing third and fourth and scoring high enough to qualify for the 10-team state championships.
The deep Colts Neck team, which had four gymnasts qualify for the all-around competition at the state championships, chased state champion Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School all year, ending up third at the team state championships. The Cougars were the Shore Conference B North Division public school champions and were second in the Shore Conference to the Caseys.
Until an injury sidelined Jordan Zieden-Weber, Marlboro had one of the best teams in the state. Still, the Mustangs won the A North Division crown and qualified for the Shore Conference and Central Jersey championships.
Astarita and Servidio lead the News Transcript’s talented 2015 All-FRHSD Gymnastics Team. Alongside them are Freehold High School’s Arah Godbole and Colts Neck’s Samantha Morrison and Charlotte Haaf.
There was no sophomore jinx for Astarita, who confirmed she is one of the bright young stars in not only the district, but the state. Her all-around talents helped the Mustangs win the A North title outright this fall and go 10-1 overall.
At the Shore Conference Championships, Astarita was runner-up to state champion Kristen Politz from St. John Vianney High School in the all-around scoring, 38.400 (her best score of the year). She had runner-up finishes on the floor exercise, balance beam and vault.
Astarita won the balance beam competition at the Central Jersey meet, where she was also third in the all-around (38.300).
She brought a state championship back to Marlboro, winning the vault at the NJSIAA individual championships, where she finished third in the all-around. The Mustangs’ standout tied for second on the balance beam to complete an amazing season. Astarita was chosen to the New Jersey Girls Gymnastics Coaches Association All-State Team for the all-around.
Servidio helped keep Howell among the Shore’s and state’s best teams. The Rebels counted on her all-around scores in dual meets, and she helped the team qualify for the state team championships.
The Rebels’ junior was just 11th at the conference meet, but she stepped it up in state competition. She had her best all-around score of the year (38.375) at the state sectional, where she was second to Politz. She was also runner-up to the Lancer on the bars.
Servidio closed out her junior year taking 10th in the allaround at the state championships.
Servidio has another year to add to her already impressive high school résumé.
Godbole, a senior, kept the Colonials competitive with her leadership and scoring. She was ninth in the all-around at the conference championships (37.075), where she took third on the balance beam and 16th at the state sectional, where her score (36.450) was high enough to qualify for the state championship.
Haaf and Morrison are two of the reasons Colts Neck was among the top two or three teams in the state all season. With four gymnasts qualifying for the all-around competition at the state finals, they were incredibly deep. The Cougars went 13-1 in dual meets, losing only to RBC in a tight meet, 111.850-111.675. The Cougars’ high score was 112.000. Don’t expect the Cougars to go away any time soon. They will return everyone from this year’s club, led by Morrison, a junior, and Haaf, a sophomore.
Morrison was 10th in the all-around at the state sectional (37.425) and 13th at the state championships. Her high score for the year was 37.975.
Haaf finished 12th in the all-around at the Shore Conference meet, and she was 14th in Central Jersey (37.075). Gymnasts who have earned All-FRHSD honorable mention recognition for their performances during the 2015 season are the other three NJSIAA all-around qualifiers: Triniti Barron and Sophie Garito of Colts Neck and Isabella Schaffer of Freehold.