By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Three local teens are taking their gymnastic talents to the national stage this weekend in a bid to potentially bring the championship back to Hillsborough Township’s Paramount Gymnastics., Alyssa Christopulos, of Somerville, and Cindy Liu and Jocelyn Moore, of Hillsborough, qualified for the Eastern National Championships taking place this weekend after earning three of the top five spots of the Region 7 Regionals Championships during the weekend of April 6., During that competition, the top seven competitors earned in each division were selected to represent Region 7 at the Eastern National Championships, held this year in Lansing, Mich. from April 26 to April 29., According to Bryan Kostelansky, the gym manager at Paramount Gymnastics, the honor of having gymnasts compete at that stage is not a regularly occurring one., “[Paramount Gymnastics] is a youth gymnastics facility that’s been in Hillsborough for more than 20 years. It’s hard for gymnasts to get to that point, so it’s important that we show our support,” he said., All three teens were coached by Paramount Gymnastics’ Ben Dungee, Katya Orlova, Christina Rhoades, Melissa Fox and John Min. Christopulos has also been a member of the Somerville High School varsity gymnastics team for the past three years, while Liu has been a member of Hillsborough High School varsity gymnastics team for the last two years., During the USA Gymnastics Eastern (National) Championships this weekend, Moore, Liu and Christopulos will vie for the national spotlight, as well as top honors within their team., To get to the national level, Kostelansky said the three level 9 gymnasts competed exceptionally well., Christopulos, a junior at Somerville High School, placed fifth overall at the competition, with a total score of 36.975 and event scores of 9.175 on vault, where she tied for 19th place; 9.425 on uneven bars, where she tied for seventh place; 9.000 on balance beam, where she tied for 11th place; and 9.400 on floor exercise, where she tied for fifth., Her performance landed her a spot in the Senior 7 Division as a representative of Region 7., A sophomore at Hillsborough High School, Liu placed third overall at the regional competition, with a total score of 37.100. She had event scores of 9.225 on vault, where she placed tenth; 9.325 on uneven bars, where she tied seventh; 9.300 on balance beam, where she took second place; and 9.250 on floor exercise, where she placed sixth., She will represent Region 7 in the Senior 6 Division., Moore, an eighth grader at Hillsborough Middle School, placed fourth overall with a total score of 36.825. She earned event scores of 9.650 on vault, where she placed third; 9.525 on uneven bars, where she placed second; 8.650 on balance beam, where she placed 11th; and 9.000 on floor exercise, where she tied 13th., She will represent Region 7 in the Junior 6 Division.
