Colts Neck High School’s Courtney DeDea captured her second straight Shore Conference championship on the balance beam on Oct. 27 at Jackson Liberty High School. The defending NJSIAA champion will try to win the Central Jersey Section I crown on Nov. 15 at Manalapan High School. DORINE SHAPIRO PHOTO By sticking with what works, Colts Neck High School’s Courtney DeDea is now a two-time Shore Conference champion on the balance beam.
The Cougars’ senior did the same routine that won her the conference crown in 2011 with the same result at this year’s championships held on Oct. 27 at Jackson Liberty High School.
DeDea pointed out that she went with the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy, which describes her approach to everything. She’s very focused and detailed oriented and by staying with the same routine, it has allowed her to perfect each and every move from the dangerous back flip to her dismount.
Those details may have made all the difference in the conference championship, where DeDea’s 9.65 score edged Freehold High School’s Jennifer King (9.575).
Defending her championship was “a big goal of mine,” said DeDea. Colts Neck head coach Nicole Pandozzi pointed out that paying attention to every detail of her routine is what separates DeDea from the others and it allowed her to excel on the most feared of all gymnastics events.
“The difference is in the execution of her skills,” said Pandozzi. “She really concentrates on the small things.
“She’s maxed out on bonuses [points] and can’t go any higher,” the coach added. “She’s perfected what she does and doesn’t give away tenths of a point. It’s a wobble that can be the difference [between first and second].”
That’s why DeDea pays so much attention to detail. She works endlessly on the dismount, she explained, because a small step on the landing can ruin an otherwise great routine.
“You can lose it in the last couple of seconds,” she said. “You have to stick the landing. I practice it.”
DeDea practices every move. The Cougars’ standout remarked that she takes each pass one at a time during her routine and never gets ahead of herself. “In my routines, I talk to myself,” she said. ”I take each skill as it comes and make it the best I can. You have to be focused. If you’re not focused on the balance beam, you’re going down.”
DeDea said that by taking her routine one pass at a time, it helps her stay away from disaster. If she has a wobble, she puts it behind her and moves on to the next skill. That way, she doesn’t let things “go downhill” from there.
Another detail that she pays attention to is her appearance before the judges. It can be compared to acting, she noted.
“You have to appear confident and focused,” she said, adding that a judge’s perception of a confident gymnast can mean a tenth of a point.
The conference meet was also a good one in other events for DeDea, as she produced her best all-around score of 35.525, tying for third place. She also took second on the vault (9.6) and sixth on the floor exercise (9.25).
Next up for the senior, who said she wants to continue the sport in college, is the delayed NJSIAA Central Jersey Section I meet at Manalapan. Sandy and the nor’easter have pushed the meet back from Nov. 3 to Nov. 15.
Although a victory at the sectional would be sweet, DeDea has another priority.
“I’d love to win the sectional, but the biggest goal is to make it to the states,” she said.
That’s because DeDea hopes to defend her NJSIAA crown there. Repeating at the Shore Conference, she said, was a confidence booster as she looks to become a twotime state champion.
During the dual meet season, DeDea put up the best score in the state on the beam, 9.75.
DeDea would also like to medal in the all-around.
“That would be awesome,” she said.
The individual state championship is Nov. 17 at Montgomery High School.
Freehold goes for three straight
At the Central Jersey Section I meet, Freehold will be looking to win its third straight championship.
Jennifer King and Jenna Crisalli, who placed second and third, respectively, in the all-round at the Shore Conference meet, led the Colonials to their third straight conference title with their highest score of the season, 110.9.
The defending state champions delivered a sound message to the rest of the state that they are still a threat to win it all again. The NJSIAA team championship is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Montgomery.
Should they repeat, the Colonials will join Red Bank Catholic High School as the only teams to capture the sectional championship in three consecutive years.
Howell High School’s Bayleigh Fobes won the conference title on the vault and will be looking to add the sectional title to her 2012 resume.
King, Crisalli and DeDea will be battling with Holmdel High School’s Kendall Valentin, the conference winner, for the allaround championship.
The top five gymnasts in each event will advance to the individual state championship.