Braves qualify for state sectional championships

Braves qualify for state
sectional championships
Manalapan
hosting meet
on Saturday
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Manalapan High School’s gymnasts will be looking for the home gym advantage Saturday when the Braves host the NJSIAA Central Jersey gymnastics championships.

Dorine Shapiro’s Braves earned the right to have that edge by being one of only six teams to qualify for the team competition. Manalapan, which had a season-high score of 102.725, qualified sixth in Central Jersey Section I.

The 2003 season, in which Manalapan was 8-3 in dual meets, saw significant progress by the Braves. Despite a series of injuries, the team was more consistent than it has been in years.

"Last year we broke 100 once, and this year we broke 100 in all but three meets," noted Shapiro. "I’m very happy with our season."

With seven members of the team qualifying individually for the Central Jersey championships, the Braves success was not built around just one or two gymnasts.

"It was not one girl," noted Shapiro. "It was a group effort."

The Braves, who qualified for the state sectional, includes seniors Amy Van Rensburg and Stacie Rosenberg, juniors Kayla Franzblau, Stephanie Chen and Stephanie Fiata, sophomore Jess Lewis, and freshman Arielle Phillips.

Throughout the season, the Braves have been building their routines toward a peak for the states.

"The girls have been improving their skills all year," said Shapiro. "They’re working on more difficult skills to add to their routines."

The more difficult skills should translate to higher scores.

They did, Saturday, at the Shore Conference Championships held at Brick Memorial High School, where the Braves distinguished themselves individually.

Phillips was 14th in the all-around (34.275), and Franzblau, 18th (33.8). Phillips was seventh on the balance beam (8.8), 11th on the uneven bars (8.7) and 13th on the floor exercise (8.775). Franzblau was 17th on the floor (8.7) and beam (8.5).

Van Rensburg took 10th on the beam (8.7), while Fiata placed 20th on the vault for the Braves (8.475).

The Braves are one of just two squads from the Freehold District to qualify for the state sectional, the other being Marlboro.