Colts Neck’s Diamond tops district gymnastics Mustangs, Braves dominate squad BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer JERRY WOLKOWITZ staff Marlboro’s Jackie Mandelbaum was among the District’s top gymnasts this year, earning a spot of the All-District team. Lindsay Diamond may have been a gymnast without a team, but that didn’t stop her from winning. The Colts Neck freshman won the all-around championships at the Shore Conference and Central Jersey Section I meets, and at the state championships she earned All-State honors. While Diamond was proving she was among the state’s best, Cathy Pierson’s Marlboro Mustangs were doing the same as a team. They would finish fifth at the state championships, held at Rutgers University, scoring 104.9. Marlboro qualified for the Shore Conference and Central Jersey Section I meets, finishing sixth in the conference and third at the sectional. Their 105.725 at the sectionals earned them a wild card berth to the state championships, where they proved they belonged by finishing fifth. During the season, the Mustangs set a school record for points in a dual meet, 106.325, while going 7-3 and finishing second in A North to Ocean Township. Jackie Mandelbaum, Lauren Jack and Nicole Lallo were the big guns for Marlboro. Dorine Shapiro’s Manalapan Braves were one of the best teams in the Shore and Central Jersey. They parlayed depth and a string of steady dual meets performances into an 8-3 dual meet record and a trip to the state sectional, where they finished sixth. A freshman, Arielle Phillips, and a veteran, Kayla Franzblau, were Manalapan’s catalysts. Diamond, of course, tops the News Transcript’s 2003 All-Freehold District Gymnastics Team. Joining her on the squad are Marlboro’s Lallo, Jack and Mandelbaum, Howell’s Stephanie Novelli, Manalapan’s Franzblau and Phillips, and Freehold Township’s Katie Lane. Diamond’s was the story of the Shore Conference Championships. Because Colts Neck doesn’t field a team, she competed at Marlboro’s home meets in a non-scoring role in order to attain the qualifying scores required to make the conference and state sectional tournament. She was under everyone’s radar screen when the SC came around, but not when it concluded. She would win the SC all-around title, joining Howell’s Dawn Campbell and Manalapan’s Jamie Shapiro as the only gymnasts from the area to win the conference AA. Diamond’s consistency allowed her to edge Red Bank Catholic’s Beate Jones, 37.750-37.700. The Cougar freshman won the uneven bars (9.575), and was second on the vault (9.550) and balance beam (9.400). No one could accuse Diamond of sneaking up on the competition the following week at the Central Jersey Section I championships at Manalapan. She again nipped Jones for the all-around crown, 36.750-36.650. She had no individual victories in CJ, relaying again on her ability to score well in all the events. She was third in the bars (9.250), second in the vault (9.350), third in the beam (8.950) and second in the floor exercise (9.200). Her first trip to the state championships earned her All-State recognition. The freshman was ninth in the all-around (36.8). She was seventh in the floor exercise (9.200) and ninth in the uneven bars (9.275). When the New Jersey Girls’ Gymnastics Coaches Association announced it 2003 New Jersey All-State Gymnastics Team, Diamond was chosen for the floor exercise. Diamond and RBC’s Jones are both freshmen. We can expect some spirited competition from these two standouts over the next three years. They figure to push each other in pursuit of championships.Novelli had another solid year as the Rebels’ all-around leader. She was ninth in the all-around at the Shore Conference (34.875) and medaled in the balance beam, placing fifth (9.100). At the state sectional championships, she was ninth in the all-around (35.075). Novelli was ninth in the bars (8.925) and tied for sixth in the beam (8.875) at the sectional. Still just a junior, she could be in the hunt for championships next year. The Mustangs flexed their muscles in Central Jersey with Jack (35.600) and Mandelbaum (35.200) finishing sixth and seventh in the all-around, and Lallo finishing 10th (34.925). That helped propel the Mustangs to the state finals. Jack, a freshman, stepped right in and became an important contributor for Marlboro throughout the season. She fit right in with junior Lallo and sophomore Mandelbaum to make the Mustangs three-deep. She tied for fifth in the vault (9.100), ninth in the beam (8.825) and tied for seventh in the floor (9.00) at the sectional. Lallo was 10th in the bars (8.825) and Mandelbaum was fifth in the floor exercise (9.100) in Central Jersey. With this trio together again next year, Marlboro is looking for big things in 2004. Phillips is the other freshman who made quite an impact on the Braves, helping them get to the state sectional. She added more depth to a team that already was deep. It’s the reason the Braves made a habit of scoring more than 100 points per meet. At the conference meet, Phillips was 14th in the all-around (34.275), which included a seventh-place tie in the balance beam (8.800). She was 12th in the AA at the sectional championships, topped by a second-place in the beam (9.025). Franzblau has been a steady fixture on the Braves since her freshman year. She provided steady, veteran leadership to a young Manalapan squad. The junior was 18th in the all-around (33.800) at the conference championships and 26th in Central Jersey. Led by Phillips and Franzblau, look for Manalapan to be back contending at championship meets next year. They don’t make gymnasts any tougher than Freehold Township’s Katie Lane. Pure love for the sport and competition pushed the often-injured Patriot to give it a go this year despite another ACL injury, which prevented her from competing in the all-around. The senior persevered and reached the state finals. At the conference championships, the Patriot was 10th in the bars (8.725). At Central Jersey she had her best results. Lane was runner-up in the bars (9.350) and 10th in the balance beam (8.800). Those earning honorable mention in 2003 are: Jackie Verdon and Suzanne Travia, Freehold Borough; Kristine Rappa, Freehold Township; Amy Van Rensburg, Stephanie Chen and Jess Lewis, Manalapan; and Randi Glassman and Cheri Berger, Marlboro.