Fobes bounces back to win state gold D'Elia third in AA, Ecklof second on floor BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer Talk about falling down and getting right back up again, Howell's Austyn Fobes showed the mettle of a true champion at the NJSIAA Gymnastics Championships. The junior fell on her first pass of her floor exercise routine all but ending her chances at winning the all-around title at Hunterdon Central High School on Nov. 10. "I was doing my regular routine and I went too hard on my first pass and fell," she recalled. "It just happened. In my head I told myself 'you've got to hit your next two passes.'" Fobes did and tried to move on. "It's always important to stay focused once you've fallen," she said. "I was taking it one event at a time and I knew I had a chance [to win a state title]." Fobes still had two events remaining after the floor including the uneven bars. The bars are not her favorite event, but the one she is most comfortable with. "I know I can hit my routine," she pointed out. "It's the one event I can stay confident on. It's been that way since high school." Despite her misfortune on the floor exercise, Fobes still finished in a tie for fifth place in the all-around (37.875). She also placed on the balance beam, finishing sixth (9.475), and tied for ninth on the vault (9.500). Fobes was one of three area gymnasts to medal at the state finals. Colts Neck's Danielle D'Elia was a multiple place-winner, and Brianna Ecklof joined her Howell teammate on the medal podium. D'Elia polished off an outstanding senior season by finishing third in the all-around (AA) with her best score of the year, 38.100. She had been runner-up to Fobes in the AA at SC and state sectional and continued her improvement through the state finals. The Cougar tied for third on the bars (9.600) and was third by herself on the vault (9.700). She was also eighth on the floor (9.525). Ecklof, who won gold medals at the conference and state sectionals, got silver this time, finishing second on the floor exercise to Chelsea Goldschrafe of Ramapo, 9.750-9.675.