The East Brunswick High School gymnastics team finished off its “amazing season” with a strong showing at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association team championship meet this month.
East Brunswick placed eighth at the state team championship meet that was contested on Nov. 7 at Montgomery High School. Freehold Township High School claimed its third straight state title with a total score of 111.150.
East Brunswick scored 104.2 points in the meet to top Old Bridge High School for the best team score in the Greater Middlesex Conference.
“It was an amazing season,” said East Brunswick coach Nadine Murray. “A lot of people put in a lot of hard work to help us reach states and achieve our goals this season. I couldn’t be happier for how our team did this year.”
Just getting edged out by Hillsborough High School at the Central Jersey, Section 2 competition on Nov. 2 in Hillsborough, East Brunswick qualified to compete in the state championship meet by racking up 109.4 points in the sectional tournament.
The five sectional champions and the five remaining teams that scored the highest points total out of all five sectional meets qualified for the state championship meet.
Sophomore Karia Munoz and freshman Kathryn McSwenney each posted all-around individual scores to rank in the top four of the sectional meet to help East Brunswick advance to the state championships.
Munoz took home silver at the sectional championships by scoring 37.100 points. A score of 36.150 points helped McSweeney finish in fourth place.
“Coming in eighth place at states in a meet we didn’t perform our best at, I think shows how good our team can be,” Murray said. “I think it will motivate the girls to keep working harder because they know they’re not that far away from being one of the best in the state.”
Back in October, the Bears captured the GMC gymnastics championship for the first time since 2012 by outdueling Old Bridge again. The Bears outscored the Knights, 110.55 to 109.25.
Since the meet started in 1985, East Brunswick has won 10 GMC championships. Munoz placed first at the competition, taking home goal with an all-around individual score of 38.450.
Munoz swept all five events for her GMC individual crown, winning gold in all-around, bars, beam, floor and vault.
Graduating only two gymnasts from this year’s squad, East Brunswick will be primed to have another great season in 2020 with the amount of talent they have coming back.
The team has already set out goals they want to achieve for next season said Murray.
Those goals the team set for 2020 are to repeat as GMC champion, win a sectional championship and place in the top five at the states meet.
“It’s great to see the drive these girls have,” Murray said. “They’re motivated to achieve bigger goals next season.”
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