STATE GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: ALLY CUCICH OF RBC WINS ALL-AROUND TITLE

MONTGOMERY - Needing greater than a 9.425 on her last event for the day, uneven bars, to break the all-around meet record at the NJSIAA/Parisi Speed School gymnastics individual championships, Red Bank Catholic senior Ally Cucich delivered. Cucich finished with a 9.525 in the event to put her name in the record books, earning the top all-around score with a 38.875 on Saturday at Montgomery High School. Cucich also finished first in floor routine and uneven bars and tied for first in vault in a dominant performance. “Honestly, all I have to say is good things come to those who wait because I fell on uneven bars at Shore Conference and I fell again at sectionals,” Cucich said. “Coming into states, I was so nervous because we lost a few girls on our team, so going into team states I was able to get a feel for the equipment and then coming into today I felt very confident and I just needed to hit all four events and that’s what I did." “It’s just such a reward for me because I have been working so hard, and finally my hard work paid off. It’s just indescribable because I am so happy right now.” She said. As soon as Cucich finished her uneven bars routine, the senior immediately became emotional as she hugged RBC coach Ronanne DeRosa, knowing how big this moment was for her. “I knew going into bars I needed to hit my routine, and after I hit my routine I just knew that I had a really good shot at winning the all-around,” Cucich said. “My coach (Ronanne DeRosa) has been working so hard with me in and out of the gym and I just had a rush of emotions because I was just so happy for myself because I knew that it was all going to work out.” Cucich’s all-around score of 38.875 broke the state individual championship meet record (38.775), which was held by both Ridgewood’s Chelsea Steinberg from 2006 and Howell’s Austyn Forbes from 2008. “I had no idea I won bars and I had no idea I broke any records,” the senior said. “It means a lot to me to be able to do something like that and bring this back to RBC. It just means so much because this sport means so much to me and I am upset that it’s over, but I am happy I can leave my mark on this sport not only for myself, but for my team as well.” Marlboro’s Melissa Astarita earned second all-around at the meet (38.575), while St. John Vianney’s Ari Agrapides finished third (38.225). J.P. Steven’s Shannon Gregory took fourth all-around (38.125), while she also earned the individual state beam title (9.725). St. John Vianney’s Grace Costello rounded out the top five all-around with a score of 37.975. Cucich’s second record-breaking performance of the day came in floor routine, where she earned a 9.825 to capture the title. Her score broke the record set back in 2015 by St. John Vianney’s Kristen Politz (9.8). On floor, some of Cucich’s moves in her routine included a round off back-handspring double pike, a front-handspring one and a half and a round-off back-handspring one and a half. Other finishers on floor included Agrapides, who earned second with a 9.7, while Astarita earned third (9.675). Rounding out the top five was St. John Vianney’s Grace Costello who earned fourth (9.6), and Bishop Ahr’s Ariyana Agarwala who earned fifth (9.55). In addition, Cucich also earned the uneven bars title, finishing with a 9.525, and tied for the vault title alongside St. John Vianney’s Ari Agrapides (9.85). Some of Cucich’s moves in her uneven bars routine included a kip cast handstand, shoot over, kip squat-on, kip cast handstand, blind change fold and a double back, while her winning move on vault was a Yurchenko layout. Astarita earned second on uneven bars alongside Agrapides (9.5), while Freehold Township’s Jamie Polonet and Alexis Rogers tied for fourth (9.45). On vault, Astarita earned third (9.8), while Watchung Hill’s Morgan Durant and Costello tied for fourth (9.75). Looking back on all the senior has accomplished her past four years with Red Bank Catholic, Cucich admitted there was not a better way to go out. “It couldn’t have worked out any better for me” Cucich said. “It is my senior year and the last year I am competing in high school gymnastics for RBC and it just means so much to me. I have no words for it.” ALL-AROUND 1-Ally Cucich, Red Bank Catholic, 38.875. 2-Melissa Astarita, Marlboro, 38.575. 3-Ariana Agrapides, St. John Vianney, 38.225. 4-Shannon Gregory, J.P. Stevens, 38.125. 5-Grace Costello, St. John Vianney, 37.975. 6-Ariyana Agarwala, Bishop Ahr, 37.800. 7. Alexis Rogers, Freehold Township, 37.700. 8-Jocelyn Moore, Hillsborough, 37.600. 9-Jamie Polonet, Freehold Township, 37.350. 10-Alyssa Christopulos, Somerville, 37.275. 11-Brooke McNamara, Howell, 37.250. 12-Alex Panetta, St. John Vianney, 37.175. 13-Danielle White, Indian Hills, 37.150. 14- Jessica Maury, Marlboro, 37.050. 15-Katie Keogh, Middletown South, 36.975. 16-Felicia Poblete, Shawnee, 36.950. 17-Skylar Davisson, Bishop Ahr, and Luz van Schijdnel, Ridgewood, 36.900. 19-Brittany Wilder, Mount Olive, 36.700. 20-Anna Pagliaro, Freehold Township, 36.675. FLOOR 1-Ally Cucich, Red Bank Catholic, 9.825. 2-Ariana Agrapides, St. John Vianney, 9.700. 3-Melissa Astarita, Marlboro, 9.675. 4-Grace Costello, St. John Vianney, 9.600. 5-Ariyana Agarwala, Bishop Ahr, 9.550. 6-Alexis Tekin, Watchung Hills, 9.525. 7-Shannon Gregory, J.P. Stevens, 9.475. 8-Skylar Davisson, Bishop Ahr, 9.400. 9-Jocelyn Moore, Hillsborough, 9.350. 10-Faith Furletti, Holy Angels, 9.325. 11-Alyssa Christopulos, Somerville; Erin Infante, Cranford, and Brooke McNamara, Howell, 9.300. 14-Luz van Schijdnel, Ridgewood, 9.275. 15-Danielle White, Indian Hills, 9.250. 16-Renee Kinzler, Hillsborough; Anna Pagliaro, Freehold Township; Alex Panetta, St. John Vianney, and Felicia Poblete, Shawnee, 9.225. 20-Alli Prince, Brick Memorial, 9.200. UNEVEN BARS 1-Ally Cucich, Red Bank Catholic, 9.525. 2-Melissa Astarita, Marlboro, and Ariana Agrapides, St. John Vianney, 9.500. 4-Jamie Polonet, Freehold Township; Alexis Rogers, Freehold Township, and 4-Emma Blackburn, Lenape, 9.450. 7-Charlotte Haaf, Colts Neck, and Danielle White, Indian Hills, 9.425. 9-Jacie Van de Zilver, Jackson Memorial, 9.400. 10-Ariyana Agarwala, Bishop Ahr; Anna Pagliaro, Freehold Township, and Grace Costello, St. John Vianney, 9.375. 13-Shannon Gregory, J.P. Stevens, 9.350. 14-Alyssa Christopulos, Somerville, and Katie Keogh, Middletown South, 9.300. 16-Brooke McNamara, Howell, 9.275. 17-Samantha Ringel, Hillsborough, 9.250. 18-Jocelyn Moore, Hillsborough; Alexis Tekin, Watchung Hills, and Morgan Durant, Watchung Hills, 9.225. VAULT 1-Ally Cucich, Red Bank Catholic, and Ariana Agrapides, St. John Vianney, 9.85. 3-Melissa Astarita, Marlboro, 9.8. 4-Morgan Durant, Watchung Hills, and Grace Costello, St. John Vianney, 9.75. 6-Jocelyn Moore, Hillsborough, 9.725. 7-Ariyana Agarwala, Bishop Ahr, 9.675. 8-Anna Pagliaro, Freehold Township, 9.625. 9-Shannon Gregory, J.P. Stevens, 9.575. 10-Alexis Rogers, Freehold Township; Jessica Maury, Marlboro; Alex Panetta, St. John Vianney, and 10-Jacie Van de Zilver, Jackson Memorial, 9.5. 14-Brittany Wilder, Mount Olive, 9.475. 15-Brooke McNamara, Howell, and Michaelah Lanza, Middletown North, 9.425. 17- Skylar Davisson, Bishop Ahr, and Jennifer Pasram, Old Bridge, 9.4. 19-Katie Keogh, Middletown South, and Sara Buchner, Westwood, 9.375. BEAM 1-Shannon Gregory, J.P. Stevens, 9.725. 2-Ally Cucich, Red Bank Catholic, 9.675. 3-Melissa Astarita, Marlboro, 9.6. 4-Alyssa Christopulos, Somerville; Jamie Polonet, Freehold Township; Alexis Rogers, Freehold Township, and Luz van Schijdnel, Ridgewood, 9.575. 8-Jessica Maury, Marlboro, 9.525. 9-Skylar Davisson, Bishop Ahr, 9.45. 10-Bee Iosso, Cranford; Katie Keogh, Middletown South, and Melissa Ricciardi, Pascack Regional, 9.425. 13-Danielle White, Indian Hills, 9.375. 14-Felicia Poblete, Shawnee, 9.35. 15-Cindy Liu, Hillsborough, 9.325. 16-Jocelyn Moore, Hillsborough, and Alexis Tekin, Watchung Hills, 9.3. 18. Taylor Cusick, Jackson Memorial, 9.275. 19-Brooke McNamara, Howell; Grace Costello, St. John Vianney, and Alex Panetta, St. John Vianney, 9.25.

STATE GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: ALLY CUCICH OF RBC WINS ALL-AROUND TITLE

LIZ MATAKEVICH

NJ.com | 11/13/2017