No. 1 Marlboro wins first sectional title since ’00, RFH’s Lindgren takes it all

On the other hand, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Natalie Lindgren came up just short in three individual events, taking second-place honors in all along with a third-place finish on the balance beam.

But eight ways into Sunday, Lindgren would trade that strong cumulative performance for the overall title he won.

Consistently good overall, Lindgren took home the coveted all-around title at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Sectional Gymnastics Championships at Hillsborough High School on Saturday afternoon.

Lindgren’s 38.25 average was on top as she edged Middletown South’s Ava Trezza by less than eight-hundredths of a point for the title. Trezza won the individual floor and vault events for a great day in her own right.

In each of the past two years, Lindgren has finished second in the all-around with scores just under 38, but ultimately made the top spot as a senior. Lindgren’s only other sectional title came on the uneven bars as a sophomore in 2022.

“I wasn’t necessarily focused on winning the individual events, just doing the best routines I could,” Lindgren said. “I felt good when I realized I had a 38.25. It’s finally my first full title in high school and it feels really special.”

Marlboro – the top team in the ranking NJ.com Top 20 – edged out No. 4 Middletown South by half a point in the team race, racking up 111.275 team points compared to the Eagles’ 110.675. It was a historic day for the Mustangs as they captured their first sectional crown since 2000.

The last ranking no. 1 for Marlboro came a year earlier in 1999, and he will go for that crown Thursday. The team champions at all four state sections, plus the other four teams with the highest scores from all sections combined, advance to the State Team Championships at Brick Memorial.

The top six finishers in each event and the all-around, plus any gymnast with an all-around score of 36 or higher, advance to the Individual State Championships next Saturday, also at Brick Memorial.

Leading the way for the Mustangs was sophomore Dana Imperial, who defended her individual all-around title and captured her first uneven bars crown, all en route to a third-place finish overall.

“Dana is already a powerhouse and she’s only a sophomore. But what’s key is the depth of our team doesn’t put as much pressure on them,” Marlboro coach Marian Fontanilla said. “Karen Young, Bri Diaz and others on our team provide so much depth. If we can go top next week, I think that will be a big reason why.”

Only a freshman, Trezza made a statement, winning the floor with a 9.8 and the vault with a 9.75. A fourth-place score of 9.2 on the uneven bars likely dropped her just below Lindgren, but Trezza could find herself on the podium quite a bit more often over the next three years.

St. Eighth-ranked John Vianney — always a powerhouse, but fourth in the team race this year with 108.1 points — saw Kate DeSimone turn in her strongest performance by finishing fourth in the All-around. DeSimone’s best showing was third on the uneven bars, where she finished with a 9.3 total. She also finished seventh on both floor and beam to secure a top-five finish overall.

Young and Diaz, providing that extra layer of depth for Marlboro, took fifth and sixth, respectively, in the all-around. Marlboro went 3-4-5 in the floor exercise, with Diaz (9.755) edging out Imperial (9.55) and Young (9.525) for third place in the intrasquad event.

Host Hillsborough, ranked No. 6, took third overall with 109.325 points behind the two top five finishers. Leading the Raiders was Ashley Womack, who took third on vault with a 9.5. Madeleine Bienstock finished tied for fourth with a score of 9.225, drawing the same score as Midd South’s Cameryn Czwakiel.

Trinity Hall, which did not field a full team but sent several individuals, also had a top-five finisher in Addison Berowski, who took fourth on vault with a score of 9.425.

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