Bishop Ahr gymnastics edges Westfield, claims North 2 sectional title

EDISON – Bishop Ahr proved its still got it on Saturday.

After two seasons of coming second to Westfield, Bishop Ahr won the NJSIAA North Section 2 team title with a score of 109.175 at home to earn its spot in states.

“It's a really good, really big thing for a lot of reasons,” first year head coach Caitlin Miller said. “To come back and take GMCs, which we lost last year, and then to come to sectionals and win at home, it's a sweet victory.”

It looked like it could be a rocky season. Miller took over the head spot unexpectedly when veteran coach Brant Lutska became ill. What's more, the Trojan roster unevenly leans on the underclassmen side of things. They have six freshmen, four of which competed on Saturday.

But Bishop Ahr was able to beat the odds and post a noteworthy season.

“It was not what I was planning,” Miller said. “I was the assistant coach for Brant (Lutska) for the past five years. He had some medical issues that got him down so he asked me to be the acting head coach and then it kind of just kept getting worse. He wanted to focus on getting better so he asked me to take the reigns. It was a privilege and an honor because he is literally the best at what he does.”

Freshman Ariyana Agarwala also won for Bishop Ahr. She took first place in all-around posting a score of 38.300. She also placed first in the uneven bars with a score of 9.675 and the beam with a 9.775.

“It makes me feel really good about myself because I'm only a freshman and I'm already getting this far,” Agarwala said. “It just makes me feel like a really good gymnast that I can do this at sectionals.”

Moving forward she has one goal in mind. She wants this year to be added to the poster that hangs in the Bishop Ahr gym which reads “NJSIAA State Gymnastic Champions – 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013.”

“I want. My team. To win. States,” Agarwala said emphatically. “I want us to do well and show what we've been practicing for.”

Miller agrees. She wants to be Bishop Ahr's 11th team to take home a state championship.

“We want our name to be back up there, we want to be part of the Bishop Ahr legacy and to be part of that legacy isn't something that happens automatically,” Miller said. “You really have to work hard and work together.”

Individual Results

All-Around: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 38.300; 2. Shannon Gregory (John P. Stevens) 38.250; 3. Skylar Davisson (Bishop Ahr) 36.725; 4. Gina Ferdinandi (Arthur L. Johnson) 35.925; 5. Erin Infante (Cranford) 35.625. Vault: 1. Shannon Gregory (John P. Stevens) 9.550; 2. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.500; 3. Jenna Ramunno (Watchung Hills) 9.450; 4. Skylar Davisson (Bishop Ahr) 9.400; 5. Gina Ferdinandi (Arthur L. Johnson) 9.300. Uneven bars: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.675; 2. Kelsey Dwyer (Old Bridge) 9.425; 3. Alexis Tekin (Watchung Hills) 9.400; 4. Shannon Gregory (John P. Stevens) 9.275; 5. Abby Claus (Summit) 8.975. Beam: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.775; 2. Shannon Gregory (John P. Stevens) 9.700; 3. Hannah Prieto (Westfield) 9.200; 4. Skylar Davisson (Bishop Ahr) 9.125; 5. Gina Ferdinandi (Arthur L. Johnson) 9.025. Floor: Shannon Gregory (John P. Stevens) 9.725; 2. Megan Melillo (Westfield) 9.700; 3. Kelsey Dwyer (Old Bridge) 9.575; 4. Kelly McAuliffe (Cranford) 9.375; 5. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.350.

Team Results: 1. Bishop Ahr 109.175; 2. Westfield 106.475; 3. Cranford 106.300; 4. Watchung Hills 103.525; 5. Summit 102.425.

Staff Writer Alyssa Davis: adavis3@gannettnj.com