Bishop Ahr gymnastics claims 11th GMC Tournament title

MONMOUTH JUNCTION - After missing out on the title last year, the Bishop Ahr gymnastics team found itself once again at the top of the Greater Middlesex Conference on Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans placed first at the GMC Tournament with a score of 109.95 and also claimed the GMC Red Division title at South Brunswick High School. It was the Trojans’ 11th title since 2002.

Freshman Ariyana Agarwala placed first in all-around with a score of 38.45. She placed first in balance beam (9.7 points), floor exercise (9.65) and uneven bars (9.575).

“I’m really proud of them,” Bishop Ahr coach Caitlin Miller said. “They’re putting their mark on gymnastics in the state.”

Agarwala dazzled the judges with a well-rounded performance. Despite her youth, she was the most impressive gymnast in the gym.

“It feels really good, I feel accomplished,” Agarwala said. “We got to show what we were able to do.”

The Trojans had a considerable amount of confidence as each competing gymnast seemed to take every event head on.

“I had confidence in myself,” Agarwala said. “My confidence really boosted my adrenaline, I wasn’t holding back. Confidence, that’s half the routine."

The county title certainly did not come easy to the Trojans. They were without Sydne Powers after the senior captain broke her hand on Wednesday. Bishop Ahr also has an incredibly young team with six freshmen on the roster. Of the six, five competed on Saturday.

“We faced some adversity,” Miller said. “They were able to rally together and pull together as a team. I couldn’t be more proud as a coach.”

The Trojans also got a strong performance from another freshman, Skylar Davisson. Davisson placed third in vault (9.35) and beam (9.075).

Samantha Obolsky, Upasna Parikh and Sarah Adlassnig all had strong performances as well.

Bishop Ahr, a storied program, has had some down years recently. With a fresh crop of freshmen this year, things seem to be turning around for one of the best programs in the state.

“I expect a big meet out of them at sectionals, and the goal is to get to states,” Miller said. “We laid a great foundation this year, and we’re reminding people why Bishop Ahr has the strongest history in the state.”

On Saturday there was also a “Flip for Food” challenge, a food drive benefiting the Middlesex County Food Bank. South Brunswick won the challenge with 424 pieces of food donated. A total of 839 pieces of food was donated.

Individual Results

All-Around: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 38.45; 2. Shannon Gregory (J.P. Stevens) 37.5; 3. Kelsey Dwyer (Old Bridge) 36.825. Vault: 1. Shannon Gregory (J.P. Stevens) 9.6; 2. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.525; 3. Skylar Davisson (Bishop Ahr) 9.35. Uneven Bars: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.575; 2. Shannon Gregory (J.P. Stevens) 9.475; 3. Kelsey Dwyer (Old Bridge) 9.325. Balance Beam: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.7; 2. Kristi Maher (South Plainfield) 9.1; 3, Skylar Davisson (Bishop Ahr) 9.075. Floor: 1. Ariyana Agarwala (Bishop Ahr) 9.65; 2. Shannon Gregory (J.P. Stevens) 9.425; 3. Kelsey Dwyer (Old Bridge) 9.4.

Team Results: 1. Bishop Ahr 109.95; 2. South Plainfield 105.075; 3. Old Bridge 103.275; 4. South Brunswick 101.425; 5. East Brunswick 98.575; 6. Piscataway 84.95.

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice: dlogiudice@gannettnj.com