The New Jersey high school gymnastics postseason starts this weekend with 36 teams spread across four sectional sites, with the ultimate goal being to hoist the state gymnastics championship trophy next week in Brick.
Hillsborough, Lenape, St. John Vianney, and St. Thomas Aquinas have all been relatively consistent all season, are the top seeds in this weekend’s sectional championships, and are the top contenders to be standing on top of the podium at the conclusion of next week’s state championship.
Hillsborough
Ranked third in the most recent NJ.com gymnastics top-10, Hillsborough is the top overall seed based on NJSIAA state Power Points, and they will start their championship quest at home as they host the Section C Championship.
The Raiders own two of the state’s three highest team scores. Hillsborough recorded the state’s highest score of the season, 112.175, during the Raider Invitational on Sept. 26 and the state’s third-highest score this season, 111.225, on Oct. 12 against Northern Hunterdon.
The Raiders are led by Erin Gengler and Ashley Womack. Gengler holds Hillsborough’s season-high scores on the floor exercise and the all-around, scoring a 9.65 on the floor and a 37.375 in the all-around during the Raider Invitational. Womack, a vault and balance beam specialist, holds the Raiders’ high scores on those events, scoring a 9.6 and 9.5, respectively, on each event during the Raider Invitational. Other Raiders gymnasts to watch include Emily Baum, Aysia Lee, and Emily Minetti. Baum holds Hillsborough’s season high on uneven bars with a 9.45 that she scored during the Raiders’ season opener against Bridgewater-Raritan.
Lenape
Lenape enters the 2026 postseason ranked fourth in the state and are the second overall seed based on Power Points. The Indians will begin their title search in Scotch Plains at the Section A Championship at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.
Lenape owns the second highest team score in the state this season with a 111.950 that they scored during their Oct. 20 meet against Shawnee.
The Indians are led by their Senior class of Devan DiSanto, Brianna Lauer, and Caroline Saggiomo. Lauer holds Lenape’s best all-around, vault, and bars scores. She scored a 9.35 on the vault twice, once against Shawnee on Oct. 20 and the other time at the Olympic Conference Championship earlier this week, a 9.425 on the bars against Shawnee on Oct 20, and a 37.900 in the all-around at the Olympic Conference Championship. Saggiomo notched the Indians’ highest floor score with an outstanding 9.95 at the Olympic Conference Championship, and Disanto recorded Lenape’s highest score on the beam with a 9.625 twice, both times against Shawnee on Sept. 10 and Oct. 20.
St. John Vianney
The top team in NJ.com’s top-10, SJV enters the postseason as the third overall seed based on Power Points and will begin their title hunt in Manalapan at the Section D Championship.
Averaging between 105 and 107 points through the better part of the regular season, the Lancers seem to be peaking at the right time as their team scores have shown improvement coming into the postseason, with St. John Vianney scoring their season high of 110.975 in a tri-meet just last week against Old Bridge and Neptune.
SJV is led by Kate DeSimone, Ava Rosado and Sierra Vaz. With DeSimone and Rosado leading the way for most of the season, Vaz has really started to shine as of late, now owning team season highs on the bars with a 9.725, beam with a 9.625, and all-around with a 38.050. All of those scores were recorded during the Lancers’ tri-meet last week. Rosado holds St. John Vianney’s season high scores on the vault with a 9.525 and floor with a 9.475 recorded during a tri-meet against Middletown South and Point Pleasant Boro on Oct. 16. Alivia Cruz and Gabriella Patino are other gymnasts to watch for SJV.
St. Thomas Aquinas
STA are the defending state champions and will look to start their title defense this weekend in their home gym, as they host the Section B Championship in Edison. The Spartans come into this weekend ranked No. 2 in the latest NJ.com gymnastics top-10 and are the fourth overall seed based on Power Points.
Much like last year, St. Thomas Aquinas finished the regular season undefeated in dual meets and handily won the vast majority of their meets; however, their scoring average is down a bit from last season due to the graduation of some talented gymnasts, which could open the door for the Garden State’s other top teams to dethrone them should STA advance to Brick next week.
This year’s Spartans team is led by Alexa Cerchio. Cerchio holds STA’s season-high scores on all four individual events and the all-around. She scored season bests of 9.575 on the vault, 9.55 on the bars, 9.6 on floor, and 37.925 in the all-around on Oct. 13 against South Plainfield, and had her best score of 9.575 on beam at the GMC Conference Championship on Oct. 24. Vanessa Barreros and Olivia Nigro are other gymnasts to watch for St. Thomas Aquinas.
Other Contenders
While Hillsborough, Lenape, St. John Vianney, and St. Thomas Aquinas are the favorites to contend a state championship this year, Bridgewater-Raritan, Brick, Howell, Lacey, Mount Olive, Pascack Hills, and Scotch Plains-Fanwood should not be overlooked, and could provide a challenge to the favorites in sectionals.
The winners of each of the four sectionals, and the teams with the next four highest scores overall, will advance to the state championship at Brick Memorial High School on November 12.
