Howell Rebels win SC gymnastics title
Brianna Ecklof leads way with all-around triumph
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Brianna Ecklof made a dramatic return to all-around competition at the Oct. 31 Shore Conference Gymnastics Championships at Brick Memorial High School, Brick Township.

Alana Morgan of Jackson Liberty High School competes on the balance beam during the 2009 Shore Conference Gymnastics Championships at Brick Memorial High School, Brick Township, on Oct. 31.

In her first all-around competition since the first week of the 2009 season, Ecklof won the Shore Conference all-around title and helped lead Howell High School to its second straight Shore Conference gymnastics team title.

With Ecklof defeating Jackson Liberty High School's Alana Morgan by the slimmest of margins, 36.925 to 36.900, the Rebels scored a season-high 107.650 points to successfully defend their 2008 title.

Red Bank Catholic High School scored 106.700 points to place second.

Morgan was the individual champion on vault (9.375) and the floor exercise (9.625).

In the absence of Ecklof, the Rebels put their depth — they had 10 gymnasts qualify for the Shore Conference meet — on display throughout the season and lost only one dual meet. That depth got the Rebels into the Shore Conference field, and the return of Ecklof was enough to earn the Rebels another team title.

Dominique Savastano of Jackson Memorial High School takes flight as she competes in the floor exercise during the 2009 Shore Conference Gymnastics Championships at Brick Memorial High School, Brick Township, on Oct. 31.

Ecklof, the preseason favorite to win the conference's all-around title, injured the medial collateral ligament in her knee during the first week of the season and only recently returned to limited action.

However, despite the rust, she was able to top a talented field and keep the allaround title in Howell for the fourth straight year. Howell's Austyn Fobes, who has since graduated, won the last three conference allaround titles.

Ecklof scored 8.950 on vault (10th), 9.025 on uneven bars (4th), 9.500 on balance beam (2nd) and 9.450 on floor exercise (4th) to post an all-around score of 36.925. Her teammate Alexa DeCanio was 13th in the all-around competition (34.525).

Monet Masters, Meghan Grothues, Caitlyn Hoch, Bayleigh Fobes and Sammi Vigna all had top-15 finishes to help Howell retain the team title.

The top 12 finishers in each event won a medal. Masters was fourth on vault (9.200), Grothues was 12th on vault (8.850), De- Canio (8.850) and Hoch (8.850) tied for 12th on balance beam, and Fobes was 12th on uneven bars (8.525) for the Rebels.

The Central Jersey state sectional meet will take place on Nov. 7 at Manalapan High School.