Sayreville gymnasts look ahead
BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer

Although her team opened the season with a loss on Monday, Sayreville War Memorial High School gymnastics coach Denise Marsch is confident that the squad will improve with each meet.

"We’re trying to build a program here from the middle school up," Marsch said. "That takes time, but the main thing for us is improvement from meet to meet and from year to year."

The Bombers had several good performances in Monday’s meet against Piscataway, but the coach did note that her team suffered from some opening-night jitters.

"Everyone knows we had a tough season last year, and the girls are working hard and they really want to do well," Marsch added. "As a result, I think they were a little nervous."

That should change as the younger Bombers, two sophomores and a freshman, gain experience. They can also look to senior captain Alicia Hughes, a solid all-around performer, for guidance and leadership.

Sayreville also has three juniors on the roster. They include Allison Trapp, an all-around performer; Daniella Bardesio, a vaulter; and Amy Wiewiorski, who performs on the balance beam. Trapp, who missed all but two meets a year ago with an injury, is rounding into form and doing well, Marsch said.

Sophomore Cindy O’Hara is back to compete in the vault, along with newcomer Natalie Battaford, who will see action on the balance beams, floor exercise and vault. Another newcomer, freshman Nicole Inganmorte, is a promising all-around performer, the coach said.

Marsch noted that she is trying to increase interest in the program, and is hoping to one day introduce gymnastics at the middle school. Over the summer, the coach held a camp for younger athletes to introduce newcomers to the sport and encourage those with some gymnastics experience to stick with it.

"I’d like to get a lot more girls involved," she said. "One way to do that is to get them interested while they’re younger so they can learn the basics before they get here. It’s really a great sport, and I want Sayreville to have a strong program."