Fun is winning gold medals and receiving All-State honors.
But just participating as a gymnast provided plenty of fun during Alison Lardieri’s four-year career at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
“That was always my goal was to have fun,” Lardieri confirmed. “And I had fun during these years.”
Her accomplishments—and more expected in the near future—in gymnastics included her recent championship performance.
On Wednesday, October 21, Lardieri, a senior, captured her fourth Somerset County all-around championship when the tournament was contested at Montgomery High School.
“That was very rewarding,” Lardieri said. “I started rough but came on stronger, and it was my best performance in the county meet.”
She scored an all-around total of 37.5000, beating runner-up Emily Minetti of Hillsborough High School, who scored 36.7250.
In the events, Lardieri won the beam with a score of 9.7000 and the floor exercise with a total of 9.5000, while she placed third on the bars with a score of 9.2500 and fourth on the vault with a score of 9.1000.
Her showing helped Bridgewater-Raritan place second in the team standings with a score of 106.500, which was behind Hillsborough’s championship effort of 110.5500.
Coach Julie Zaneto of Bridgewater-Raritan expressed her feelings about her highly skilled gymnast.
“Being a four-time Somerset County champ is an incredible accomplishment for Alison,” Coach Zaneto said. “That reflects her talent, hard work and determination. As a senior captain, she leads by example and constantly gives her best. We are all so proud of her.”
Lardieri was honored on First Team All-State as a junior when she placed fourth in the all-around at the NJSIAA Individual Championship meet.
That feat came a year after she also received First Team All-State as a sophomore, when she finished third in all-around at the NJSIAA Individual Championships. As a freshman, she earned Second Team All-State and placed 11th in the state meet in all-around.
One achievement that she is focused on winning is a Skyland Conference Championship, which will be held on Friday, October 30, at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington.
“I am determined,” she revealed about her quest to win the Skyland Conference title.
Lardieri will also zero in on a state championship when the state sectional tournament begins on Saturday, November 7. Her career will come to a close when the NJSIAA Individual Championships are competed on Saturday, November 14, at Brick Memorial High School.
Not only will her scholastic competition end in November, but so will her gymnastics career.
The sport that she began when she was just 3 years old and fell in love with and started full-time competition at age 8, will close when she takes off for college.
“No more gymnastics,” Lardieri said.
Her college stop is undecided, but she is interested in majoring in criminology.
“I really enjoyed the sportsmanship and the support, and we are just one big family,” Lardieri shared about her Bridgewater-Raritan career.
She concluded with her assessment of her gymnastics career.
“I am very proud of myself.”