By Rosa Cirianni (of Rose Writes Strategies)

BOONTON, NJ (March 27, 2025) —North Stars Gymnastics Academy gymnasts earned multiple awards among all events and age groups — including one all-around title, at the Level 10 New Jersey State Championship recently held at Precision Gymnastics in Bayville, N.J. Now, 11 of them will advance to Regionals in about two weeks.

Sponsored by the USA Gymnastics New Jersey chapter of the national USA Gymnastics Women‘s Development Program, the Level 10 State meet included a junior division up to age 16 and a senior division up to age 18. Level 10 is the highest competitive level under USAG, except for elite.

Led by Head Coach Ashley Umberger and also coached by Faith Baranowski, Heather Moroz, Shenice Martin, Melissa Jones and Brielle Benoski, the Level 10s took second place in the state team award, while its Level 9s won first.

“Our athletes are tough and can compete against the best in the state, region and nation and hold their own,” said North Stars Gymnastics Academy Head Team Coach, CEO and part owner Ashley Umberger, a former two-time U.S. National Women‘s Gymnastics Team member. “Their work ethic, intense focus and talent drives them to reach their potential and most times, exceed it with admirable control and grace.” 

Gymnasts can score up to a perfect 10 for each of the four events: uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault, achieving a maximum all-around score of 40. Each had to earn a 34 all-around score (cumulative score from all four events) at the state championship, a 35.00 pre-qualifying score from the existing season, or a 9.0 or higher at the state meet in an individual event (IES) to receive a bid to Regionals, according to USAG-NJ. Additional gymnasts who did not compete at the state meet, but still advance due to their achievements during the season and/or year prior at Nationals also include Kai Mattei, 18, of Melville, N.Y., a senior in the North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program and UCLA Bruins Gymnastics commit. 

USAG Gymnastics is comprised of eight regions throughout the nation. North Stars had 11 Level 10 gymnasts (ages 12 to 17) qualify for the Region 7 Gymnastics competition, which represents the top qualifying state championship gymnasts from six states including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Regionals is scheduled for April 10-13 in Virginia Beach, Va. The top score getters at Regionals will advance to the U.S. Women‘s Gymnastics Development Program Level 10 Nationals from May 9 to 11  in Salt Lake City, Utah.

North Stars Level 10 Championship Team (Junior Division) 

  • Sophia Betz, 12, East Hanover (Morris County), 6th grade, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A

**All-around: 37.250, first place

Vault: 9.500, fifth place

Bars: 9.100, fourth place

Beam: 9.425, third place

  • Maxine Cometa, 14, Leonia (Bergen County), freshman, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A

Bars: 9.675, first place

Beam: 9.500, second place

  • Ashlyn Cummings, 13, Oak Ridge (Morris County), 8th grade, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A
  • Stella Fischer, 15, Bridgewater (Somerset County), sophomore, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. B

Floor: 9.200, third place

  • Leah Higgins, 14, Derry, New Hampshire, 8th grade, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A

Vault: 9.850, first place

  • Sophia Rocca, 15, of Frelinghuysen Township (Warren County) Jr. B, freshman, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program

All around: 37.425 third place

9.400 vault, fourth place

9.300 bars, fifth place 

9.575 beam, first place tie

9.150 floor, fifth place 

  • Teneil Turnbull, 14, Fairview (Bergen County), freshman, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A

All around: 36.750, third place

Vault: 9.750, third place

Bars: 9.325, second place

Floor: 9.300, fourth place

  • Maria Verrone, 13, Parsippany (Morris County), 8th grade, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Jr. A

All around: 35.950, fifth place

Beam: 9.100, fifth place

North Stars Level 10 Championship Team (Senior Division)

  • Mariyah Aranbayev, 16, Jamaica Estates, Queens, N.Y., junior, North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Sr. A

Bars: 9.700, second place 

  • Sh’nai Thompson, 17, Dunellen (Middlesex County), senior, Dunellen High School and North Stars Gymnastics Academy homeschool program, Sr. B, Ithaca College Women’s Gymnastics commit

Vault: 9.525, second place

Floor: 9.375, third place

About North Stars: North Stars Gymnastics Academy has been a national training center in Morris County for more than 50 years with female gymnasts earning placements and awards at the national and international levels. It boasts medalists in USA Championships, Goodwill Games, Pan American Games, Pacific Alliance Championships and competitions in France, South Korea, England, Russia, Bulgaria, Colombia, U.S. Olympic Trials and more. North Stars prides itself on its ability to train athletes to build the necessary skills to secure athletic and academic college scholarships. To learn more about North Stars, visit  https://www.northstarsgymnastics.com/.

                                                         

Photo caption: 

North Stars Gymnastics Academy won the New Jersey Level 10 State Championship award for second place team. Eleven of its athletes qualified for the USAG Region 7 Gymnastics competition. They will compete against the top qualifying state championship gymnasts from six states including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia April 10 to 13 in Virginia Beach, Va. 

(From LEFT to RIGHT)

Top row: Kai Mattei of Melville, N.Y., Sh’Nai Thompson of Dunellen; Mariyah Aranbayev of Jamaica Estates, Queens; Stella Fischer of Bridgewater

Middle row: Sophia Rocca of Frelinghuysen; Maxine Cometa of Leonia; Leah Higgins of Derry, New Hampshire; Teneil Turnbull of Fairview

Bottom row: Ashlyn Cummings of Oak Ridge; Maria Verrone of Parsipanny; Sophia Betz of East Hanover

Photo credits: Gabe Rhodes Photography