St. John Vianney claimed its second NJSIAA State Team Championship in three years with a score of 112.525 at Brick Memorial High School on Nov. 12, 2026, defeating top-ranked Hillsborough by less than a point.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Conference Dominance: Finishing 12-0 in match play alongside a sectional title and a second straight Shore Conference championship validates their peak-performance timeline.
Three years after securing the program’s first-ever state crown with a 114.125, the Lancers returned to the top of the podium, according to NJ.com. Hillsborough finished second with a 111.875 at the Nov. 12, 2026 meet in Brick Township.
“This means a lot to us because we worked so hard this year,” head coach Tracie Vaz told NJ.com. “We knew we had a really strong team to begin with, but it’s been about putting the right pieces in and letting the gymnasts get to the places where they needed to be.”
Vaz has guided the program since its inception 11 years ago. She attributes the sustained success to tailored training regimens designed for high-level competitors.
“I think we’re just growing stronger, and I knew it was gonna be there at some point,” Vaz said to NJ.com.
“We run a really good program because we work with a lot of high-level girls, so we try to cater our practices towards that. A lot of it is about being safe, peaking at the right time, and not having them do skills they’re not ready for.”
| Team | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | 2nd | 111.875 |
| Lenape | 4th | 110.350 |
The campaign carried a distinct sense of symmetry for senior Kate DeSimone, who bookended her high school career with state titles. DeSimone recorded the second-highest all-around score of the meet with a 37.725.
“It was my freshman year we got my first one,” DeSimone told NJ.com. “Now having it again my senior year is the best thing that could have happened.”
DeSimone also posted a 9.575 on the beam, second only to teammate Sierra Vaz, and a 9.275 on the bars. Bridgewater-Raritan’s Alison Lardieri led all competitors in the all-around with a 37.875.
“I’ve grown so much, especially with my confidence,” DeSimone said to NJ.com. “I was a little scared my freshman year since it was my first time doing it with a team, but then senior year I realized how much fun it is and it’s so good to compete for other people.”
The William & Mary commit watched the program mature through her tenure. “We’ve grown so much and had some amazing gymnasts come in and leave,” DeSimone told NJ.com.
For coach Vaz, sharing the floor with her sophomore daughter, Sierra Vaz, added an emotional layer to the victory. Sierra Vaz finished fifth in the all-around with a 37.4, notched the meet’s top beam score at 9.6, and took second on the vault with a 9.65.
“It’s surreal having my daughter on the team because when she was little she would watch them and hope to be like them one day,” Vaz told NJ.com. “Now, to not only have her on the team, but win a state championship is something I’ll never forget.”
Assistant coach Kim Cardinoza stepped in to handle Sierra’s direct instruction.
“To be honest, I back off and she has to coach her,” Vaz said to NJ.com. “She tends to know I’m a little on the softer side of coaching, so this can’t be done without the two of us.”
“It’s very heartwarming,” Sierra Vaz told NJ.com. “She’s been with me the whole way through, so to have her with me was helpful.”
Defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas took third with a 110.925, while Lenape placed fourth at 110.35 and Bridgewater-Raritan finished fifth with a 109.05. St. John Vianney capped its undefeated 12-0 match-play run by defending its Shore Conference and sectional titles ahead of the state finals.
“We were thinking it was okay if we lost because everything happens for a reason, but at the same time we knew we deserved it because we worked so hard,” Sierra Vaz told NJ.com.
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