North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week lands on her feet wherever she goes

Jacqueline Bernardo has found a home in the world of gymnastics.

What's changed this year is her exact neighborhood.

The Wayne Hills senior soared to the top last week at the Passaic County meet, becoming the first athlete to win three straight all-around titles. She produced a clean sweep in all four events (floor, vault, beam and bars) to push the Patriots to the top of the team race.

Bernardo admits she felt some trepidation heading into the meet, even after all she's accomplished. She didn't have access to the Wayne Hills gym for the first month of the season due to weather damage in the high school. The Patriots moved practice to Wayne Valley in the meantime, but its runway wasn't long enough for the vault.

Neither the rust nor the competition could bring her down after tallying 35.925 points.

"It was very rewarding," Bernardo said. "I didn't have a lot of experience in all the events because it was only my second time in the all-around (this season). So I was a little nervous. But after I did my vault, which we did first, I felt confident going into the rest of my routines."

For Bernardo, her confidence comes from her preparation. The more reps she does in practice, the more comfortable she is competing.

That may explain why she is still a regular at high school workouts even while practicing three times a week (for three hours each) at Flippin' Out in Pompton Plains. She's used that time to develop more consistency and upgrade her bar dismount this season.

"She really is the ideal high school gymnast," coach Cathy Peter said. "She comes to every single practice. She works hard. She helps the other gymnasts with choreography. She's a true leader in every sense and not just athletic."

Bernardo started her career at age 5 and said her favorite part is learning new tricks. She holds the school record in her best event (9.5 in the beam) and is awfully close in the floor. She's also a two-time North Jersey Gymnast of the Year.

This season, she had to adapt to a new routine since her gym in Fairfield closed down in June. Oftentimes, she'll spend two hours after school with the Patriots, then head to her club from 6 to 9 p.m.

"I find myself going to bed late because I have a lot of homework," Bernardo said. "But I would rather go to practices and stay up late than not go at all."

Bernardo may have gone down as the first gymnast to collect four Passaic County golds if the tournament wasn't cancelled due to COVID her sophomore year. She still joins an exclusive club alongside Wayne Hills grad Crescent Danziger (1999, 2000, 2002) as the only three-time champs.

One of the things that Peter admires most is Bernardo's "laser-focused" attitude and the way she sets an example for the underclassmen.

"I feel like it's important because some of the girls have no experience at all," Bernardo said. "So I want to guide them the best I can."

Bernardo is still undecided about her college plans, although she wants to study nutrition. She's considered getting into acrobatics and tumbling, an upstart sport with about 40 collegiate programs.

No matter where she goes, there's a good chance Bernardo will land on her feet.

"If you're already at the top, you still have to maintain that expectation of staying at the top. So it's a little nerve-racking.

"I just stay in my own bubble. I have my own personal goals to live up to."

Jacqueline Bernardo

Sport: Gymnastics

School: Wayne Hills

Class: Senior. Age: 17

Accomplishment: Bernardo won her third straight Passaic County gymnastic title after posting the top scores in the floor (9.425), vault (8.95) beam (8.95) and bars (8.6). She became the first athlete to take all first events at the tournament since 2009.

Also nominated: Amber Dangelico of Cresskill and Abigail DePeri of Saddle Brook for volleyball; and Megan Mok of Paramus for soccer.

Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app 

Email: farrells@northjersey.com Twitter: @seanfarrell92 

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Record Female Athlete of the Week: Jacqueline Bernardo, Wayne Hills