Newsday's Top 10 Suffolk gymnasts for 2025
Amanda Burns of Smithtown performs on the bars during the Suffolk girls gymnastics team championships at West Islip on Nov. 2, 2021. Credit: Brad Penner
Newsday's annual look at the top high school gymnasts in Suffolk, listed in alphabetical order, heading into the season. All statistics are from last season, unless otherwise noted.
Emily Ball, West Islip, Jr.
Ball participated on the floor for Suffolk’s state team in March, scoring an 8.7 in Buffalo. She helped West Islip capture its second Suffolk II title and headlines a young lineup that coach Maryam McGrade called “one of our strongest teams so far.”
Amanda Burns, Smithtown, Sr.
Boasting a 36.2 all-around score last season, Burns returns for a county-winning Smithtown side having participated at the state tournament for Suffolk on beam.
Brooke Dunn, Smithtown, Jr.
Coach Jessica Berroyer praised Dunn’s dedication to improving her craft, noting that the junior’s fall season “is going to be one to watch.” An alternate for Suffolk’s state tournament team, Dunn held a 34.55 all-around score last year.
Bayla Goldberg competes on the balance beam at the New York State girls gymnastics individual championships on March 2, 2024, in Clarence, N.Y. Credit: Bridget Fetsko
Bayla Goldberg, Smithtown, Sr.
The only returner from Newsday’s All-Long Island team, Goldberg posted a 36.325 all-around score at the county tournament to help Smithtown win its county title. She added a gold medal at the state tournament in uneven bars (9.775) and placed eighth in both the all-around (37.255) and vault (9.4). No gymnast was more recommended for Newsday’s Top 10 by other Suffolk coaches than Goldberg.
Leah Kutchens, Lindenhurst/West Babylon, Jr.
Kutchens averaged between a 34 and 35 in the all-around as a sophomore and earned a spot as an alternate on Suffolk’s state team on the floor after her 9.25 at the individual tournament. Coach Alyson Rebehn noted how the West Babylon junior contributed immediately in the program’s debut year in 2023 and expects her to continue her ascent after the program graduated four of its top scorers.
Christina Granata, Middle Country, Jr.
Coach Melissa Valentino notes how Granata continues to improve year after year since joining varsity as a freshman. Improving even more would see the junior join the best in the county after finishing in the top 20 across vault, bars and beam. She also placed 10th on vault, 11th on bars and 21st on beam.
Kennedy Lyden, Bay Shore/Islip, Sr.
Last fall marked a season to remember for Bay Shore/Islip as Lyden’s 35 all-around score helped her team score a 174.6 at the county tournament, the best score for the program in over six years. Lyden participated on Suffolk’s state team in bars, with coach Paige Giovanniello calling the sixth-year varsity gymnast “the backbone of our team for the last five seasons” due to her “dedication, hard work and leadership.”
Kennedy Lyden of Bay Shore/Islip gymnastics. Credit: Paige Giovanniello
Avery Melchiona, Connetquot, Sr.
It’ll be good to have Melchiona back running Connetquot’s routines after a back injury sidelined her for her junior season, preventing her from a fourth consecutive spot on Suffolk’s state team. Coach Samantha Prinz called the gymnast “invaluable” even when sidelined in 2024, noting how it “goes to show the type of gymnast, friend and teammate she is.”
Avery Melchiona of Connetquot mounts the high bar during the Suffolk girls gymnastic team championships on April 17, 2021, at Smithtown East. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Samantha Schiano, Middle Country, Sr.
Schiano placed well on beam (11th) and vault (16th) as a junior at the individual county tournament, posting the highest score (17.55) of any two-event participant. Coach Melissa Valentino expects Schiano to thrive as an all-around gymnast this fall for a Middle Country team carrying a three-year undefeated streak in the regular season.
Makayla Turpo-Barbero, Babylon, Sr.
Not only did Turpo-Barbero place eighth in the all-around (36.775) at the county individual championships, but the senior also took first in the all-around in all nine of Babylon’s dual meets. Don’t be surprised if the senior competes at the state tournament in Utica come March.
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
