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Overcast and Breezy South Side gymnastics at 7-2
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Eighth-grader Katherine Grandazza.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
Sophomore Kayleen Malizia.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
South Side remained in the mix for the Nassau Conference II gymnastics title with a 143.75-133.75 victory over visiting Port Washington.
Eighth-grader Katherine Grandazza continued her big season by capturing the all-around with a score of 32.35, highlighted by a 9.2 on floor exercise. Sophomore Kayleen Malizia added a 29.35 all-around score as the Lady Cyclones (6-1 in Conference II, 7-2 overall) bounced back from their lone conference defeat.
“We set our goal to work toward a conference championship and we still have a chance to accomplish it,” coach Cheryl Scalice said. “It has been a great season no matter what happens. We’ve made considerable improvement.”
South Side’s performance in the regular-season finale at Cold Spring Harbor on Wednesday evening, after press time, was vital to its chances of finishing ahead of or tied with Wantagh in the conference standings as well as qualifying for the Nassau team championships on Feb. 9 at Oceanside. Only the top eight teams, based on average score, advance to the county event. “We missed the county tournament last season for the first time in my 13 years of coaching,” Scalice said. “Getting back is another goal of ours.”
The addition of Grandazza has provided the lineup with its biggest boost. She’s averaging better than 30 in the all-around and has attained the qualifying scores on floor and balance beam to participate in the state qualifier meet at Bethpage on Feb. 11. Her floor routine has brought an average score of 9.075. “She has great strength and balance,” Scalice said. “Her floor routine has full difficulty. It has a good pace, and is clean and entertaining.”
Her score in the all-around against Port Washington was a career-high. In addition to a career-best 9.2 on floor, she scored 8.3 on beam, 7.9 on vault and 6.95 on bars. On Jan. 8, Grandazza scored 32.05 in the all-around to help the Lady Cyclones knock off Great Neck South while posting their highest team score of the season—144.1. “If she’s ever nervous, it doesn’t show,” Scalice said.
If Malizia, already in her fourth varsity campaign, scored 8.2 or higher on vault against Cold Spring Harbor, she’d join Grandazza at the state qualifier. Malizia competed in the state qualifier twice before and consistently sticks her vault and beam routines, according to Scalice. “Kayleen is a positive young lady who works constantly to get better,” she said. “She gets good flight on her handspring off the vault.”
Scalice said Malizia has been a team leader along with senior Michelle Silecchia, a six-year member of the varsity who has overcome a serious wrist injury suffered two seasons ago. “Michelle scores well in every meet on floor, beam and vault,” Scalice said.
Everyone on the 10-deep roster has a starting role in at least one event, including sophomore Nicole Coppertino, freshmen Sydney Duncan, Emily Zajac, Amanda Matos and Erin Fellkamp, and eighth-graders Holly Levenstein and Erin Chiffriller.
“We’ve had a total team effort,” Scalice said.
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