Taking it to the next level

When his daughter's name wasn't called by the time judges announced the second place all-around winner in the USA Gymnastics Big Apple Classic, Angelo LoMacchio switched off his video camera. But when Gabriella LoMacchio's name was the next one read off, meaning she had placed first in the all-around category, her parents had to do a double take. After all, it was Gabriella's first USA Gymnastics meet, and she was only eight years old.

"It just woke us up because we really were not aware that [Gabriella] was going to win," said Gabriella's mother, Claudia. "And I think at that point we knew she had a lot of talent."

And Gabriella, now 14, didn't stop there. The Baldwin resident has twisted, turned and flipped her way to a Level 9 ranking after a solid performance in the Junior Olympic Level 9 Eastern National Gymnastics Championships earlier this year, and will be competing at a Level 10 in November. Gymnasts competing at levels 9 and 10 are considered junior Olympians, and there are only 1,600 Level 10 gymnasts in the United States. The only ranking higher than Level 10 is elite, at which point gymnasts are considered serious candidates for the Olympics. There are currently 80 such gymnasts in the nation.

"It's a lot of fun," Gabriella said of her gymnastics career thus far. "It's what I like doing. I'm excited to compete."

Gabriella's parents explained that while their daughter may not place in the top three for a specific event — whether that be the floor, balance beam, uneven bars or the vault — she has always scored high as an all-around gymnast because she is competitive at all the different events.

At this November's meet, Gabriella will have to incorporate more challenging moves in each of her four routines en route to earning a Level 10 ranking. A particularly difficult skill that she is attempting to master is a gienger on the uneven bars, which requires that gymnasts release their grip on the bar, twist their body, and catch the bar facing in the opposite direction. And even after perfecting the moves at the November event, she must prove herself at a regional, state and national level before being officially recognized as a Level 10 gymnast.