Leah Chin, Camryn Platt lead Syosset to Nassau team gymnastics title

Syosset gymnast Leah Chin and her teammates huddled together on the mat of Hicksville’s gymnasium as the results of the Nassau team competitions were announced. After over four hours of constant competition, there was a rare hush across the room.

“We really had no clue,” Chin said. “We made [a pact] that we wouldn’t know the scores.”

When Syosset was revealed as the champions of Nassau, Chin and her team made sure that everybody knew, with cries of joy that could likely be heard six miles down the road in Syosset.

Syosset’s team score of 176.325 narrowly beat out 10 other Nassau teams, including second-place Plainview-Old Bethpage (174.225) and third-place Massapequa (174.175) Thursday evening. Chin, Camryn Platt and Reese Kaufman all placed in the top eight all-around finishers.

Chin was second in the all-around with a score of 36.35 while also finishing first in beam (9.3) and in the top six for the other three events. The junior said the team entered the day with no expectations, which helped them focus from rotation to rotation.

“We worked our way up, we got over so much,” Chin said. “We just came in here trying to do our best, and it worked out for us.”

Platt, a senior, let loose a loud, “Oh, my God!” as she held the championship T-shirt. Platt helped Syosset seal the victory in the team’s final event, vault, with an 8.6.

“It means everything,” Platt said. “Going in as a senior I just wanted to give it my all one last time. The bond that this team has is truly special. I’ve never seen anything like it. These are my best friends, and I’ll remember it forever.”

Syosset coach Steven Silipo said of Chin and Platt, “Leah and Cami are the foundation of the group. They keep everything together.”

Plainview’s Marissa Schlossman also had a terrific performance, finishing first in the all-around with a 36.8. That included impressive 9.6 and 9.55 scores on bars and vault, respectively.

Silipo, who won his fifth Nassau title in the last six years, already has plans to make an important appointment next week. His Syosset jacket has the years 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 on his right sleeve for each county title. There’s now one more year to add to it.

But Silipo knows what he’ll remember about this team, and it’s more than a number on a piece of clothing.

“The hard work and determination,” Silipo said. “I always tell them that nothing is deserved, everything is earned. I’m so proud of them that they were able to clinch a title.”