Newsday's All-Long Island gymnastics team 2023
Newsday's All-Long Island gymnastics team for 2023. Front row, from left: Lyla Jay Murphy, Massapequa, Hannah Hughes, Middle Country, Leah Chin, Syosset. Back row, from left: Marisa Schlossman, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, Isabella Field, Bay Shore/Islip, Alexandra Melchiona, Connetquot, Adison Eisenberg, Half Hollow Hills, Madison Reed, Massapequa. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Newsday Gymnast of the Year: Hannah Hughes, Middle Country, So.
You wouldn’t know it by all the medals Hannah Hughes won, but even the great ones experience doubt sometimes.
Before this year’s marquee event, the reigning state vault champion faced a moment of uncertainty.
“I kept falling on the beam and was making mistakes that were really frustrating in practice,” Hughes said. “But my coaches and teammates told me that everything was OK because I was getting the falls out now, before it really mattered.”
They were right.
Hughes, who competes for Middle Country and attends Newfield, had a record-best performance. She posted a 9.725 on vault to become a two-time state champion in the event, and secure the all-around title.
And for a second straight season, Hughes is Newsday’s Gymnast of the Year.
“You can always feel it, and I felt it in that moment,” Hughes said. “I knew it was a great vault and good enough to win the event.”
What she didn’t know was that her silver medal finish on the uneven bars (9.425) and bronze medal shows on the balance beam (9.525) and floor (9.475) were good enough for the all-around title too.
“I couldn’t believe it. It was a goal I’ve had since last season and it was an incredible feeling to know that my hard work paid off,” Hughes said.
Hughes had no falls throughout all of her events this season. She posted a score below 9.0 just once, on the uneven bars.
The sophomore spends seven days a week at Hotshots Gymnastics in Plainview, either working on her skills or helping younger gymnasts sharpen their own as an assistant teacher.
Hughes won the all-around (38.225) and all four events at the individual county championship in November. As she prepares to enter her third season on the Middle Country team, Hughes is looking forward to winning more state medals.
“Now that I’m on top, I have to stay there,” Hughes said. “And I know I can do it . . . I want to win every event.”
Leah Chin, Syosset, So.
Chin has continued to be a top all-around contender this season and earned her second All-Long Island selection. This season, she posted an all-around score of 36.6 at the county team championship, where she won floor (9.425). She was second in the all-around (36.075) at the individual county championship and finished 31st at the individual state championship.
Adison Eisenberg, Half Hollow Hills, Jr.
Eisenberg finished fourth in the all-around (35.675) at the county championship, where she took fourth on vault (9.2), tied for sixth on balance beam (8.825), tied for seventh on floor (9.0), and finished eighth on uneven bars (8.650). She placed 33rd all-around at the state championship.
Isabella Field, Bay Shore/Islip, So.
Field finished ninth in the all-around at the state championships and was Suffolk’s second-highest finisher with a 36.000. She was also ninth on floor (9.225) and 11th on vault (9.075). She posted an all-around score of 36.825 for third at the county championship, where she finished second on beam (9.05) and third on floor (9.475).
Alexandra Melchiona, Connetquot, Sr.
Melchiona finds herself as an All-Long Island selection for the second consecutive year after another consistent season across the board. The senior was a standout in all four events and placed second in the all-around (36.875) at the individual county championship, including second on bars (9.375) and floor (9.5). Melchiona has competed on Suffolk’s state team for the past six seasons, this year posting an all-around score of 35.875 for 10th place.
Lyla Jay Murphy, Massapequa, 8th
Murphy burst onto the scene as a seventh-grader and has quickly become one of the top all-around competitors in the county. She came in third in the all-around (35.825) at the individual county championship and was Nassau’s highest finisher at the state championship, placing 11th in the all-around (35.725).
Madison Reed, Massapequa, Sr.
Reed starred as a senior, putting up some of the highest scores in the county during the season. Reed won the balance beam (9.50) and tied Chin for first on floor (9.125) at the individual county championships. She also won the vault (9.4) and the beam (9.35) to help Massapequa finish second at the team county championships. She finished 32nd in the all-around at the state championship.
Marisa Schlossman, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, So.
Schlossman worked hard to post her best numbers this season. She capped it off when she won the all-around at the individual county championships with a score of 36.30, taking first on both vault (9.25) and bars (9.45). She finished 15th in the all-around (34.275) at the state championship.
Newsday Coach of the Year: Steve Silipo, Syosset/Babylon
Silipo has helped Syosset remain undefeated since Jan. 8, 2018, as they notched their 50th consecutive win on the way to a county team title this season. He also coaches the Babylon team during the Suffolk gymnastics season in the fall.
