Newsday's top 10 Suffolk gymnasts for fall 2024
Amanda Burns, left, and Isabella Field
Newsday’s annual look at the top Suffolk gymnasts for the fall 2024 season, listed in alphabetical order.
(All stats, placements and awards are from last year unless otherwise noted.)
Amanda Burns, Smithtown, Jr.
Burns finished eighth in the all-around (35.975) at the individual county championships, including a sixth-place finish on balance beam (9.100). She finished 20th on beam (8.650) at the state championships.
Isabella Field, Bay Shore/Islip, Sr.
Field, a two-time Newsday All-Long Island selection, finished fourth in the all-around (36.725), second on floor exercise (9.600) and third on beam (9.250) at the individual county championships. At the state championships, she had Long Island’s fourth-highest all-around score (34.900).
From left: Bayla Goldberg, Hannah Hughes and Lindsey Kutchens.
Bayla Goldberg, Smithtown, Jr.
Goldberg is Suffolk’s reigning uneven bars champion (9.525) and finished third in the all-around (36.900) at the individual county championships. The Newsday All-Long Island pick posted the Island’s highest score and the state’s fourth-best mark on bars (9.700).
Hannah Hughes, Middle Country, Sr.
Hughes was named Newsday’s Gymnast of the Year each of the past three seasons. Though she was unable to defend her state all-around crown and back-to-back state vault titles because of injury, Hughes claimed the Suffolk all-around title (38.200) — including wins on vault (9.700) and floor (9.700) — and helped lead Middle Country to its first county team title since 2003.
Lindsey Kutchens, Lindenhurst/West Babylon, Sr.
Kutchens is Suffolk’s reigning beam champion (9.350) and all-around runner-up (37.100) and a returning Newsday All-Long Island selection. At the state championships, she had the Island’s highest all-around score (36.625) and finished eighth.
Avery Melchiona, left, and Madisyn Rodriguez.
Avery Melchiona, Connetquot, Jr.
Melchiona finished seventh in the all-around (36.075) at the individual county championships, taking fifth on beam (9.175) and sixth on floor (9.200). She finished fourth on floor (9.450) at the state championships.
Michela Nobre, Floyd, Jr.
Nobre, a Shoreham-Wading River student on the Floyd team, finished 12th in the all-around (34.175) and 10th on beam (8.850) at the individual county championships.
Sophia Pepe, East Islip, Sr.
Pepe placed sixth on vault (9.200) at the individual county championships and was part of the Suffolk all-star team that finished third at the state championships.
Madisyn Rodriguez, Middle Country, Sr.
Rodriguez finished third on floor (9.400), fourth on bars (9.150) and sixth in the all-around (36.200) at the individual county championships. She helped Middle Country secure its first county team championship in 20 years.
Makayla Turpo-Barbero, Babylon, Jr.
Turpo-Barbero finished 10th in the all-around (35.825), seventh on bars (8.950) and ninth on floor (9.075) at the individual county championships.
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
