Flipping out: Gymnastics state qualifier

There was some unabashed awesomeness going on at the state qualifier at Mount Sinai High School. Behold, the article.

Things we learned:

1. Ward Melville's Cydney Crasa, who took a big spill and came back with big numbers, is a hefty competitor in pint-sized form.

2. Smithtown's Sarah Peters is tough. Like, a lot. She was scratched from the team championship because of the flu and, at the time, her coach told me she was super-questionable for the meet today. Before today's meet, she pretty much said she was feeling horribly and couldn't imagine competing anywhere but floor, since she hadn't as much as thought of practicing in two weeks. Then she kicked butt. Took names. That order. Read the story for full details or check out the scores below. It's a shame that, since she's an alternate, she likely won't compete in floor. She had a good number, but not high enough to qualify in her bread-and-butter event.

3. Bay Shore's Olivia O'Connor is flat breathtaking. I'm running out of adjectives. Floor routine: Flawless. Bars: Show-stopping. Beam: Steady. Vault: Awesome. She doesn't say much, but she's a cool customer. "I do well under pressure," she said. Yup. We know. 

4.  Commack's Alyssa Burns doesn't get too much attention because it's like we expect her to get here. She's a consistently stunning gymnast. She's also a tall-ish senior in a sport that favors young, teeny girls.

Scores! Scores! Scores!

All-Around

Olivia O'Connor - 38.100

Alyssa Burns - 36.575

Cydney Crasa - 36.375

Alt - Sarah Peters - 36.375*

* Crasa and Peters tied but, since Crasa had the highest individual score on one event (her 9.625 on vault), she gets the third spot.

Vault Specialists

Tara Greco (Kings Park) - 9.325

Bari Padover (HHH) - 9.250

Paige Restivo (Whitman) - 9.175

Alt - Dana Passos (HHH) - 9.150

Bars Specialists

Mackenzie O'Connor (Bay Shore) - 9.025

Sarah Peters (Smithtown) - 8.775

Danielle Stansky (HHH) - 8.675

Alt - Michelle Mailard - 8.6

Beam Specialists

Sarah Peters (Smithtown) - 9.450

Ryanne Kudla (Islip) - 9.225

Samantha Lester (Connetquot) - 8.9

Alt - Tara Greco (Kings Park) - 8.8

Floor Specialists

Victorianna Castella (Whitman) - 9.425

Tara Greco (Kings Park) - 9.4

Alyssa O'Connor (Bay Shore) - 9.375

Alt - Michelle Mailard (SWR) - 9.350