Freshman Anna Hall helps West Islip capture first Suffolk team gymnastics championship
West Islip's gymnasts celebrate after winning the Suffolk gymnastic team championship on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Medford. Credit: Brittney Dietz
The Suffolk gymnastics team championship plaque has a new home — and it is a place it has never stayed in before.
The West Islip gymnastics team scored 173.6 total points to win the Suffolk championship at Patchogue-Medford in Medford on Tuesday night. The victory dethroned the combined Smithtown team, which had won the previous two titles but placed second this year with 171.55.
The Lions’ win marked the first team title in program history, according to eighth-year coach MaryAnn McGrade.
“It’s everything I dreamed of from the first day of this season,” McGrade said. “This year has finalized into a dream. I told them, ‘Believe in this dream. Every time you step in here, work on your goals.’ This is the cherry on top.”
Freshman Anna Hall was West Islip’s top overall performer, as she scored 35.9 points in the all-around competition, ranking first among all gymnasts. The Lions’ second-leading scorer was sophomore Juliet LeClaire with a 32.275. Smithtown West senior Brooke Dunn, who competes on the Smithtown district team, placed second in the all-around with 35.05 points.
Hall placed first in the vault, scoring a 9.2, and also won both the balance beam and the floor exercise with a score of 9.4 in each. Her score on the floor tied with Smithtown West eighth-grader Lilly Mastellon.
“I’m very proud of myself, and also the team, obviously,” Hall said. “People might say that this meet will be hard because of this team or that team, but I knew we were going to win, because we lift each other up, and I know we’re the best team.”
The only event Hall did not win was the uneven bars, which went to Shoreham-Wading River senior Alyssa Wood — who competed for the combined third-place Floyd/Longwood/Eastport-South Manor/Shoreham-Wading River/Rocky Point/Center Moriches team — with a 9.15.
West Islip scored the most team points in three of the four events, with a 43.25 in the vault, 41 on the bars and 44.75 on the beam.
Hall’s performance bested Patchogue-Medford sophomore Andi Gapo — the county’s top gymnast on the beam — by one-tenth of a point. Senior Emily Ball, who was West Islip’s third-leading all-around scorer with 26.95 points, placed second on the bars with an 8.6.
“This is the best sendoff I could’ve asked for,” Ball said. “We were walking in today, and we knew anything could happen, but we really wanted to win. I’m so incredibly proud of everyone on my team.”
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
