South Side vaults to top

Junior Sydney Duncan took the all-around with a season-best 29.45, and seniors Kayleen Malizia and Nicole Copertino won the vault and bars, respectively, to lead South Side to a 140.80-102.75 Conference II gymnastics victory at Great Neck North on Jan. 12.

It was the fourth straight conference win without a loss for the Lady Cyclones (4-1 overall), who seek a repeat first-place finish a year after sharing the conference title.

“We returned basically the same team as last season and our scores have been on the rise,” South Side coach Cheryl Scalice said. “We had a few injuries early in the season, but we’re healthy now and looking to score in the low 140s every meet.”

The Great Neck North meet signified the end of the first half of the conference schedule, but two of the tougher opponents await the Lady Cyclones (138.25 team scoring average) in the second half. Carle Place is the co-leader, and Cold Spring Harbor has but one defeat. “We were seeded second behind Carle Place, and we go there for the last meet Jan. 31,” Scalice said. “But all the teams are scoring similarly and we still have work to do if we want that last match to be for the conference title.”

In her sixth year in the program, Malizia, who was Honorable Mention All-County last season on vault and is a multiple state qualifier meet participant in the event, is the team’s driving force, Scalice said. “She’s our mental leader and helps everyone stay focused,” the coach said. “Kayleen is an exceptional on vault and equally strong on the other three events.”

Duncan, an All-Conference performer in her fifth varsity campaign, is averaging an impressive 29-plus in the all-around. “Sydney’s picked up where she left off,” Scalice said. “She’s had steady improvement in everything, and her beam performances have been remarkable.”

Copertino, who missed a few meets with a foot injury, is the team’s most improved gymnast, Scalice said. “Nicole worked really hard during the offseason and has made huge strides,” she said. Copertino (7.0 on bars), and sophomores Ellen Buchner (7.8 on floor) and Holly Levenstein (7.55 winning beam) helped South Side to a 143.85-138.2 win over North Shore on Jan. 9.

“The girls do a nice job with the time they put into the sport, and they really get along great,” Scalice said. “They’re always pulling for one another and picking each other up.”

Remaining home meets at South Side Middle School are against Port Washington (Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.) and Great Neck South (Feb. 2 at 4:30 p.m.)