Thursday, October 1, 2026
Fighting as a team and excelling as individuals, South Side girls’ gymnastics is in the midst of another shining campaign that could yield many more triumphs in the coming weeks.
Led by senior Mia DiSalvo, the Cyclones could prove to be a serious contender at county championships while several girls work toward qualifying for state competition.
“We are where I expected us to be,” coach Ashley Harney said. “We've won four of our six dual meets so far. The two losses were to our rivals, but the rest we won, which is exciting.”
According to Harney, South Side has fallen short against the likes of Syosset and Plainview, programs that boast deep rosters of club gymnasts with better access to facilities. Despite losing both meets, however, the Cyclones are still on track for the Nassau team championships. They have a prime, if challenging, opportunity coming up in back-to-back meets against Massapequa and Port Washington.
Several individuals on the roster have used team competitions to take strong steps toward the state championships. DiSalvo, a captain along with senior Katie O’Toole, has already attained the state qualifier scores for vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Her average score in floor events is 9.2, putting her among the strongest gymnasts on Long Island.
“It’s awesome for her in the sense of like the individual aspect, but I think knowing how good the Conference 2 teams have been this year, she’s still focusing on her individual score,” Harney said. “She wants to keep our team score high so that we can hopefully secure a spot in the team championship.”
Beyond DiSalvo, who seems poised to make a serious run in state competition, several South Side gymnasts are preparing for similarly strong finishes. Junior Sophia Rosa has already made state qualifiers for uneven bars and floor and is closing in on balance beam and vaulting, putting her in contention for an all-around bid.
Junior Nina Napoli, a state qualifier in balance beam and uneven bars, has become a steadying force, locking down her preferred events while stepping up to face new challenges. She has accepted floor events in place of sidelined teammates and has also vaulted several times, going far outside her comfort zone to give the Cyclones their best chance in team competition.
On uneven bars, Rosa and Napoli are both lead-ins for senior Ava Jewett, who anchors the event as a specialist. Though she has tried other events over the course of her career, the seasoned gymnast excels in her preferred event and will easily move on to state qualifiers with an average score nearing 8.3.
Freshman Bianca Cherry, once suspected to have all-around potential, was thrust into that role by necessity after a slow start, as several injuries forced her to try different events. In her first floor exercise at the Cartwheel for a Cure meet on Jan. 17, she earned an 8.75, coming within a tenth of a state qualifier score.
Cherry is one of several precocious gymnasts, along with freshmen Mikayla DAmato and Juliana Rau. DAmato has already reached state qualifiers for vault and balance beam with a chance on uneven bars, while Rau is in on vault and making improvements on floor and balance beam.
