Bars, beams, floor, or vault, the West Islip varsity girls gymnastics team is laying it all out this 2026 season. The Lions roar is out in full display, and it’s taking section XI by storm.
The West Islip girls varsity gymnastics team is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and competes in League I. The Lions are led by eighth-year head coach MaryAnn McGrade. She’s joined by assistant coach Caitlyn Liebman.
West Islip boasts a 7-0-0 record with two meets left to go in the regular season. The squad will round out the month of October with meets versus Lindenhurst/West Babylon (3-4-0) and Bay Shore/Islip (1-3-0).
The Lions are two-time League I champions, having claimed the title in both 2021 and 2024. Most recently, West Islip finished third overall in the Section XI team championship in 2025.
Perhaps their greatest feat this season was notching a win over the Smithtown Bulls, a school that has dominated the sport over the last handful of years. The Lions took the W 172.2 to 167.1. Smithtown has won the last three meetings between the two schools, dating back to the 2023-24 season.
West Islip was on a mission this season, and that was to put up their best scores. Three times so far, the Lions have beaten their own school record. First versus Floyd with a 167.975, second over cross-town rival East Islip with a 170.4, and most recently over co-op Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman/Glenn with a 172.2.
Emily Ball is the girl of them all for the Lions this season. Ball is a senior this year, saving the best for last. The 6th-year varsity gymnast has qualified, and competed at States twice, in ‘25 and ‘26. At individual state qualifiers she put a 9.4 score on the board in her floor routine. Ball competes in vault, bars, and floor for the Lions.
The Lions set some new personal bests for three members of the squad in their win versus
Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman/Glenn. On the beam, Anna Hall notched a 9.425 and Lena Okurowski put up an 8.825. Kayla Scandura recorded a 9.025 on bars. PR’s, individual or group, are always a nice accomplishment to celebrate!
Newsday named their top-10 Gymnasts for the 2026 season, and West Islip saw three of their own make the list. Emily Ball, Anna Hall, and Kristen Messina. The latter two are both freshmen, but competed for varsity as eighth graders last season and competed at individual state qualifiers.
West Islip is one of two teams in Section XI to have a perfect record this season. At 7-0-0, they lead League I comfortably. Floyd/ESM/Longwood/SWR/MP is the only other team with an undefeated record of 4-0-0
The Lions will close out the regular season at the end of the month with a championship title in mind. Personal records and school bests have pushed this team to a strong season where wins just keep coming.
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