Open Invitation for Finley Girls’ Gymnastics

There’s still time for seventh and eighth grade girls at J. Taylor Finley Middle School to consider participating in the new combined gymnastics team with nearby Oldfield Middle School. It’s a joint venture between Huntington UFSD and Harborfields CSD to create additional opportunities in both district.

A Finley girls’ gymnastics team would be a first for the school. Oldfield has sponsored such a team for many years, but it could use more members to strengthen its long-term viability so an invitation went out to Huntington UFSD.

Huntington and Harborfields already combine in varsity girls’ gymnastics and both boys’ and girls’ varsity swimming and diving and next year the two districts will field combined varsity boys’ and girls’ fencing teams.

This is an exciting new opportunity for Finley girls to have fun participating in a great sport with a wonderful group of girls from Oldfield. The Huntington and Harborfields varsity team members got along exceptionally well.

The team will be coached by Huntington UFSD health teacher Jackie Lazzarini, who also serves as the Blue Devil varsity girls’ gymnastics coach.

The gymnastics season will run from Monday, March 27 to Friday, May 26. Eight meets are scheduled for the team. There will be home contests against Babylon (May 2), Gelinas/Murphy (May 12), Oakdale/Ronkonkoma (May 19) and Commack (May 25) and away meets against Hampton Bays (May 5), Smithtown (May 9), Copiague (May 16) and Hauppauge (May 23).

Finley girls interested in participating on the new team can send a message to Huntington athletic director Jim Hoops at jhoops@hufsd.edu and/or Coach Jackie Lazzarini at jlazzarini@hufsd.edu.

The combined team will practice after school at Harborfields in a gym dedicated to gymnastics. The various pieces of apparatus can be set up and left intact day-to-day, facilitating more efficient daily practices by eliminating the time it would take to breakdown and set-up. It’s the same gym where the varsity team practices and competes during the fall season.

Huntington UFSD is hoping this new opportunity is welcomed by Finley girls, who are expected to have just as much fun as their varsity level counterparts did last fall.