Malverne Gymnast is Best in State

By Danielle Lambert

Hope Matthews, an eighth-grade student at Howard T. Herber Middle School in the Malverne School District, who practices gymnastics outside the district, was recently crowned No. 1 in New York State and No. 55 in the country for Level 7 gymnastics. 

A gymnast since the age of 5, Hope practices bar, beam, floor and vault at the Farmingdale Gymnastics Academy. 

In order to qualify for states, Hope had to score at least 32 out of 40 points across all four disciplines at the Manhattan Classic this past winter.

At Howard T. Herber, Hope is a member of the soccer and lacrosse teams. Her mother, Lisa Bell-Matthews, is a teacher at her school.