Girls Gymnastics: New Trier earns CSL South title
By mATT HARNESS mharness@pioneerlocal.com January 30, 2012 9:36PM
1/27/2012 Evanston New Trier's Sam Stoddart competes on the uneven bars during the CSL South Division Varsity Conference Championships at Evanston High School on Friday, January 27, 2012. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:23AM
Jennifer Pistorius has been with the New Trier girls gymnastics program for nearly a decade, and the Trevians coach thinks this season’s group is one of her most talented.
The Trevians showed why Pistorius believes as much on Friday, capturing the overall CSL South championship for the second consecutive season. New Trier won the meet with 142.925 points, beating Maine South by more than six points.
“Hopefully, this is the beginning of our run,” Pistorius said.
New Trier continues the season when it hosts a regional on Friday. Libertyville figures to be the Trevians’ main challenge for the overall title.
“We hope we are peaking at the right time,” Pistorius said.
Prior to the conference meet, the Trevians scored a season-best 144.25. But Pistorius likes the marks from the South tournament because judges scored at a postseason level.
New Trier shined with a five-member lineup, which featured two freshmen, two sophomore and a junior.
Sam Stoddart captured the all-around crown with a career-high 36.90. The freshman also won floor exercise (8.925).
“She’s been very reliable,” Pistorius said. “It could have been a toss-up with our other girls, but Sam won it. That was probably her best meet. That’s nice to see at this time of the year. But a lot of girls had a great meet.”
Indeed. All five Trevians finished among the top seven in all-around.
Junior Kerry Scafidi was New Trier’s other conference champion, finishing first on vault (9.625) and fourth in all-around (35.675). She was the only Trevian to qualify for the state meet last season.
Freshman Claire Egerter finished fifth in all-around (35.275), while sophomores Elana Benishay (34.825) and Stephanie Steen (34.125) rounded out New Trier’s effort.
“Stephanie had been struggling the last few meets, but she really had a great (conference) meet,” Pistorius said.
What makes New Trier’s group special is that each gymnast has the potential to take team honors in all-around. When the team posted its season-high score, Egerter finished first overall.
“It’s nice to see such strong all-arounders,” Pistorius said.
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