Girls Gymnastics: Time on New Trier’s side at sectionals

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Northfield Friday, 2/3/12 North Shore Country Day School's Cassi Formolo competing on the Vault during Friday's regional meet held at New Trier High School. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:34AM

New Trier girls gymnastics coach Jennifer Pistorius said she hates to sit around, waiting to hear news. So Pistorius obviously is happy the Trevians are competing in the state’s final sectional, which takes place at Niles North tonight (Thursday).

New Trier’s gymnasts, along others in the sectional, have the luxury of immediately learning how their scores rank against others across in the state.

The Niles North Sectional begins at 6:30 p.m., and by the time the late local news begins, the Trevians should know whether or not they qualified for their first trip to the IHSA state meet in 16 years.

If not, New Trier’s six sectional qualifiers will still instantly learn whether they advanced as individuals.

Pistorius does not agree that competing in the season’s final sectional adds pressure.

“I think it’s actually good,” she said. “I don’t like sitting around and waiting, knowing there is nothing you can do because you don’t have control over what other teams do. There is pressure (in sectionals), regardless. For the team (competition), we know that if we hit, there is a chance (to advance), and if we fall and miss, then we are out as a team. We try not to put added pressure. But the girls know they can hit, and know that’s what they have to do.”

Entering the postseason, New Trier owned the ninth-ranked team score in the state. Eight teams advance to the state meet: four sectional champions, plus the next four highest scores.

Pistorius said her team likely has to score at least 145, and finish ahead of Lake Forest and DeKalb’s co-op squad in order to earn an at-large spot to State. The Trevians’ best this season is a 144.5,, against Warren during the regular season.

During Friday’s New Trier Regional, the Trevians scored 142.075 and won the championship, holding off Libertyville (140.65).

Junior Kerry Scafidi was New Trier’s lone regional winner, taking first on vault (9.5). Scafidi also advanced automatically (top 5) on floor exercise (3rd, 8.975) and uneven bars (5th, 8.85), and in all-around (4th, 35.925).

Trevians sophomore Elana Benishay was second on floor (9.0) and third on vault (9.375), while freshman Samantha Stoddart was second on beam (9.15), third in all-around (35.95), third on bars (9.05) and fifth on vault (9.175). Each also earned at-large qualification, as did freshman Claire Egerter and sophomore Stephanie Steen.

“We have room to improve,” she said. “We had a lot of highs, and some things not so great. We counted seven falls: three on bars, one on floor and three on beam. Everybody did something positive. We had good moments, but there is room to improve.”

Pistorius said a few of her gymnasts were planning to add new tricks to their routines in practice. The coach also said that workouts only will include seven or eight varsity gymnasts.

“This way, they can concentrate on what they have to do,” she said. “Hopefully, that will do the trick. We haven’t done that before, but we hope this can help their focus.”

North Shore Country Day

Senior Cassi Formolo advanced to sectionals on balance beam, finishing fourth (8.725) at the New Trier Regional to earn automatic qualification. During the season, Formolo, the Raiders’ only gymnast, competed in invites with New Trier.