The Maine South girls gymnastics team is in position to win the Central Suburban South outright, which coach Tessa Robinson said the Hawks have never done before.
If Maine South beats Glenbrook South in a dual meet on Thursday, Jan. 21, in Park Ridge, it would then have to finish first at the Central Suburban South meet on Saturday, Jan. 30, at New Trier’s Northfield campus to guarantee an outright championship. There are other ways the Hawks could win their conference outright, but that is the most straightforward.
Maine South is also the second-highest seed at the Maine South Regional, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 4. The Hawks, who won the Niles North Invite on Saturday, Jan. 16, have the potential to reach the sectional tournament as a team, too.
“Those prospects are exciting,” Robinson said. “Hopefully we can do it.”
Maine South also has a chance to earn an at-large state berth, Robinson added, if the Hawks’ best gymnasts on each event can perform — and execute their routines.
Despite its success, Maine South hasn’t put its best lineup together thus far. Robinson has taken a cautious approach as the season’s unfolded, keeping certain gymnasts off of certain events based on how their bodies feel.
“For the most part, I’m trying to balance things out for them so they can stay healthy through the end, and be able to give their best effort at conference and in the state series,” Robinson said.
Junior Alysa Chiovatero has been an all-arounder throughout her varsity career, for instance, but she didn’t compete at the Niles North Invite after tweaking her elbow in practice.
Junior Sara Ignoffo was first on vault (9.55) and finished third in the all-around (33.40) at the Niles North Invite. The Hawks won with a score of 103.075. Teams had three gymnasts compete on each event, and all three individual scores counted toward the team score. At a traditional meet, five girls compete on each event and the top four scores count toward the team total.
Three other Hawks gymnasts who competed at the Niles North Invite — freshman Caleigh Pistorius, senior Carly Berns (first on balance beam, 8.90), freshman Cristina DeFilippis (second on floor exercise, 9.05) — are capable of competing on all four events by the end of the season.
“It’s just going to depend on how their bodies are feeling, and who is able to put their routines together with the skills that they can do,” Robinson said.
Eric Van Dril is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @VanDrilSports
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