Sophomore’s floor score soars above the rest in Trevians latest dual

New Trier and Clara Crossgrove saved their best for last Thursday evening.

The sophomore finished the night for the Trevians by nailing her floor routine, earning a score of 9.55 — a team-best mark not only in the meet but on the season.

“I was so shocked,” Crossgrove said of seeing her score. “Some of the judges score hard and I know this judge is a really hard scorer, so I really was not expecting to get a 9.55.”

Her performance was not a surprise, though — at least once she landed her first tumbling pass.

Crossgrove said she has struggled early in her floor routine, but once she hit it on Thursday, everything else fell into place.

“Once you land one thing, you think, ‘OK, might as well finish strong,” she said, adding “I was just … very nervous before and I would rush it and fall. Now I am more comfortable with the meets. I’ve gotten more confident and I do better.”

Crossgrove’s floor score pushed New Trier’s team score to new heights as well. Even though it came in a loss, the Trevs’ 139.65 was a season-high. Glenbrook North recorded a 142.05.

The Spartans biggest advantage came on beam, where they had the event’s top four finishers and topped New Trier 35.65 to 32.25.

“Clearly we have a lot of work to do on beam, but we were missing a couple girls so hopefully a little better outcome on Saturday for our holiday invite,” New Trier coach Jen Pistorius said.

New Trier sophomores Sammy Mills, Madeline Seiple and Crossgrove did not compete in all of their events Thursday, Pistorius said, and the Trevians are competing without injured senior Rebecca Herbst, who is nursing an ankle injury.

On Thursday, New Trier was led by Crossgrove with a win on floor and team-best fifth on beam (8.35). Senior Ryann Segall was second in the uneven bars (9.3), sixth on vault (8.96) and sixth on beam (8.25). Sophomore Taylor Kim was fourth in vault (9.2) and the all-around (32.55). Junior Annabel Sturgesswas third on bars (9.25), and Seiple was fourth on floor (8.8).

So far this season, the Trevians have bested Evanston (139.5-124.85 on Dec. 8) and Niles North (137.1-104.1 on Dec. 1) in dual meets, finished seventh (134.85) in the Hilltopper Invitational on Dec. 3, and taken second in a triangular with Carmel and Lake Forest on Dec. 6.

Pistorius said this team has what it takes to not only come back and win a share of the conference title (for that, they must win the league meet on Jan. 27), but also qualify for state. After a run of four straight state meets (2017-2020; no state meet in 2021), New Trier did not qualify for the IHSA finals last season.

“We have some injuries and some soreness. We’ve had a lot of meets,” she said. “We just have to have more reps and get a little more confidence. I think it’s going to come. Ryann (Segall) is the only one one varsity all four years and with experience at state. Everyone else has to get used to it.”