BATON ROUGE — Despite posting its second-highest score of the year, the 12th-ranked LSU gymnastics team couldn’t stay with No. 7 Florida in a 196.950-196.500 defeat Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU set season highs on the balance beam and floor with a 49.050 and 49.975, respectively. On the beam, the Tigers scored four 9.8s or better, including a season-high 9.875 by freshman Terin Martinjak.
However, Florida was stellar on the floor with scores of 9.925, 9.900, and a pair of 9.875s. The Gators held a commanding six-tenth lead, 147.625-147.025, heading into the final rotation.
Lindsey Miner’s fall as the first competitor for Florida on the beam in the final rotation made the meet much more intense the rest of the way. However, the Gator gymnasts were up to the task as the final five each scored better than a 9.75 to seal the win.
As the final competitor of the night, Kristen Stucky scored a 9.975 to seal the win for Florida and win the beam title.
The Tigers did all they could on the floor to make up the difference, scoring a season high 49.475, but fell nearly half a point short. Four tigers, led by April Burkholder’s 9.95, posted a 9.9 or better to give LSU the score.
To open the meet, Burkholder just missed a perfect 10 on her vault, scoring a 9.975, in leading LSU to a 49.000 on the vault. Burkholder’s score was the highest by a Tiger gymnast since Marina Degteva’s 9.975 last year against Centenary and Rhode Island.
While LSU was solid on the vault, Florida took a slight lead with a 49.150 on uneven bars. Paced by Stucky’s event-winning 9.9, four Gators scored 9.8 or better.
Florida extended its lead in the second rotation with a 49.175 on the vault. Again the Gators were led by a 9.9, this time by Orley Szmuch, and four 9.8s or better. Szmuch won the all-around in the Florida-LSU meet for the second straight year with her 39.550.
Meanwhile, the Tigers had no score better than Lindsay Beddow’s 9.825 en route to a 48.975 on the uneven bars. Halfway through the meet, LSU trailed 98.375-97.975.
Event – team scores (individual champion)
All-Around – Florida 196.950, LSU 196.500 (Orley Szmuch, Florida – 39.550 )
Vault – Florida 49.175, LSU 49.000 (April Burkholder, LSU – 9.975)
Uneven Bars – Florida 49.150, LSU 48.975 (Kristen Stucky, 9.900)
Balance Beam – Florida 49.325, LSU 49.050 (Erinn Dooley, Florida – 9.900)
Floor Exercise – Florida 49.300, LSU (April Burkholder – 9.950)
Individual Results
Rotation One
LSU vault – Megan Durning, 9.675; Jade Jenkins, 9.700; Lauren Companioni, 9.775; Rikki L’Heureux, 9.800; Brittany Brown, 9.750; April Burkholder, 9.975 (Exhibition – Lindsey Thompson, 9.175).
Florida bars – Kara Waterhouse, 9.725; Sherie Owens, 9.800; Lindsey Miner, 9.775; Orley Szmuch, 9.850; Kristin Stucky, 9.900; Erin Pendleton, 9.825.
Rotation Two
LSU bars – Rikki L’Heureux, 9.800; Annie Gagnon, 9.775; Kelly Lea, 9.725; April Burkholder, 9.775; Lindsay Beddow, 9.825; Katherine Hilton, 9.800.
Florida vault – Erinn Dooley, 9.875; Amanda Stroud, 9.850; Orley Szmuch, 9.900; Kara Waterhouse, 9.800; Lindsey Miner, 9.750; Sherie Owens, 9.200.
Rotation Three
LSU beam – Lindsay Beddow, 9.700; Megan Durning, 9.800; Lauren Companioni, 9.825; Jade Jenkins, 9.850; Terin Martinjak, 9.875; April Burkholder, 9.400 (Exhibition – Rikki L’Heureux, 9.600).
Florida floor – Jenny Carow, 9.775; Erinn Dooley, 9.875; Amanda Stroud, 9.825; Kara Waterhouse, 9.875; Lindsey Miner, 9.900; Orley Szmuch, 9.925.
Rotation Four
LSU floor – Chelsea Richard, 9.825; Lauren Companioni, 9.900; Rachel Franzella, 9.875; Jade Jenkins, 9.925; Brittany Brown, 9.750; April Burkholder, 9.950 (Exhibition – Lindsey Thompson, 9.250).
Florida beam – Lindsey Miner, 9.100; Alecia Ingram, 9.800; Orley Szmuch, 9.875; Erinn Dooley, 9.900; Kara Waterhouse, 9.775; Kristin Stucky, 9.975 (Exhibition – Jenny Carow, 9.400).