BATON ROUGE — After scoring a season-best 197.650 in its victory over Centenary last Friday, the LSU gymnastics moved up one spot to No. 5 in the latest national rankings released Monday.
It marks the second week time season the Tigers have been ranked among the top five as they previously held the No. 4 position during the week of March 1.
Defending national champion UCLA tops the standings once again. The Bruins are the only team in the country to have surpassed the 198- barrier with their regional qualifying score (RQS). They top the field with a 198.040.
Utah jumped two spots to No. 2 (197.495) in the rankings, while SEC foes Alabama (197.455) and Georgia (197.410) are No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
With the Tigers following in fifth (197.365), Florida at No. 8 (197.180), Auburn at No. 20 (196.435) and Arkansas at No. 24 (196.235) the stage is set for an extremely competitive SEC Championship meet this Saturday.
LSU will enter the conference meet ranked among the top 15 nationally on each of the four events. The Tigers are fifth on the beam (49.335), sixth on the vault (49.365), 10th on the bars (49.310) and 11th on the floor (49.435).
April Burkholder, the SEC’s top-ranked all-arounder, is listed at No. 3 this week with a RQS of 39.635. She is also ranked among the top five on three of the four individual events. The Houston native is tied for third on the floor (9.960), tied for fourth on the beam (9.940) and is fifth on the vault (9.945).
Other Tigers ranked nationally included Annie Gagnon on the bars and Nicki Butler on the vault.
Gagnon cracked the top five for the first time in her career, moving up two spots to No. 4 (9.940). Butler improved in the rankings as well, inching up one spot into a two-way tie for eighth (9.940).
LSU returns to action this Saturday when it travels to Duluth, Ga., for the 2004 SEC Championships. Action from the Gwinnett Center will begin at 6 p.m. (CST).
Following the conference meet, the Tigers return home to host the NCAA Central Regional Championships Friday, April 2 at 6 p.m. in the Maravich Center.
National Rankings – March 15
Rank Team RQS Region Ave High
1 UCLA 198.040 W 197.156 198.875
2 Utah 197.495 NC 197.160 198.050
3 Alabama 197.455 C 197.347 197.925
4 Georgia 197.410 SE 197.198 198.050
5 LSU 197.365 C 196.789 197.650
6 Stanford 197.350 W 197.056 198.875
7 Iowa State 197.210 NC 196.927 198.000
8 Florida 197.180 SE 197.039 198.225
9 BYU 197.125 NC 196.345 198.025
10 Oregon St. 197.090 W 196.357 197.675
11 Nebraska 196.960 SC 196.647 198.000
12 Washington 196.930 W 196.143 198.025
13 N. Carolina 196.900 SE 196.195 197.350
14 Missouri 196.775 SC 196.452 197.475
15 Arizona 196.775 SC 196.409 197.300
16 Oklahoma 196.745 SC 196.317 197.300
17 Iowa 196.610 NC 196.302 197.150
18 Denver 196.570 NC 195.973 197.875
19 Michigan 196.470 NE 196.222 197.125
20 Auburn 196.435 C 196.150 197.000
21 W. Virginia 196.335 SE 195.865 197.400
22 Arizona St. 196.325 SC 196.245 198.450
23 N.C. State 196.240 SE 195.102 197.125
24 Arkansas 196.235 SC 195.970 196.625
25 Michigan St.196.130 C 195.390 197.075