BATON ROUGE — In front of 4,012 attendees, the sixth most in LSU gymnastics history, the Tigers did something it had not done at all since 1995 and had not done at home since the 1987 season–beat Georgia. No. 3 LSU (5-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) defeated the No. 7 Gym Dogs (8-2, 3-2 SEC), 196.375-195.525.
“There were times we’ve played Georgia and should have beaten them and didn’t, but tonight we should have and we did,” head coach D-D said of ending her team’s ten-year drought against the Georgia gymnastics squad.
“I think it was in the back of their minds that they had never beaten this team,” she said. “It’s the kind of thing you carry around like a heavy load. Until you start beating those teams, you don’t know how to beat those teams.”
Kelsey Erickson of Georgia claimed the all-around title on the night with a 39.300. LSU gymnasts Kelly Phelan and April Burkholder followed in second and third, respectively.
Just as in its previous three meets at home, the Tigers opened with a lead after the first rotation.
In an excellent outing on vault, LSU tied its fourth-best mark in program history on that event with a 49.425. Burkholder earned a season-high 9.950 to lead the Tigers. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney followed with a season and career-high tying 9.925.
Georgia’s 49.275 on the bars placed them not far behind, however. And the second rotation brought them ever closer, scoring a 49.225 on the vault to bring them to within .025 of the Tigers.
LSU earned a 49.100 on the bars behind a 9.850 from Lisa Rennie and 9.825s from Nicki Butler and Phelan.
Both teams made some errors in the third rotation, but Georgia’s proved more costly, having to count a fall on the floor.
For the third straight week, Rennie earned the title on the beam with a 9.925 mark. The team scored a 49.075 on the event overall.
Heading to the final rotation the Tigers held a 147.600-147.100 lead. All they had ahead was the floor exercise, an event in which they ranked at No. 2 in the country.
It wasn’t the same flawless performance the Tigers usually see on this event, but a few falls on the beam for the Gym Dogs helped LSU clinch the win over their conference rival.
Led by a 9.900 from Clare-Kearney in an event in which she ranks No. 6 individually in the nation, LSU scored a 48.775 on the final rotation. Coupled with a shaky performance on the beam by UGA with a 48.425 mark, the Tigers held on to the victory by a .750 margin.
“I think they figured out tonight that if the way is not right there in front of you then you have to make a way,” Breaux said of her team’s victory. “And that’s what we did. We had some adversity, we had some mistakes, but we kept coming back from them and I think that showed real character.”
The Tigers ended a three-meet homestand tonight and will travel next weekend to face Kentucky on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and Ohio State on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.
RESULTS
Team Competition
1. LSU – 196.375 (VT- 49.425, UB- 49.100, BB- 49.075, FX- 48.775)
2. UGA – 195.525 (VT- 49.225, UB- 49.275, BB- 48.600, FX- 48.425)
Individual Scoring
All-Around – 1. Kelsey Ericksen (UGA) 39.300, 2. Kelly Phelan 39.250, 3. April Burkholder 38.950.
Vault – 1. April Burkholder 9.950, 2. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney 9.925, t3. Nicki Butler 9.900, 6. Kelly Phelan 9.850, 9. Annie Gagnon 9.800, 12. Rikki L’Heureux 9.625.
Bars – t1. Katie Heenan (UGA), Kelsey Ericksen (UGA), Ashley Kupets (UGA), Nikki Childs (UGA) 9.875, 5. Lisa Rennie 9.850, t6. Nicki Butler, Kelly Phelan 9.825, t8. April Burkholder, Annie Gagnon, Kelly Lea, 9.800.
Beam – 1. Lisa Rennie 9.925, 3. Annie Gagnon, 9.850, t4. Terin Martinjak 9.825, t7. Kelly Phelan 9.750, 9. Lauren Companioni 9.725, 11. April Burkholder 9.300.
Floor – t1. April Burkholder, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Kelsey Erickson (UGA), Michelle Emmons (UGA), 9.900, 5. Lisa Rennie 9.875, 6. Kelly Phelan 9.825, t10. Nicki Butler 9.275, 12. Terin Martinjak 9.125.