BATON ROUGE — Despite posting another overall season-high of 196.575 and stellar season-high performances on vault and floor, the No. 11 LSU gymnasts dropped their meet to No. 5 Oklahoma, 196.950-196.575, Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
“I thought our competitive level tonight — our push and our aggressiveness ? was much higher,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “I didn’t see the anticipation and cautiousness I’ve been seeing. I saw a ?let’s go compete’ reckless-abandon type of attitude which I’m very proud of.”
Senior April Burkholder once again led all competition individually, winning the fifth all-around title of the season and the 23rd of her career with a season-high 39.650. Junior Kelly Phelan finished in third with her mark of 39.425.
The Tigers (8-6, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) competed nearly flawlessly on the vault and floor, notching season-bests of 49.425 and 49.500, respectively.
However, inconsistencies on both bars and beam still plagued LSU, allowing Oklahoma (6-6, 1-2 Big 12) to take the meet from the Tigers.
LSU opened with a dazzling performance on vault, notching a season-best 49.425. Nicki Butler’s season-high 9.950 led all competitors while Emily Ellis also earned both a season and career high with a 9.925. Burkholer’s 9.900, Phelan’s 9.875 and Terin Martinjak’s 9.775 rounded out LSU’s scores on vault.
Oklahoma put together a 49.050 mark on the bars in its first event, which gave LSU a .375-point margin after one rotation. However, the Sooners gave a solid performance on vault with a 49.375 while the Tigers experienced some struggles on bars, only earning a 48.650.
In the middle of the lineup, freshman Vanessa Rodriguez, competing in her first collegiate event, fell and received a 9.300. That score had to be counted toward the team score after Ellis fell as well in the next performance.
Despite Burkholder’s season-best 9.900 and Rennie’s season-high-tying 9.875 to lead the Tigers on that event, they trailed Oklahoma, 98.425-98.075, after two rotations.
Though LSU had a few shaky beam performances, there were no falls and the Tigers posted a 49.000 on the event. Burkholder paced the squad with a 9.900 followed by Martinjak’s 9.875.
Oklahoma’s 49.175 on the floor in the meantime did not allow for LSU to bridge the gap, however, and they still trailed, 147.600-147.075, headed to the final event.
The Tigers’ performance on the floor was their best of the season, notching a 49.500 with three scores 9.900 or better. Burkholder and Phelan tied for the event title with 9.950s with Martinjak receiving a 9.900. Phelan’s 9.950 was a season high and also tied a career best.
Oklahoma’s solid 49.350 on beam made it too difficult for the Tigers to pass them up. The Sooners grabbed the win from LSU by a .375-point margin, 196.950-196.575.
“We’ve been trying to do things better and better every week,” Breaux said. “We mastered some landings that caused us to lose the meet last week, so now that we’ve gotten better at our landings we have to maintain that week in and week out.”
The Tigers make a trip to Shreveport on Sunday for a dual meet with Centenary before returning home to play host to SEC foe Alabama on Friday, March 3.
MEET RESULTS
Team Competition
1. Oklahoma — 196.950 (VT-49.375,UB-49.050,BB-49.350,FX-49.175)
2. LSU — 196.575 (VT-49.425,UB-48.650-BB-49.000,FX-49.500)
Individual Scoring (winner plus all LSU competitors)
AA – 1. April Burkholer — 39.650; 3. Kelly Phelan — 39.425
VT – 1. Nicki Butler — 9.950; t2. Emily Ellis — 9.925; t4. April Burkholder — 9.900; t6. Kelly Phelan — 9.875; 11. Terin Martinjak — 9.775; 12. Teri Gibson — 9.700
UB — t1. April Burkholder, Brittney Koncak-Schumann (OU) — 9.900; 3. Lisa Rennie — 9.875; 6. Kelly Lea — 9.800; t7. Kelly Phelan — 9.775; 11. Vanessa Rodriguez — 9.300; 12. Emily Ellis — 8.925
BB – t1. April Burkholder, Brittney Koncak-Schumann (OU) — 9.900; t3. Terin Martinjak — 9.875; 8. Kelly Phelan — 9.825; 10. Christina Suhr — 9.725; 11. Lauren Klein — 9.675; 12. Lisa Rennie — 9.650
FX – t1. April Burkholder, Kelly Phelan — 9.950; t3. 3. Terin Martinjak — 9.900; t6. Emily Ellis, Kelly Lea — 9.850; t8. Lauren Klein — 9.825