BATON ROUGE — Small miscues on the bars and floor kept the LSU gymnastics team from their first ever berth into the Super Six team finals as they finished fourth in their session and seventh overall at the NCAA Championships Friday night at the Huntsman Center.
The Tigers finished with a 196.275 but was edged by UCLA in the final rotation as they tallied a 49.225 on the bars for a 196.475 to secure a top-three finish and the Super Six berth. Utah and Stanford also advanced to the finals with scores of 197.325 and 197.200, respectively.
“It’s disappointing because we had a good meet,” said LSU head coach D-D Breaux. “We made some inexperienced mistakes, but you can’t fault them for trying, they put it all out there.”
Despite missing out on the Super Six berth, the Tigers had several individuals turn in superlative efforts as four athletes earned All-America honors and the right to compete in Saturday’s Individual Event Finals.
Senior Nicki Butler advanced to the finals and earned first-team honors on the vault after finishing in a three-way tie for first on the event with a 9.950. She also picked up second-team All-America honors in the all-around with a stellar 39.400 effort and a fifth-place finish.
Also picking up first-team recognition and a spot in the finals were senior Kelly Phelan, junior Kristi Esposito and freshman Susan Jackson.
Phelan, a 2006 second-team selection on the floor, earned first-team honors on both the beam and floor. Esposito was honored on the beam and Jackson was recognized on the floor.
The Tigers got off to a shaky start on the bars in the first rotation. An early fall and a missed set resulted in a 48.700 team score. Butler highlighted the Tigers’ efforts on the event, notching a 9.850. Clare-Kearney wasn’t far behind with a 9.825, while senior Lisa Rennie added a 9.750.
LSU rebounded with five hit sets on the beam in the second rotation as it tallied an impressive 49.250, the second highest beam total of the season. Senior Kelly Phelan and junior Kristi Esposito led all scorers as each posted a 9.875. Butler and Jackson added 9.850s while freshman Sabrina Franceschelli rounded out the scoring with a 9.800.
The Tigers returned to competition on the floor in the fourth rotation after sitting out the third with its first of two byes.
LSU had trouble controlling some of its landings on tumbling passes but still managed a 49.025. Jackson and Phelan turned in the Tigers’ top marks as each posted a 9.850. Esposito was just off their pace, notching a 9.800.
Wrapping up competition on the vault in the fifth rotation the Tigers recorded a 49.300 behind five scores of 9.775 or better. Butler was nearly perfect, notching a 9.950. Phelan posted a 9.875, while Jackson and Clare-Kearney each added a 9.850.
LSU wraps up the 2007 season Saturday in the Individual Event Finals. Competition will begin at 8 p.m. (CT).
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. Utah ? 197.325 (VT ? 49.500, UB ? 49.500, BB ? 49.200, FX ? 49.125)
2. Stanford ? 197.200 (VT ? 49.525, UB ? 49.200, BB ? 49.300, FX ? 49.175)
3. UCLA ? 196.475 (VT ? 49.425, UB ? 49.225, BB ? 49.025, FX ? 48.775)
4. LSU ? 196.275 (VT ? 49.300, UB ? 48.700, BB ? 49.250, FX ? 49.025)
5. Denver ? 195.575 (VT ? 48.975, UB ? 48.700, BB ? 48.975, FX ? 48.925)
6. Michigan ? 195.100 (VT ? 49.125, UB ? 48.700, BB ? 48.150, FX ? 49.125)
Individual (Session winner plus all LSU competitors)
All-Around ? 1, Ashley Postell, Utah, 39.600. 5, Nicki Butler, 39.400. 18, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 38.650. 19, Susan Jackson, 38.450.
Vault ? t1, Nicki Butler, 9.950. t1, Nicole Ford, Utah, 9.950. t1, Liz Tricase, Stanford, 9.950. t13, Kelly Phelan, 9.875. t18, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.850. t18, Susan Jackson, 9.850. 32, Kayla Rogers, 9.775. 42, Sabrina Franceschelli, 9.625.
Bars ? t1, Daria Bijak, Utah, 9.925. t1, Ashley Postell, 9.925. t1, Kristina Baskett, 9.925. t1, Tasha Schwikert, UCLA, 9.925. t10, Nicki Butler, 9.850. t13, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.825. t26, Lisa Rennie, 9.750. t31, Kristi Esposito, 9.700. 38, Summer Hubbard, 9.575. 42, Susan Jackson, 8.900.
Beam ? t1, Ashley Postell, Utah, 9.900. t1, Jessica Lopez, Denver, 9.900. t1, Kelly Fee, 9.900. t4, Kristi Esposito, 9.875. t4, Kelly Phelan, 9.875. t9, Nicki Butler, 9.850. t9, Susan Jackson, 9.850. t17, Sabrina Franceschelli, 9.800. 39, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney 9.275.
Floor ? 1, Carly Janiga, Stanford, 9.900. t3, Susan Jackson, 9.850. t3, Kelly Phelan, 9.850. t19, Kristi Esposito, 9.800. t26, Lauren Klein, 9.775. t32, Nicki Butler, 9.750. t36, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.700