FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A third straight all-around title by junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney led the seventh-ranked LSU gymnastics team to a, 195.900-195.300, victory over eighth-ranked Arkansas Friday night at Barnhill Arena.
Clare-Kearney was nearly flawless on the evening, either winning outright or sharing each of the four individual event titles en route to the all-around crown with her 39.550 effort.
Also starring in the all-around was sophomore Susan Jackson who tallied a career-best 39.225 to finish in a tie for second with Arkansas’ Casey Jo Magee.
“Those two did a super job tonight,” said LSU head coach D-D Breaux. “They really provide a solid 1-2 punch for us at the end of the lineup. Now we just need to find a three.”
Competition got underway with the Tigers taking to the bars and the Gym’Backs heading to the vault. LSU was impressive out of the gates, posting a season-best 49.025 behind five scores of 9.725 or better. Arkansas countered with a 48.800.
Clare-Kearney and Jackson punctuated the end of the Tigers’ lineup with marks of 9.875 and 9.850, respectively. Clare-Kearney’s score was good enough for the meet title on the event, her third in three meets and the 20th of her career. Sophomore Yvette Triay was also solid for the Tigers, notching a 9.800 in her collegiate debut on the event.
LSU extended its lead in the second rotation, 97.975-97.150, after scoring a 48.950 on the vault to Arkansas’ 48.350 on the bars.
Clare-Kearney picked up her second event title of the evening, nailing the landing on her yurchenko full twist to score a meet-best 9.925. Freshman Nicole Lyons and Jackson shared third-place honors on the event, notching identical scores of 9.800.
The Tigers streak of solid performances continued in the third rotation as they added a 49.100 on the floor. The Gym’Backs answered with a 48.975 on the beam as the meet stood at, 147.075-146.125, in LSU’s favor heading into the final rotation.
Individually, Clare-Kearney again highlighted the Tigers’ efforts, posting a meet-best 9.900. Freshman Samantha Engle was not far behind Clare-Kearney with a 9.825, while Jackson and senior Kristi Esposito each recorded marks of 9.800.
LSU ended the meet on a positive note, recording their highest beam total of the season, a 48.825. Clare-Kearney finished in a three-way tie for first with a pair of Gym’Backs, as each posted identical marks of 9.850.
“In the end I thought everyone gave us 100 percent tonight,” said Breaux on her teams’ overall efforts. “It wasn’t perfect but this team had the will to win. I feel like we are making baby steps towards getting where we need to be.”
The Tigers will face a tall challenge in their next meet as they continue the SEC slate on Saturday, Jan. 26, traveling to Athens, Ga., for a dual meet with second-ranked and three-time defending NCAA champion Georgia.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. LSU ? 195.900 (VT ? 48.950, UB ? 49.025, BB ? 48.975, FX ? 49.100)
2. Arkansas ? 195.300 (VT ? 48.800, UB ? 48.350, BB ? 48.975, FX ? 49.175)
Individual (Winner plus all LSU competitors)
All-Around ? 1,Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 39.550. t2, Susan Jackson, 39.225.
Vault ? 1, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.925. t2, Susan Jackson, 9.800. t2, Nicole Lyons, 9.800. t7, Staci Schwitkis, 9.750. 11, Kayla Rogers, 9.675. 12, Lauren Klein, 8.675.
Bars ? t1, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.875. t1, Emily Peacock, ARK, 9.875. 3, Susan Jackson, 9.850. t5, Yvette Triay, 9.800. 7, Staci Schwitkis, 9.775. 9, Sabrina Franceschelli, 9.725. 10, Nicole Lyons, 9.325.
Beam ? t1, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.850. t1, Casey Jo Magee, ARK, 9.850. t1, Alexandra LaChance, ARK, 9.850. t4, Susan Jackson, 9.775. t4, Nicole Lyons, 9.775. 9, Kristi Esposito, 9.725. t10, Sabrina Franceschelli, 9.700. 12, Lauren Klein, 9.300.
Floor ? 1, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9.900. t4, Samantha Engle, 9.825. t7, Kristi Esposito, 9.800. t7, Susan Jackson, 9.800. 10, Sabrina Franceschelli, 9.775. 12, Lauren Klein, 9.325.