BATON ROUGE — After posting a season-high all-around score of 39.625 in the LSU gymnastics team’s 196.800-195.825 victory over Florida, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney was named the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
The honor marks Clare-Kearney’s first of the season and sixth of her career.
A native of Manchester, Conn., Clare-Kearney battled bronchitis last week before the meet against Florida, and despite the illness Clare-Kearney turned in season highs on beam with a 9.875 and a near-flawless 9.975 on floor. Her 9.975 score on floor currently leads all SEC competitors.
By capturing the floor and all-around titles against the Gators Clare-Kearney sits at 97 career individual titles and will go for an incredible 100 career crowns Friday at No. 5 Alabama.
Clare-Kearney also turned in a 9.90 on bars to help LSU record a season-high 49.425 in the event, and she scored a 9.875 on vault ? an event that she currently ranks third nationally. Clare-Kearney’s 9.875 on beam also paced the Tigers to a season-high 49.300 team score on the apparatus.
LSU will be back in action Friday when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to tangle with the fifth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at 7:30 p.m. CST in Coleman Coliseum.