SHREVEPORT, La. — Sixth-ranked LSU set out to replace its low road score of 195.300 against Auburn and build depth, and that is exactly what the Tigers did by defeating Centenary, 196.650-192.400, Friday in the Gold Dome.
LSU (13-2, 4-2 SEC) won its sixth-straight meet, the longest streak since the 2005 team captured seven straight. Centenary (4-8) recorded its second-highest score of the season with the 192.400.
“It was a solid performance and a great road score tonight,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “We were great in the first three rotations, but we stumbled on beam to end the meet. What we showed tonight was that we are more than six deep in our lineups, and we are ready to keep the momentum going at SECs.”
LSU got things started on bars when the Tigers scored a 49.350, and LSU continued its strong performances by scoring a 49.300 on vault. The momentum carried into the third rotation as LSU posted its second-highest floor score of the season with a 49.350. The only fault on the night was a 48.650 score on beam.
Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney only competed on bars for the Tigers, but she made it count as she scored a meet-high 9.925 to capture her 109th career individual title, tying her for the LSU record with April Burkholder who tallied 109 from 2003-06.
Junior Susan Jackson carried over her momentum from last week’s 39.700 all-around performance as she recorded a 39.550 to capture the all-around title. Jackson posted a career-high tying 9.975 on floor to win the title, and she scored a season-high 9.95 on vault to win the event.
For the third-straight meet, junior Summer Hubbard was phenomenal as the St. Petersburg, Fla., native racked up two 9.90 scores against Centenary, and she tied her career-high on floor with her fourth-straight 9.875. Hubbard won her fourth individual title of the season on beam with a 9.90, and she also scored a 9.90 on bars.
Junior Sabrina Franceschelli was also lights out as she tallied a career-high 39.325 all-around mark which was good for second in the meet. Franceschelli posted a 9.825 on bars in LSU’s first rotation, and she followed that with a season high and tied a career high with a 9.825 on vault. The Roslindale, Mass., native then broke her season high on floor with a 9.85 score, and she ended her meet with a solid 9.825 on beam.
Junior Kayla Rogers posted her best meet of the season as she was incredible with a career-high tying 9.90 on vault to lead the Tigers off in the event. Rogers then tallied a 9.85 on floor which tied her for third in the event.
Sophomore Staci Schwitkis competed in three events ? vault, bars and beam, and the San Diego, Calif., native was solid as she recorded a 9.85 on all three events.
Kirstie Viens in her first action in the floor lineup scored a 9.800 in the No. 6 position to solidify the Tigers 49.350 in the event.
After posting a solid road score and a sixth-straight victory, LSU will carry the momentum into the SEC Championship at 4 p.m. CDT March 21 in the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. LSU 196.650 (VT ? 49.300, UB ? 49.350, BB ? 48.650, FX ? 49.350)
2. Centenary 192.400 (VT ? 47.625, UB ? 48.275, BB ? 47.850, FX ? 48.650)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around ? 1. Susan Jackson 39.550; 2. Sabrina Franceschelli 39.325
Vault ? 1. Susan Jackson 9.950; 2. Kayla Rogers 9.90; 3. Staci Schwitkis 9.850; 4. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.825; 5. Ashley Lee 9.775; 6. Paige Cipolloni 9.750
Bars ? 1. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney 9.925; 2. Summer Hubbard 9.90; t3. Susan Jackson 9.850; t3. Staci Schwitkis 9.850; 5. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.825; 6. Samantha Engle 9.800
Beam ? 1. Summer Hubbard 9.90; 2. Staci Schwitkis 9.850; t3. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.825; t3. Kayla Rogers 9.825; 5. Susan Jackson 9.775; 11. Samantha Engle 9.300; 12. Gloria Johnson 9.075
Floor ? 1. Susan Jackson 9.975; 2. Summer Hubbard 9.875; t3. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.850; t3. Kayla Rogers 9.850; t6. Gloria Johnson 9.80; t6. Kirstie Viens 9.80
No. 6 Gymnastics Wraps Regular Season with Win