LINCOLN, Neb. — Competing in the Super Six for the second time in school history, the fourth-ranked LSU gymnastics team scored a 196.375 on the way to a sixth-place finish Friday night at Nebraska’s Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Even though the Tigers finished sixth the score marked LSU’s third-highest team score in the NCAA Championships. Only the 2004 team’s 196.650 and the 2008 team’s 196.575 rank higher.
Georgia captured its 10th national title and fifth in a row with a 197.825. SEC champion Alabama finished second with a 197.575. Utah was third at 197.425, Florida was fourth at 196.725 and Arkansas was fifth at 196.475.
“This was an incredibly tough competition. The thing that I am disappointed about is that we went to beam and should have shown more maturity,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “We had a good season. There were a lot of teams who did not make it here and we did, so we will appreciate what we were able to do this season and get after it again next year.”
LSU (24-12) got off to a roaring start, hitting the third-highest score of the season on floor with a 49.300. Junior Kayla Rogers had another stellar performance as she led off the event with a 9.85. Sophomore Samantha Engle followed Rogers and made her first appearance in the floor lineup since Feb. 6, and she delivered a season-high 9.825.
Junior Sabrina Franceschelli contributed a season-best 9.85 in an outstanding routine, and junior Summer Hubbard was a tick off her career high with a 9.85. Following junior Susan Jackson‘s 9.725, senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney posted a 9.925 to lead the Tigers.
After an outstanding start on floor the Tigers moved over to vault, one of LSU’s highest-scoring events of the season. Unfortunately, LSU could not sustain momentum from floor as Rogers led off with a 9.725 followed by Franceschelli’s 9.775. Freshman Gloria Johnson scored a 9.80, and vault All-American Staci Schwitkis tallied a 9.825. All-American’s Jackson and Clare-Kearney finished the event with a 9.925 and 9.95, respectively, to bring the final team score to 49.275.
Through two events, LSU was tied for fourth with Arkansas with a 98.575. Alabama led the meet with a 98.750, and Georgia and Utah were tied for second with a 98.625.
The Tigers’ third event was bars, and LSU needed a high score to remain in contention. The Tigers scored a 49.100 as the highlights were Franceschelli and Clare-Kearney with equal 9.85 scores. Two-time bars All-American Hubbard posted a 9.825, and Jackson finished with a 9.80.
LSU ended the night with a 48.700 on beam, the event that has plagued the Tigers at the end of the season. The biggest note from the night on beam was that Clare-Kearney snapped a streak of five straight falls on the beam, and she finished her final beam routine as a Tiger with a solid 9.825.
“She fought for everything. She gave us 100 percent tonight and did everything she could,” Breaux said of Clare-Kearney. “I am proud of what she has accomplished tonight and in her whole career. What a difference maker she has been.”
LSU will wrap up its season Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT in the Devaney Center as four Tigers will compete for individual national titles in the event finals. Clare-Kearney will compete on vault, bars and floor. Schwitkis will compete on vault while Hubbard will shoot for a title on bars. Jackson will attempt to defend her 2008 vault title as well.
Live audio will be available in the Geaux Zone, and live stats and video links will be available as well at www.LSUsports.net.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. Georgia 197.825 (VT ? 49.625, UB ? 49.425, BB ? 49.200, FX ? 49.575)
2. Alabama 197.575 (VT ? 49.425, UB ? 49.325, BB ? 49.325, FX ? 49.500)
3. Utah 197.425 (VT ? 49.525, UB ? 49.275, BB ? 49.175, FX ? 49.450)
4. Florida 196.725 (VT ? 49.000, UB ? 49.150, BB ? 49.200, FX ? 49.375)
5. Arkansas 196.475 (VT ? 49.325, UB ? 48.975, BB ? 48.925, FX ? 49.250)
6. LSU 196.375 (VT ? 49.275, UB ? 49.100, BB ? 48.700, FX ? 49.300)