JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – LSU senior All-American Susan Jackson was named the 2010 Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year, while the 10th-ranked Tigers finished fourth at the SEC Championship with a 195.750 Saturday in the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
Jackson is the third Tiger gymnast to earn SEC Gymnast of the Year honors, following LSU greats April Burkholder and Ashleigh Clare-Kearney.
Florida won the SEC title with a 197.050, while Alabama took second at 196.875 and Georgia came in third with a 196.825. Auburn followed LSU in fifth place with a 195.575, Arkansas was sixth at 195.275 and Kentucky was seventh at 194.800.
“We have used the same nine kids all season long and they are tired and dinged up, but that is not an excuse we can use to explain why we fell short on an event we should do very well on,” head coach D-D Breaux said about LSU’s troubles on floor.
LSU (11-7-1) was not at its best to open the meet as the Tigers struggled to stick landings on bars, and the team finished with a 48.850 in the event.
Jackson and Summer Hubbard led the team with 9.85’s, and Sabrina Franceschelli‘s 9.75 to open the event was good for the second-highest score for the Tigers on bars.
Although LSU did not get the start it was hoping for on bars, the Tigers rallied for a solid 49.150 beam total. Jackson recorded a 9.90, and freshman Ericka Garcia set a career high with a 9.85, while Hubbard tallied a 9.825 and Shelby Prunty tied her career best with a 9.80.
LSU had a bye in the next rotation after beam, but when the Tigers returned to compete on floor the team lost all its momentum as LSU was only able to muster a 48.450.
Franceschelli led the team with a 9.85, and Ashley Lee earned a 9.75.
Facing a possible last-place finish, LSU exploded for a 49.300 on vault, tying Alabama for the event title. It marked LSU’s first event title at the SEC Championship since a 49.400 on bars in 2004.
Rogers led off with a 9.825, and she was followed by Franceschelli’s 9.80, Lee’s 9.85, Gloria Johnson‘s 9.875, Ericka Garcia‘s 9.85 and Jackson’s 9.90.
Jackson’s 9.90 tied for the vault title, the third career event championship Jackson has won at the SEC meet. She won the 2008 SEC vault title and the 2009 beam title.
By winning the vault title, Jackson also earned First Team All-SEC honors for the third consecutive year.
“I believe with all my heart this team is good enough to qualify to the national championships and be in the Super Six, and it is going to take working hard every day, knowing every time we go in the gym we are going to be closer and closer to that goal,” Breaux said.
LSU will await its NCAA postseason fate when the regional selections are announced Monday.
2010 SEC AWARDS
SEC Gymnast of the Year – Susan Jackson, LSU
SEC Freshman of the Year – Ashaneé Dickerson, Florida
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Krissy Voss, Auburn
Co-SEC Coaches of the Year – Sarah Patterson, Alabama; Rhonda Faehn, Florida
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. Florida 197.050 (VT – 49.125, UB – 49.125, BB – 49.400, FX – 49.400)
2. Alabama 196.875 (VT – 49.300, UB – 48.950, BB – 49.250, FX – 49.375)
3. Georgia 196.825 (VT – 49.275, UB – 49.025, BB – 49.225, FX – 49.300)
4. LSU 195.750 (VT – 49.300, UB – 48.850, BB – 49.150, FX – 48.450)
5. Auburn 195.575 (VT – 49.025, UB – 48.600, BB – 49.050, FX – 48.900)
6. Arkansas 195.275 (VT – 49.000, UB – 48.400, BB – 49.050, FX – 48.825)
7. Kentucky 194.800 (VT – 49.050, UB – 48.325, BB – 48.625, FX – 48.800)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around – 1. Ashley Priess (Alabama) 39.500; 8. Susan Jackson 39.200
Vault – t1. Susan Jackson 9.90; t1. Hilary Mauro (Georgia) 9.90; t1. Morgan Dennis (Alabama) 9.90; t4. Gloria Johnson 9.875; t8. Ericka Garcia 9.85; t8. Ashley Lee 9.85; t16. Kayla Rogers 9.825; t26. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.80
Bars – 1. Kat Ding (Georgia) 9.925; t5. Susan Jackson 9.85; t5. Summer Hubbard 9.85; t19. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.75; 25. Ericka Garcia 9.725; t27. Samantha Engle 9.675; t32. Shelby Prunty 9.65
Beam – 1. Ashley Priess (Alabama) 9.95; t4. Susan Jackson 9.90; t9. Ericka Garcia 9.85; t15. Summer Hubbard 9.825; t21. Shelby Prunty 9.80; t27. Samantha Engle 9.775; 38. Gloria Johnson 9.575
Floor – 1. Courtney McCool (Georgia) 9.95; t12. Sabrina Franceschelli 9.85; t28. Ashley Lee 9.75; t33. Summer Hubbard 9.70; t36. Samantha Engle 9.60; 39. Susan Jackson 9.550; 40. Kayla Rogers 9.150