FORT WORTH, Texas – New career highs were set all night as the 25th-ranked LSU gymnastics team showed outstanding improvement with a 195.550 score to finish in third place at the Metroplex Challenge Saturday night at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
Sixth-ranked Alabama won the meet with a 196.825, while No. 10 Nebraska finished only a half-tenth above the Tigers with a 195.600. Missouri was last with a 193.400.
LSU (1-5) earned season highs on bars with a 48.900, beam at 48.950 and floor with a 48.725.
Individually, freshman Sarie Morrison earned a career-high 39.400 all-around total and also tied or set career highs on all four events. Redshirt freshman Kaleigh Dickson also set a career high with a 39.125 all-around with new highs on bars, beam and floor as well.
“I’m proud because every week we’ve been asking them to give us a little more,” coach D-D Breaux said. “We needed to create some momentum, and they did. They went out there and created the kind of team atmosphere that other people want to be a part of. We had great momentum and performances, and this is going to help us build up as we move forward.”
The Tigers opened the meet on vault and posted a solid 48.975 team score. Ericka Garcia led off with a 9.65, and Ashley Lee tallied a 9.80 to pick up the momentum. Dickson scored a 9.725, and Maliah Mathis tied her career high with a 9.825. Morrison followed with a 9.875 to tie her career high, and Janelle Garcia earned a 9.75 in her first vault attempt as a Tiger.
LSU stood in second place after one rotation behind Alabama’s 49.150, while Nebraska and Missouri were tied at 48.800.
LSU was three-tenths better than the previous season high on bars as the Tigers posted a 48.900, and five gymnasts tied or improved their season highs in the event. Ericka Garcia tied her season high with a 9.70, and Shelby Prunty followed with a 9.75. After suffering an ankle sprain early in the week, freshman Sarah Zoldos only competed on bars, but the Clearwater, Fla., native set a career high with a 9.75. Dickson notched a 9.75 for a new career high, Engle posted an improved 9.775 and Morrison earned a career-best 9.875.
LSU maintained momentum with a 48.950 on beam as Prunty led off and Morrison anchored the event with identical, career-high 9.875 scores. The Tigers dropped Janelle Garcia‘s 9.55, and they counted three career bests – a 9.85 from Morrison, a 9.825 by Dickson and a 9.725 from Mathis.
The Tigers started slowly on floor as Lee opened with a 9.50 and Janelle Garcia suffered a fall and scored a 9.075. LSU bounced back as Prunty tied her season high with a 9.725, Dickson earned a 9.825, Morrison posted a 9.80 and Mathis was outstanding with a 9.875 to close out the meet.
The 9.875 for Mathis tied her for the floor title, which marks her second career title after she won the vault title at Auburn with a 9.825.
“This is a freshman team and we need to have success,” Breaux said. “We had our recruits for next year sitting in the stands watching us, and they need to be seeing this and saying ‘Wow, put me in this next year and we are going to be great.’ This team is going to accomplish some things and surprise some people in the end this season.”
LSU returns home to face BYU on Friday at 7 p.m. CT in the Maravich Center.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. Alabama 196.825 (VT – 49.250, UB – 49.325, BB – 49.150, FX – 49.100)
2. Nebraska 195.600 (VT – 49.200, UB – 48.775, BB – 48.800, FX – 48.825)
3. LSU 195.550 (VT – 48.975, UB – 48.900, BB – 48.950, FX – 48.725)
4. Missouri 193.400 (VT – 48.400, UB – 48.800, BB – 47.850, FX – 48.350)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around – 1. Kayla Hoffman (Alabama) 39.525; 3. Sarie Morrison 39.400; t6. Kaleigh Dickson 39.125
Vault – t1. Kayla Hoffman (Alabama) 9.925; t1. Erin Davis (Nebraska) 9.925; t4. Sarie Morrison 9.875; 8. Maliah Mathis 9.825; t9. Ashley Lee 9.80; t13. Janelle Garcia 9.75; t15. Kaleigh Dickson 9.725; Ericka Garcia 9.65
Bars – t1. Kayla Hoffman (Alabama) 9.925; t1. Ashley Sledge (Alabama) 9.925; t3. Sarie Morrison 9.875; t11. Samantha Engle 9.775; t13. Kaleigh Dickson 9.75; t13. Shelby Prunty 9.75; t13. Sarah Zoldos 9.75; 18. Ericka Garcia 9.70
Beam – t1. Kayla Hoffman (Alabama) 9.90; t1. Geralen Stack-Eaton (Alabama) 9.90; t3. Shelby Prunty 9.875; t3. Sarie Morrison 9.875; t8. Kaleigh Dickson 9.825; t13. Maliah Mathis 9.725; t17. Ericka Garcia 9.675; Janelle Garcia 9.55
Floor – t1. Maliah Mathis 9.875; t1. Diandra Milliner (Alabama) 9.875; t4. Kaleigh Dickson 9.825; t8. Sarie Morrison 9.80; t15. Shelby Prunty 9.725; 21. Ashley Lee 9.50; Janelle Garcia 9.075