BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After a rough start on beam the LSU gymnastics team rallied to set season highs on vault and bars on the way to earning a 195.475 and a fifth-place finish at the SEC Championship in front of a crowd of 8,025 Saturday at BJCC Arena.
The Tigers (5-13) posted a season-high event score of 49.350 on vault as well as a season-best 49.150 on bars. No. 19 LSU also added a 49.050 on floor after opening the meet with a 47.925 on beam.
Freshman Sarie Morrison extended LSU’s streak to 10 straight years with at least one All-SEC gymnast as she earned Second-Team All-conference honors with a 9.90 second-place finish on vault.
Second-ranked Alabama captured the SEC Championship title with a 197.225 while top-ranked Florida finished second with a 196.975. No. 8 Georgia placed third with a 196.625, and 12th-ranked Arkansas earned fourth with a 195.800. No. 22 Auburn came in sixth at 195.325, and Kentucky was last with a 193.950.
“As the meet went on this team really found its confidence and fought hard,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “We were soft on beam and had some shaky performances in that event, but I saw things tonight that I haven’t seen all season long. The kids huddled themselves, encouraged each other and took ownership of this team.”
The Tigers did not open the way they wanted as they posted a 47.925 on beam with high scores of 9.75 by Shelby Prunty, 9.675 by Sarah Zoldos and 9.625 by Maliah Mathis.
After sitting out a bye LSU moved to floor where Kaleigh Dickson and Samantha Engle tallied 9.85’s and Morrison earned a 9.80. Mathis and Ashley Lee both scored 9.775’s to contribute to the Tigers 49.050 event score.
LSU went to the locker room for another bye in the fourth rotation, but the Tigers came out on fire on vault in the fifth rotation with a season-high 49.350. Zoldos led off by tying her season high with a 9.80. Dickson then tied her best with a 9.85, and Lee and Mathis posted back-to-back 9.875’s. Morrison scored a 9.90 in the fifth spot, and Engle earned a 9.85 in the first vault of her collegiate career.
The Tigers carried that momentum to bars where they posted a 49.150, led by a 9.875 from Morrison and 9.85’s from Zoldos and Engle. Prunty tied her career high with a 9.80 in the leadoff spot, and Dickson contributed a 9.775 to the team total.
LSU will head back to Baton Rouge and await its postseason fate as the NCAA will release the regional selections Monday.
ALL-SEC
Sarie Morrison, Second-Team Vault (9.90)
2011 SEC AWARDS
SEC Gymnast of the Year – Kayla Hoffman, Alabama
SEC Freshman of the Year – Alaina Johnson, Florida
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Michelle Stout, Arkansas; Laura Lane, Auburn; Kayla Hoffman, Alabama
SEC Coach of the Year – Rhonda Faehn, Florida
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. Alabama 197.225 (VT – 49.500, UB – 49.150, BB – 49.225, FX – 49.350)
2. Florida 196.975 (VT – 49.400, UB – 49.250, BB – 48.950, FX – 49.375)
3. Georgia 196.625 (VT – 49.250, UB – 49.250, BB – 49.225, FX – 48.900)
4. Arkansas 195.800 (VT – 49.325, UB – 48.675, BB – 48.825, FX – 48.975)
5. LSU 195.475 (VT – 49.350, UB – 49.150, BB – 47.925, FX – 49.050)
6. Auburn 195.325 (VT – 48.700, UB – 48.825, BB – 48.750, FX – 49.050)
7. Kentucky 193.950 (VT – 48.725, UB – 48.000, BB – 48.550, FX – 48.675)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around – 1. Cassidy McComb (Georgia) 39.400; t10. Kaleigh Dickson 39.050; 12. Sarie Morrison 38.875; 16. Samantha Engle 38.725
Vault – 1. Kayla Hoffman (Alabama) 9.95; t2. Sarie Morrison 9.90; t10. Maliah Mathis 9.875; t10. Ashley Lee 9.875; t18. Kaleigh Dickson 9.85; t18. Samantha Engle 9.85; t25. Sarah Zoldos 9.80
Bars – 1. Kat Ding (Georgia) 9.925; t4. Sarie Morrison 9.875; t7. Samantha Engle 9.85; t7. Sarah Zoldos 9.85; t16. Shelby Prunty 9.80; t22. Kaleigh Dickson 9.775; 38. Lainie Fleming 9.525
Beam – 1. Geralen Stack-Eaton (Alabama) 9.925; t16. Shelby Prunty 9.75; 32. Sarah Zoldos 9.675; t34. Maliah Mathis 9.625; 37. Kaleigh Dickson 9.575; 39. Sarie Morrison 9.30; 41. Samantha Engle 9.175
Floor – t1. Geralen Stack-Eaton (Alabama) 9.925; t1. Ashanee Dickerson (Florida) 9.925; t11. Kaleigh Dickson 9.85; t11. Samantha Engle 9.85; t18. Sarie Morrison 9.80; t25. Maliah Mathis 9.775; t25. Ashley Lee 9.775; t34. Shelby Prunty 9.725