BATON ROUGE – In front of a season-opening record home crowd of 5,655 fans, the third-ranked LSU gymnastics team cruised to a 197.125-193.300 victory over Iowa Friday night in the Maravich Center.
It marked the 14th consecutive meet in which LSU has scored a 197 or higher, extending the school-record streak that started with the third meet of the 2014 season.
Senior Jessie Jordan won the all-around title with a 39.550 after scoring 9.925s on bars, beam and floor against the Hawkeyes. Jordan also captured the beam and floor titles. It was the sixth all-around title, eighth beam title and first floor title of Jordan’s career.
Senior Rheagan Courville placed second in the all-around with a 39.450, highlighted by a career-best 9.975 on bars. It was her 11th career bars title. She also picked up the vault title, the 22nd of her career.
As a team, LSU (1-0) recorded a 49.225 on vault, 49.600 on bars, 49.325 on beam and 48.975 on floor. The bars total ranks as the second-highest team total in the event in program history, tying the 49.600 the Tigers earned at the Metroplex Challenge last season.
“Our goal tonight was to have a great time and create some energy and momentum, and I think we did that,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “Any time you score a 197, especially in a season opener, it is a good thing, but we have a lot of room for improvement.
“We are going to celebrate the great performance tonight, and when we get back in the gym we will hit the ground running to get better for next week.”
LSU opened the meet with a 49.225 on vault. Courville led the Tigers with a 9.90 in the anchor spot. Lloimincia Hall nearly stuck her vault and came away with a 9.875. In her first collegiate vault, Myia Hambrick tallied a solid 9.85. Ashleigh Gnat added a 9.80, and Erin Macadaeg scored a 9.80 in the first event of her LSU career.
LSU blew the meet open with a phenomenal 49.600 on bars in the second rotation. Four Tigers earned a 9.90 or higher, paced by Courville’s 9.975 in the anchor spot. Jordan and Randii Wyrick tied their respective career highs with 9.925s, and sophomore Shae Zamardi shattered her career high with a 9.90. Jessica Savona got the Tigers started on the right track with a career-best 9.875 from the leadoff spot, and Hambrick tallied a 9.85 to round out the scoring.
At the halfway point of the meet, LSU led Iowa 98.825-96.575.
LSU carried the momentum in the third rotation with a 49.325 on beam. Hall led off with a solid 9.825, and Sydney Ewing also scored a 9.825 in the third spot of the lineup. Macadaeg posted a 9.90 in her first beam routine as a Tiger. Courville recorded a 9.85, and Jordan anchored with a 9.925 to claim the event title.
Needing a 48.850 or higher on floor to earn a 197, the Tigers accomplished the feat with a 48.975 in the final rotation.
Savona led off with a fantastic 9.90, and Jordan scored her third 9.925 of the night to clinch the all-around title. In the anchor spot, Hall posted a 9.825. Courville’s 9.725 and Gnat’s 9.60 rounded out LSU’s five counting scores.
LSU improved to 12-2 all-time against Iowa (0-1), including a 5-0 home record.
The 197.125 ranks as the second-highest score in a season opener in program history, ranking just behind last season’s 197.200 against Centenary.
The crowd of 5,655 shattered the record attendance for an LSU home opener, and it ranks as the eighth-highest attendance overall in school history. The previous record attendance in a home opener was 4,369 against Georgia on Jan. 16, 2009.
LSU will jump into Southeastern Conference competition next when the Tigers travel to Lexington, Ky., to face No. 22 Kentucky and Arizona State in a tri-meet on Jan. 16. The meet is slated for a 6 p.m. CT start time from Memorial Coliseum.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. #3 LSU 197.125 (VT – 49.225, UB – 49.600, BB – 49.325, FX – 48.975)
2. Iowa 193.300 (VT – 48.300, UB – 48.275, BB – 47.750, FX – 48.975)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around – 1. Jessie Jordan 39.550, 2. Rheagan Courville 39.450, 3. Myia Hambrick 38.300
Vault – 1. Rheagan Courville 9.90, 2. Lloimincia Hall 9.875, 3. Myia Hambrick 9.85, t4. Ashleigh Gnat 9.80, t4. Erin Macadaeg 9.80, 6. Jessie Jordan 9.775
Bars – 1. Rheagan Courville 9.975, t2. Jessie Jordan 9.925, t2. Randii Wyrick 9.925, 4. Shae Zamardi 9.90, 5. Jessica Savona 9.875, 6. Myia Hambrick 9.85
Beam – 1. Jessie Jordan 9.925, 2. Erin Macadaeg 9.90, 3. Rheagan Courville 9.85, t4. Sydney Ewing 9.825, t4. Lloimincia Hall 9.825, 10. Myia Hambrick 9.25
Floor – 1. Jessie Jordan 9.925, 2. Jessica Savona 9.90, t4. Lloimincia Hall 9.825, t8. Rheagan Courville 9.725, 11. Ashleigh Gnat 9.60, 12. Myia Hambrick 9.35