BATON ROUGE – After recording a perfect 10.0 score as the Tigers’ anchor on vault along with a 9.925 on beam and 9.95 on floor, senior Ashleigh Gnat has been named the Southeastern Conference Specialist of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
As the anchor spot for all three events she competed in, Gnat led the Tigers to a 198.150 for the third-highest score in school history. The victory over the Gators also clinched the SEC regular season title for LSU.
The senior stuck her double twisting Yurchenko for the eight perfect score of her career and fourth on vault. Gnat’s 10.0 on vault was her second 10 of the season. Gnat is the only gymnast in the country with two perfect scores this season on vault and now owns the second-most 10’s in school history.
In addition to perfection on vault, Gnat also finished second on beam and took the event title on floor with a 9.95. The victories marked Gnat’s 53rd total title for her career, 20th vault title and 19th floor title.
Nationally, Gnat ranks No. 1 on vault with an RQS of 9.955 and is a part of the top vault team in the country. The Tigers have posted scores of 49.600 and 49.625 this season, which rank as the top two vault scores in the country over the last two seasons.
LSU owns the second spot in the rankings released Monday. The Tigers rank No. 2 nationally on beam and floor as well as No. 3 on bars. The squad returns to action at 7:30 p.m. CT Friday against New Hampshire inside the Maravich Center. The Meet will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and the app.
For the most up-to-date information on LSU gymnastics, visit www.LSUsports.net/gymnastics. Fans can also connect with the Tigers via the team’s social media outlets: www.Facebook.com/lsugym, @LSUgym on Twitter and Instagram and www.YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.
SEC Weekly Award Winners, Week 9:
Gymnast of the Week: Kiana Winston, Alabama
Specialist of the Week: Ashleigh Gnat, LSU
Freshman of the Week: Aspen Tucker, Missouri