BATON ROUGE – The LSU gymnastics team, the 2018 Southeastern Conference regular season champions, jumped a spot to No. 2 in the second edition of the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) rankings, RoadtoNationals.com released Monday.
The Tigers’ RQS jumped up to 197.715 following a home score of 198.100 against Auburn.
The RQS is ascertained by taking a team’s top six scores – three of which must be from road/neutral meets – dropping the high score and averaging the remaining five scores.
LSU’s meet scores counting toward its RQS are: 198.075 at GymQuarters Invite, 197.575 at Georgia, 197.375 at Metroplex, 198.175 at home against TWU, 197.450 at home against Alabama and 198.100 against Auburn.
The squad must drop the 198.175 against TWU as it’s the highest of the six. The remaining scores average out to 197.715 for second in the nation behind Oklahoma.
In the event rankings, the squad owns the top spot on bars and floor. LSU is also ranked third on beam and fifth on vault.
Six LSU gymnasts ranked in the top-25 of at least one event. Junior Sarah Finnegan, who recorded her first perfect 10 on floor against Auburn, owns top-five rankings on bars, floor, beam and the all-around. Finnegan also owns a top-15 ranking on vault.
Senior Myia Hambrick also earned a perfect 10 against Auburn to keep her No. 1 ranking in the country. Hambrick is fourth in the all-around, ninth on vault, and 12th on both bars and beam.
The second-ranked Tigers take their final road trip of the regular season at 6 p.m. CT Friday against No. 24 North Carolina State. The meet will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and the app.
RoadToNationals Gymnastics Top 25
March 5, 2018
1. Oklahoma, 197.980
2. LSU, 197.715
3. UCLA, 197.650
4. Utah, 197.415
5. Florida, 197.325
6. Alabama, 197.005
7. Michigan, 196.930
8. Kentucky, 196.715
9. Washington, 196.670
10. Arkansas, 196.660
11. Oregon State, 196.605
12. Arizona State, 196.510
13. Nebraska, 196.455
14. Boise State, 196.430
15. Denver, 196.360
16. Auburn, 196.340
17. Georgia, 196.310
18. George Washington, 196.285
19. Missouri, 196.240
20. California, 196.235
21. BYU, 196.040
22. Minnesota, 196.010
23. Ohio State, 195.925
24. North Carolina State, 195.765
25(t). Illinois-Champaign, 195.745
25(t). Iowa State, 195.745
LSU in the Individual National Rankings (Top-25)
Myia Hambrick – 1st FX, 4th AA, 9th VT, 12th UB, 12th BB
Sarah Finnegan – 3rd UB, 3rd FX, 3rd AA, 4th BB, 15th VT
Kennedi Edney – 8th UB, 12th FX, 15th VT, 17th AA
Lexie Priessman – 8th UB,
Erin Macadaeg – 17th BB
Christina Desiderio – 21st BB