BATON ROUGE – The LSU gymnastics team came home again. Thank goodness.
After a trip to Utah last weekend, LSU returned to 4,551 screaming Tiger fans, the second-largest crowd in LSU gymnastics history, for an exciting performance of 196.950 in a victory over Florida Friday night. Florida (3-8, 1-3) scored 194.975.
Freshman Shanyn MacEachern came away with the all-around, the second in three tries in her short career. MacEachern captured the vault (9.925) and bars (9.925) for an overall total of 39.60. Junior Abbey Burns scored a season-high, 39.525, to take second place.
In the first rotation, the Tigers (5-2, 3-1 SEC) struggled early with two falls yet rallied behind Burns’ 9.875, Kim Descalopoulis’ 9.85 and MacEachern’s 9.925, the highest score on vault this season for LSU. Despite having to count a fall on vault, LSU scored 48.725 and led Florida by .275 after the Gators opened with a 48.45 on bars.
MacEachern accomplished an unheard feat during the second rotation, scoring a 9.925 on bars to achieve at least a 9.90 on all four events in only six meets as a Tiger. Burns is the only other Tiger on the 1999 squad to boast such an accomplishment, yet it took her 15 meets to so.
As a team, LSU scored a season-high 49.325 on bars after Marina Degteva and Beth Boudreaux scored a pair of 9.90’s and Burns added a 9.85. Through two rotations, LSU led Florida, 98.05-97.15.
Athough Degteva’s fall on beam broke an 18-hit streak for the Tigers dating back to Jan. 22, LSU continued to rally behind Wegener (9.95), Burns (9.90), MacEachern (9.85), Boudreaux (9.825) and Barger (9.925). The team also tied the school’s beam record, 49.45, set earlier this season against Centenary and Texas Woman’s.
After three rotations, LSU continued to lead the Gators, 147.50-145.80.
The Tigers shined on the floor in the final rotation, scoring a 49.45 while Florida matched LSU with a meet-high 49.125 for the Gators. Wegener led LSU with a 9.925 while Burns and MacEachern had a pair of 9.90’s and Mamby scored 9.85 with her mother in attendance.
LSU returns to action next Saturday when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide.
This meet will be aired by Fox Sports Sout on March 12 at 2 p.m. CT.