BATON ROUGE – From start to finish, the LSU gymnastics team made history in 2017 with its consistency and team performances. Ultimately the Tigers finished the season, the 40th under head coach D-D Breaux, as the NCAA national runner-up to match the best finish in school history.
By the Numbers: 2017 LSU Gymnastics Season
• LSU totaled a 197.7375 in to match the best finish in school history as the NCAA national runner-up. The score marked the second-highest for the program at an NCAA Championship.
• LSU set a then record score of 198.275 in the NCAA Semifinal II to earn a spot in the sixth NCAA Super Six in school history. The score is the best ever in a prelim and the second-best score in NCAA Championship history.
• The squad captured three championships during the historic season. LSU totaled a 197.450 at the NCAA Lincoln Regional for the program’s 16th regional title and fifth straight.
• LSU scored a 198.075 at the SEC Championship to win the second league title in school history. The score was enough for the fifth highest in school history and the third highest by any team at an SEC Championship.
• LSU went on a tear during the season and captured the inaugural SEC regular season title after sweeping the league with a 7-0 record. The Tigers clinched the championship at home against No. 3 Florida with a score of 198.150 for the fourth highest in school history.
• LSU defeated Florida, Georgia and Alabama in the same season for just the second time in school history. The Tigers finished with a record of 12-0 against the three SEC powerhouses.
• Finished with a 34-2 record overall for the most wins in a single season in school history. It marked just the second time in school history LSU has surpassed the 30-win mark.
• The Tigers ended the season with a 21-1 record in the postseason. The 21 wins broke the previous record of 18 set last season.
• LSU scored a 197 or better in every single meet for the first time in school history. The squad ended the season with an average score of 197.7592, the fourth-straight season in which the season average was higher than a 197.
• LSU is currently on a streak of 23-straight meets with a team score of 197 or better. The squad broke the previous record of 15 at the GymQuarters quad meet in February.
• LSU ended the season ranked No.1 on vault, No. 2 on beam and floor, and No. 3 on bars.
• The Tigers totaled 16 All-America honors at NCAA Championships for the most at the meet in school history. Including the 11 All-America honors during the regular season, LSU finished with 27 All-Americans in 2017. The honors marked the most in school history and the best in the nation.
• LSU finished 7-0 inside the Maravich Center for a perfect record for the fourth consecutive season and the 18th in school history. The Tigers beat No. 9 Georgia, Texas Woman’s, No. 11 Missouri, No. 20 George Washington, No. 22 Iowa, No. 3 Florida and New Hampshire. LSU is currently on a 28-meet win streak inside the PMAC. Senior Ashleigh Gnat, Sydney Ewing and Shae Zamardi ended their careers with a perfect record inside the PMAC.
• Once again, fans packed the PMAC in record numbers as LSU broke the 10,000 average attendance mark for the first time in school history. LSU averaged 10,050 fans per meet to set a new attendance record for a fifth-straight season and check in at No. 3 in the national attendance rankings. More than 10,000 fans attended meets against Texas Woman’s, Missouri and Florida. The three meets with 10,000 fans or more matched the school record set in 2016.
• Five of the six meets in 2017 ranked in the top-10 of the best gymnastics attendance figures in school history. The third-largest crowd in school history (12,609) witnessed No. 2 LSU defeat No. 3 Florida to clinch the SEC regular season championship.
• Three gymnasts won NCAA individual championships for the most in a single season in school history.
• Three Tigers took home five SEC event championships to match the best mark in school history.
• A school record seven Tigers finish ranked in the Top 25 nationally in at least one category. The squad bested the previous record of six set in 2005 and 2016.
• LSU put up one of the best vault seasons in school history with an average of 49.4275. The squad earned score of 49.625, 49.600, 49.575 and 59.5625 for the four highest scores in the country over the last two seasons.
• The floor squad finished with an average of 49.506. In the NCAA Semifinal II, LSU posted a score of 49.7125 for the best floor score in school history and the best ever in an NCAA semifinal.
• LSU averaged a 49.452 on beam over the course of the season for No. 2 nationally. In the final rotation of the season, the Tigers posted a 49.725 to match the school record and set the highest beam score at an NCAA Championship.
• The squad set the highest team vault, beam and floor scores in school history at the NCAA Championship.
• In the season opener against No. 9 Georgia, LSU posted a score of 197.825. The Tigers’ score marked the highest in a season opener in school history.
• Following the record season opener, LSU was ranked No. 1 for the eighth time in school history.
Individual Records in 2017:
• Head coach D-D Breaux was named the NACGC/W National Coach of the Year, NACGC/W Central Regional Coach of the Year, and Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.
• Jay Clark and Bob Moore were named the NACGC/W National Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year and NACGC/W Central Region Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year.
• Clark coached the first NCAA bars champion in school history and the first SEC bars champion in more than 20 seasons. It marked Clark’s eighth NCAA bars champion for the most in NCAA history on the event.
• Moore coached the seventh NCAA vault champion in his career and his fifth at LSU. The seven titles are the most in the NCAA history on vault.
• Kennedi Edney, Sydney Ewing, Sarah Finnegan, Ashleigh Gnat, Myia Hambrick, McKenna Kelley, Erin Macadaeg and Lexie Priessman combined to earn 27 All-America honors in 2017. The 16 NACGC All-America honors at NCAA Championships were the most in a single season in school history.
• Gnat, Hambrick, Ruby Harrold, Kelley and Priessman earned All-SEC honors to push the total to 77 in school history.
• Edney and Harrold were named to the All-SEC freshman team. It marked the ninth and 10th freshman team honors in school history.
• Senior Ashleigh Gnat was named the winner of the 2017 AAI Award, which is voted by the nation’s coaches and given to the best senior gymnast in the country. Gnat was also named the NCACGC/W Central Region Gymnast of the Year and Southeastern Conference Specialist of the Year. It marked the second-straight season Gnat was awarded both of the honors. She was also voted a finalist for the prestigious Honda Award, which is given to the nation’s top gymnast.
• Gnat was the NCAA national champion on floor with a 9.9625. Gnat is the third gymnast in school history to win a title on floor, joining Nicki Arnstad (2002) and Ashleigh Clare-Kearney (2009). Her score was the highest on the event in school history and the best at the meet by any gymnast since 2005.
• Gnat won the SEC vault, beam and floor exercise titles at the conference meet to tie for the most in a single meet in school history.
• Gnat finished her career with nine perfect 10.0 scores to match Jennifer Wood for the most in school history.
• Gnat won 12 floor titles in 2017 to set a new school record for the most in a single season. She ended her career with 23 floor titles for No. 3 on LSU’s all-time list.
• Gnat also finished her career as a 17-time All-American for the second-most honors in school history.
• Finnegan won the NCAA title on bars to become the first champion on the event in school history.
• Finnegan’s score of 39.625 in the all-around during the Super Six Finals tied Susan Jackson and Ashleigh Clare-Kearney for the best score at an NCAA Championship in school history.
• Edney stuck her 1 ½ to win the NCAA vault championship with a score of 9.9875. Edney became the first freshman to win an individual national championship in school history.
• Edney earned a score of at least 9.925 on all four events this season. Her 9.95 on bars tied for the highest score by a freshman in school history. The 9.9875 at NCAA Championship was the second-highest score by a freshman on vault in school history and the highest at an NCAA event by an LSU gymnast in school history.
• Priessman won the SEC championship on bars. She became the first conference champion on the event since 1994.
• Kelley tied with Gnat to win the SEC floor championships with a 9.95.
• LSU won a total of nine SEC Weekly honors: Hambrick was the SEC Gymnast of the Week two times, Gnat was the SEC Gymnast of the Week once and SEC Specialist of the Week two times, Edney was the SEC Freshman of the Week two times and SEC Gymnast of the Week one time, and Finnegan was the SEC Specialist of the Week one time.