LSU Gold

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney Season 2005

Position
All-around
Height
5'4
Class
Freshman
Hometown
Manchester, Conn.
High School
Manchester HS

2009 NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist
2009 First-Team All-American (VT, UB, FX)
2009 Vault National Champion
2009 Floor Exercise National Champion
2009 Central Region Gymnast of the Year
2009 Gymnastics Honda Sports Award Finalist
2009 SEC Floor Exercise Champion
2009 Scholastic All-American
2008 First-Team All-American (UB, FX)
2008 SEC Gymnast of the Year
2008 SEC All-Around and Floor Exercise Champion
2008 Scholastic All-American
Three-Time First-Team All-SEC (2007, 2008, 2009)
SEC Community Service Team (2008, 2009)
SEC Academic Honor Roll (2008, 2009)

SENIOR SEASON (2009)
Finished her career as one of the most decorated gymnasts in LSU history … Was an integral part of LSU’s run to back-to-back Super Six appearances … Became the first LSU gymnast to capture two national titles as she won the NCAA Vault Championship with a 9.9000 average (9.9875 first vault, 9.8125 second) and the NCAA Floor Championship with a 9.9500 score in Lincoln, Neb. … Earned First-Team All-America honors on vault, bars and floor … Was named the Central Region Gymnast of the Year … Listed as a finalist for the prestigious Gymnastics Honda Sports Award … Was a First-Team All-SEC selection for the third straight year after becoming the SEC Floor Exercise Champion for the second straight year … Scored a 9.95 on floor at the SEC meet to earn the title … Named to the SEC Honor Roll for the second straight year and was also a member of the SEC Community Service Team for the second straight season … Finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation in the all-around with a 39.515 RQS … Ranked in the top five in three other events – No. 1 on floor for six straight weeks with a 9.945 RQS, No. 4 on vault with a 9.930 RQS and No. 5 on bars with a 9.910 RQS … Captured 31 individual titles in 2009, finishing with 10 on floor, nine on vault, six on bars, five all-around and one on beam … Posted all-around titles in the Cancun Classic (39.350), at Kentucky (39.600), vs. Florida (39.625), at Alabama (39.500) and at home against UNC/Illinois-Chicago (39.625) … Ended her career as the all-time leader in individual titles at LSU with 114 – five more than April Burkholder’s 109 from 2003-06 … Finished with season highs of 10.0 on vault, 9.95 on bars, 9.90 on beam, 9.975 on floor and 39.625 in the all-around … Matched her career high on vault with the 10.0 against NC State (3/7), the fourth time in her career she has recorded a perfect score on vault … Equaled her career best on bars with a 9.95 against UNC and Illinois-Chicago (2/20) … Was a finalist for the 2009 AAI Award … Earned her sixth career SEC Gymnast of the Week honor on Feb. 10 for her efforts in LSU’s victory over Florida when she battled bronchitis to finish the meet with a season-high 9.975 on floor and 39.625 all-around mark … Led LSU in three events with a 9.922 average on vault, 9.881 average on bars and 9.912 average on floor … Received the Wally Pontiff, Jr., Academic Excellence Award for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in the fall semester … Named a NACGC/W Scholastic All-American for the second straight season … Earned fourth letter award.

JUNIOR SEASON (2008)
A First-Team All-American on floor and bars … A 2008 first-team All-SEC selection … Named the SEC Co-Gymnast of the Year in 2008 … Ranked No. 2 in the national all-around rankings with a 39.570 RQS this season … Also ranked among the nation’s top 25 on each of the four events — No. 2 on the vault (9.955), No. 5 on the floor (9.930), No. 12 on the beam (9.880) and tied for No. 14 on the bars (9.890) … Won the all-around title in nine of the Tigers’ 16 meets of the season … Was the SEC All-Around Champion, the first Tiger since Rachel Fruge’ in 1991 … Tied for first on the floor at the SEC Championships as well (3/29 – 9.950) … Tied the second highest all-around score in school history at the NCAA Regionals with a 39.825 … Notched the first 10.0 score in LSU Regional history since 2002 when she posted a perfect score on the vault (4/12) … Captured three event titles (vault, beam and floor) at the NCAA Regionals, along with the all-around title … Was a major contributor for the Tigers at their first Super Six … Notched scores of 9.925 on the vault, 9.900 on the bars, 9.900 on the beam and 9.900 on the floor for an all-around score of 39.625 (4/25) … Posted two perfect 10.0 scores against Michigan State, becoming only the second gymnast in school history to score two 10.0s in a single meet … Her all-around score of 39.800 against Michigan State (2/29) ties her for the third best individual all-around score in school history … Scored a career high on the bars with a 9.950 … Has also picked up 27 individual event titles in those 13 meets, claiming 11 on the vault, six on the bars and five on the beam and floor … Was named the SEC Gymnast of the Week twice this season and the LSU Female Athlete of the Week three times … Posted season highs of 10.0 on the vault, 10.0 on the floor, 9.950 on the bars, 9.975 on the beam and 39.825 in the all-around … Was named to the SEC Honor Roll and also was an NACGC Academic All-American … Recipient of the Huel D. Perkins Leadership Awards … Member of SEC Community Service Team.
 
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE SEASON (2007)
Had a breakout season for the Tigers as an all-arounder after the sitting out the 2006 season with a foot injury … Was named a first-team All-SEC selection after finishing third in the all-around (39.525) and second on the vault (9.950) at the conference championships … Finished the regular season tied with Georgia’s Katie Heenan as the nation’s top-ranked all-arounder as both boosted NCAA-leading RQSs of 39.555 … Also finished the regular season as the country’s top-ranked vaulter (9.970), a distinction she held for seven straight weeks … Won a team-leading six all-around titles and 26 individual event titles during the season … Won the vault in the 11 of the Tigers’ 15 meets, posting scores of 9.925 or better in each of those victories … Picked up her all-around victories against Iowa (39.425), Auburn (39.375), Alabama (39.500), Penn State (39.675), Nebraska (39.650) and Centenary (39.775) … Her career-high 39.775 against Centenary was the highest all-around score in the nation in 2007 … The total also ranks as the fourth highest in school history … Was named the SEC Gymnast of the Week three times … Was the only athlete to be recognized on three separate occasions in 2007 … Was first honored after winning the vault, beam and all-around against Iowa … Was then recognized after both the Penn State and Centenary meets where she either won outright or shared each of the four individual event titles en route to claiming the all-around crowns … Posted career highs on each of the four events and in the all-around, notching top marks of 10.00 on the vault, 9.900 on the bars, 9.925 on beam, 9.975 on floor and 39.775 in the all-around … Her perfect 10.00 on the vault came at the season-opening Super Six Challenge … The perfect mark was the first of her career and the first for a LSU athlete since the 2005 season … With the score became just the fourth athlete in LSU history to record a 10.00 on the vault.
 
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2006)
Injured her foot on the floor exercise in the Tigers’ season opener … Did not compete the remainder of the season and was granted a medical redshirt year.
 
FRESHMAN SEASON (2005)
Turned in a sensational freshman campaign for the Tigers, competing primarily on the vault and floor while earning a spot in the bars lineup during the second half of the year … Did compete in the all-around one time against Texas Woman’s … Won the individual overall title against the Pioneers, notching an impressive 39.525 … Also won the vault (9.875) and floor (9.900) and posted career highs of 9.875 on both the bars and beam against TWU … Won a total of 11 individual event titles during the season, claiming six on the vault and five on the floor … Finished the regular season ranked sixth nationally on the floor (9.920) and ninth on the vault (9.910) … Scored a 9.800 or higher on the vault in each of the last 12 meets of the season, posting eight scores of 9.900 or better in that span … Averaged a 9.839 over the course of the season … Recorded the Tigers’ top season average on the floor (9.888) … Twice notched a career-high 9.950 on the event, first at Ohio State and then against Oklahoma … Scored a 9.850 or higher on the floor in 13 of her 14 appearances on the event.
 
CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Maureen Chagnon at New England Gymnastics Express … Was a five-time Level 10 Connecticut state champion, winning consecutive titles between 2000-04 … Won regional titles in 2001, 2003 and 2004 … Competed as an international elite during the 2003 season … Attended Manchester High School in Manchester, Conn. … Earned High Honors as a senior, graduating with a 3.50 GPA.
 
PERSONAL
Full name is Ashleigh Joanna Clare-Kearney … Daughter of Craig Kearney and Diane Clare-Kearney … Born April 7, 1986 … Has an older sister, Charissa, and a younger sister, Teighlor … Earned an undergraduate degree from LSU in English-Creative Writing in August 2008 and is pursuing a master’s degree in Kinesiology-Sport Management.
 
CLARE-KEARNEY’S CAREER HIGHS
Vault: 10.00 (4 times; last: 3-07-09 vs. North Carolina State)
Bars: 9.950 (4 times; last: 2-20-09 vs. UNC/Illinois-Chicago)
Beam: 9.975 (4-12-08 at NCAA Regionals)
Floor: 10.00 (2-29-08 vs. Michigan State)
All-Around: 39.825 (4-12-08 at NCAA Regionals)
 
CLARE-KEARNEY’S CAREER INDIVIDUAL TITLES
Vault: 37
Bars: 18
Beam: 10
Floor: 27
All-Around: 22
Total: 114 (LSU record)

About Ashleigh
Name:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Nickname:  Ash, ACK, Babygurl and Shrimp (by my daddy)
Major: I’m getting my master’s in Sports Management
After College I want to: become an entertainment lawyer.
Something I’ve done that most people don’t know is: I’ve been on the Montel Williams Show and I’ve been to Martin Luther King’s house.
Who inspires you: My family
The TV show I never miss is: Gossip Girl, The Hills, Making the Band
My favorite sporting event to watch is: Basketball and Football
My biggest pet peeve is: when people pump gas and don’t round their stopping price to the nearest 10 cents.
The best advice I ever received is: “Failure in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.”  
My favorite place on LSU campus is:  PMAC on meet nights.
Before a meet I have to: Drink sprite and listen to my ipod.
My craziest teammate is? Why? Susan, I don’t think words will justify this one, and Staci just her facial expressions, confusion and occasional self diagnosis of her conditions when small things happen.
The most dramatic teammate is? My protégé Sabrina.
The most superstitious on the team? I am! My rituals begin on Wednesday before Friday’s competition but this year I’m cutting it down to just a sprite. That’s the goal anyway.
Who is the biggest prankster on the team? Susan, she jumps out of place and scares people, it’s a twisted pleasure she has.
Who tells the best stories? Nikki. She and I have a lot of inside jokes so whenever something happens that relates, which is often, we immediately tell each other and laugh out loud despite our location.
What I will miss most about LSU when I leave: My teammates and the athletic perks

 

Full Bio