LSU GYMNASTICS UPSETS NO. 3 FLORIDA IN SEC OPENER
BATON ROUGE – It came
down to the final performers for each team, and in the end it was the
eighth-ranked LSU gymnastics team that rallied for the upset win over
No. 3 Florida, 196.875-196.575, in front of 4,074 fans Friday night
inside the Maravich Center.
With the raucous crowd
cheering her on, Lloimincia Hall nailed her floor routine to score a
9.95 and give the Tigers the win after Florida’s final performer
Marissa King slipped off the beam, forcing the Gators to count a fall.
For
LSU (2-0, 1-0 SEC), the win snaps an eight-meet losing streak against
Florida dating back to 2009, and the victory increases LSU’s record to
14-10 against Florida in the Maravich Center.
The
196.875 marks LSU’s highest team score since a 197.150 against Iowa on
March 12, 2010, and it is the highest-ranked win for the Tigers since
LSU beat No. 1 Alabama 196.475-196.050 on Feb. 5, 2010.
“We
beat an outstanding Florida team that has vied for the national title
the last three years, so we are extremely proud,” LSU head coach D-D
Breaux said. “We worked hard, we stayed in the process and we carried
the same message throughout our training. It showed tonight that our
team has a lot of desire and heart.”
LSU opened
the meet with a 49.300-49.250 lead after the first rotation. Rheagan
Courville and Sarie Morrison posted 9.90’s on vault to lead the way,
followed by 9.85’s from Maliah Mathis and Jessica Savona and a 9.80
from Lloimincia Hall.
Florida (1-1, 0-1) took the
lead after the second rotation 98.625-98.475, but the Tigers earned a
solid 49.175 on bars to stay within striking distance. Jessie Jordan
led off bars with a career-high 9.825, and Mckenzie Fox registered a
career-best 9.80 in the second spot. Lloimincia Hall posted a 9.825,
while Rheagan Courville scored a 9.825 and Sarie Morrison anchored with
a 9.90 to tie for the event title with Florida’s Kytra Hunter.
The
teams remained close after three rotations with the Gators leading
147.800-147.550 after LSU tallied a 49.075 on beam and Florida scored a
49.175 on floor. Ericka Garcia opened up with a 9.80 on beam, and
Kaleigh Dickson followed with a 9.775. Savona posted a season-high
9.825, and Hall tied her career-best with a 9.875 after a fantastic
stuck dismount. Courville earned a 9.80 to give the Tigers their final
counting score.
In the final rotation, Dickson got
the Tigers off to a great start on floor with a 9.825, and Jordan
posted a 9.80 in the second spot. Savona fell and finished with a
9.250, and in the same spot in the rotation Florida’s Bridget Sloan
fell off beam to score a 9.350.
Neither team could
afford another fall, and LSU’s final three performers delivered
outstanding routines. Mathis scored a 9.85, while Courville tallied a
9.90 and Hall produced the 9.95 to win the floor title. Florida
received a 9.90 from Hunter and a 9.95 from Mackenzie Caquatto before
King fell to finish with a 9.225. In the final rotation, LSU outscored
Florida 49.325-48.775 to pull off the comeback win.
Hall’s
floor title is her first of the season and the eighth of her career in
the event. The bars title is the second of the year for Morrison and
the 10th of her career. Hall finished second in the all-around with a
career-high tying 39.450, and Courville placed third with a 39.425.
Florida’s Hunter captured the all-around crown with a 39.675.
LSU will go on the road for the first time next week when the Tigers travel to face No. 1 Alabama at 7:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 18.
Fans can listen to the meet for free in the Geaux Zone on www.LSUsports.net.
MEET RESULTS
Team
1. LSU 196.9875 (VT – 49.300, UB – 49.175, BB – 49.075, FX – 49.325)
2. Florida 196.575 (VT – 49.375, UB – 49.250, BB – 48.775, FX – 49.175)
Individual (Includes first place and all LSU competitors)
All-Around – 1. Kytra Hunter (Florida) 39.675, 2. Lloimincia Hall 39.450, 3. Rheagan Courville 39.425
Vault
– 1. Kytra Hunter (Florida) 9.950, t2. Rheagan Courville 9.90, t2.
Sarie Morrison 9.90, t5. Maliah Mathis 9.85, t5. Jessica Savona 9.85,
t10. Lloimincia Hall 9.80, 12. Kaleigh Dickson 9.775
Bars – t1.
Sarie Morrison 9.90, t1. Kytra Hunter (Florida) 9.90, t5. Rheagan
Courville 9.825, t5. Lloimincia Hall 9.825, t5. Jessie Jordan 9.825,
10. Mckenzie Fox 9.80, 11. Randii Wyrick 9.325
Beam – 1.
Mackenzie Caquatto (Florida) 9.95, 3. Lloimincia Hall 9.875, 4. Jessica
Savona 9.825, t5. Rheagan Courville 9.80, t5. Ericka Garcia 9.80, t8.
Kaleigh Dickson 9.775, 12. Jessie Jordan 9.200
Floor – 1.
Lloimincia Hall 9.95, 3. Rheagan Courville 9.90, t5. Maliah Mathis
9.85, t7. Kaleigh Dickson 9.825, 9. Jessie Jordan 9.80, 12. Jessica
Savona 9.25
|