The No. 6 LSU gymnastics team tallied its highest score of the year and its third-highest score in program history with a 197.700, but still finished in third place Saturday night at the Southeastern Conference Championship in North Little Rock, Ark.
The Tigers (15-6, 5-3 SEC) competed in Session II of the meet with No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia. Florida won the competition with a 198.000, followed by Alabama with a 197.800. No. 12 Auburn, No. 16 Arkansas, Missouri and No. 19 Kentucky finished fifth through eighth in Session I of the competition.
“We fell short of the team title but led the [meet] halfway through,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux. “It was an absolutely incredible meet, and I can’t be more proud of how our girls did.”
The Tigers got off to a hot start, recording their second-highest floor score in program history with a 49.625. They followed up with a 49.525 on vault and had the lead halfway through Session II.
Though LSU totaled a 49.175 on uneven bars, it trailed top-seeded Florida by .05 heading into the final rotation. The Tigers put together a season-high 49.375 beam, but it was not enough to overcome the Gators or the Crimson Tide.
“We had to be immensely ahead at two events in order to win,” Breaux said. “We went to bars and missed a couple of landings, then went to beam and did a beautiful job. [Sophomore all-arounder Lloimincia Hall] didn’t stick her dismount, and there’s the difference in the meet right there.”
Sophomore all-arounder Rheagan Courville’s career-high 39.750 tied Florida freshman all-arounder Bridget Sloan for the all-around title. Courville, who was recently named the SEC Gymnast of the Year, also won the vault championship with her first career perfect 10 and tied two other gymnasts for the beam title with a 9.950.
“It was my first 10, and what an amazing place to have it at,” Courville said. “I’ve been working really hard at sticking my landings, and I think the awesome lineup that we have really set me up for such a good score.”
Hall and freshman all-arounder Jessica Savona each boasted a 9.950 on floor to share the individual title with three other gymnasts.
According to LSU Sports Information Director Jake Terry, the Tigers will most likely be selected as a No. 2 seed for one of the six regional meets April 6. The seeds will be officially announced during the NCAA Regional Selection Show at 2 p.m. today.
“There was a lot of pressure out here tonight,” Breaux said. “There was a great crowd — a slew of LSU fans here, some we know and a lot we didn’t know. That just bodes well for where we are and where this program is going.”
