Top 25 opponents will clash as the No. 7 LSU gymnastics team takes on No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 9 Georgia, No. 16 Oregon State and unranked Washington on Saturday at the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Tigers enter the meet averaging 196.158 points per meet, but will face two teams with scores higher than 197 points in the Sooners and Bulldogs.
LSU is fresh off its first loss of the season, in which the Tigers lost points after four falls from four different athletes, losing against No. 5 Alabama 196.575 to 195.525.
“We can’t make these kinds of mistakes at this level,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux in a news release after the match. “We had some bright spots in the meet, but we were certainly disappointed in the overall performance of the team.”
Despite the slip-up against the Crimson Tide, LSU still ranks in the top 25 in every event, including No. 3 on vault with a 49.308 score and floor with 49.325.
Lloimincia Hall has led the way for the Tigers on the floor as the highest-ranked gymnast for an individual event. Hall is No. 3 in the country with an average of 9.933 after scoring consecutive 9.95s in the first two meets of the season.
“[Lloimincia is] our anchor, and she’s our anchor for a reason,” said LSU sophomore Rheagan Courville. “Her routine has so much pizazz and excitement in it, and the crowd gets into it. … We just love watching it because every time she does it, she does something different. She puts her own little twist into it.”
LSU has dominated the floor routine this season with four competitors ranked in the top 70 nationally, all of whom average scores of more than 9.8.
“I don’t think there’s a competition between us,” Hall said. “We all have different styles and that’s what makes it so awesome. It’s just like having different portions and you can’t really put a competition on that when there’s different styles or different genres of music to make a team.”
Unfortunately for the Tigers, one of the few teams that has more athletes ranked higher than LSU in the floor exercises will be walking into the meet alongside them this weekend.
The Sooners have five competitors ranked in the top 50 nationally, as well as having three of the top 15 all-arounders in the country.
Oklahoma junior Taylor Spears is No. 8 in the all around, averaging 39.4, and sophomore Erica Brewer is No. 9 with an average score of 39.388.
Who- No. 7 LSU vs. No. 2 Oklahoma / No. 9 Georgia / No. 16 Oregon State / Washington
What- Metroplex Challenge
When- 7 p.m. Saturday
Where- Fort Worth Tex.