There was some shuffling from other schools in the top five, but the LSU gymnastics squad (8-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) maintained its grip on the top spot, and the Tigers are the No. 1 team in the nation for the second consecutive week.
LSU’s overall regional qualifying score jumped this week, increasing to a 197.605 out of a possible 200. That jump was the result of the Tigers’ most recent record-setting performance. LSU topped the 198-mark for the first time in program history last Friday against Missouri.
The Tigers’ score of 198.050 from Friday cannot currently be counted for their RQS because a team’s highest score must be dropped. But their score of 197.875 in the Metroplex Challenge, which is the squad’s highest road score, was added to the RQS equation, which means the Tigers can count their three highest road scores of the season.
LSU’s RQS was determined by the average of its scores against Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas and in the Metroplex Challenge. The Tigers kept their No. 1 RQS ranking in both the vault and floor exercises. They jumped to No. 4 on the uneven bars and maintained their No. 3 ranking on the balance beam.
Four SEC schools made it in the top five, with defending national champion Florida moving up to No. 2 behind LSU. Alabama remained at No. 4, but Georgia crept to the No. 5 spot. Oklahoma is the lone non-SEC school in the top five.
Individually, eight different Tiger gymnasts are in the top 25 individual RQS rankings, with junior all-arounder Rheagan Courville leading the way. Courville is one of two gymnasts in the country ranked in the top 10 in each category, and her all-around RQS of 39.595 is second in the nation.
Juniors Jessie Jordan and Lloimincia Hall are the only Tiger gymnasts who are currently ranked No. 1 in an event. Jordan leads the nation on beam with a 9.915 RQS, and Hall is No. 1 on the floor exercise with 9.955 RQS. Jordan also moved into the top five for the all-around after her career-high performance against Missouri, making LSU the only program in the nation with two all-arounders ranked in the top five.