After spending the past four meets on the road, the LSU gymnastics squad (8-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) returned home and lived up to its No. 1 national ranking, eclipsing the 198-mark for the first time in program history Friday night in the PMAC.
LSU finished with a 198.050 out of a possible 200 to defeat SEC opponent Missouri (6-5, 0-4 SEC) in front of the 7,018 people in attendance. Missouri ended the night with a 194.825.
LSU’s historic night was capped off by its floor performance, where the squad tallied a 49.700, another school record. The nation’s No. 1 floor team had three gymnasts set career highs: Senior Kaleigh Dickson, freshman Ashleigh Gnat and junior Jessie Jordan had matching scores of 9.925.
But junior Lloimincia Hall took home the floor crown for the third time this season, scoring a 9.975 in the anchor spot. Her score put LSU past the 198-barrier, yet the Dallas native was unaware of the potential school-record heading into her routine.
“I had no idea [about the record],” Hall said. “From anchoring floor in previous years, [coach] D-D learned to not tell me those things, but to just tell me to do what I’ve been doing.”
According to Jordan, who claimed the all-around title with a career-high score of 39.600, LSU’s remarkable performance was a reminder of far she’s seen the program grow since her first season in 2012. 
“[My] freshman year, we were hoping to get 196 or 197,” Jordan said. “To be able to get 198 and still improve is an amazing feeling.”
Jordan wasn’t the only one cherishing the moment. After the meet, LSU coach D-D Breaux couldn’t contain her excitement for the squad’s historic performance.
“There’s a lot of positive energy,” Breaux said. “Momentum is a very powerful drug, and these kids are feeding on that momentum right now.”
LSU created that momentum from the beginning, scoring a 49.575 on vault to take the lead after the first rotation. Three LSU gymnasts shared the vault title. Jordan scored a 9.925 to match the outputs of Dickson and fellow senior Sarie Morrison.
For Morrison, it was her fourth vault title of the season and 11th of her career. 
LSU took its lead to the uneven bars, where junior Rheagan Courville and Morrison led the way. The All-Americans each scored a 9.925 to share the title for the second straight week. For Morrison, the title extended her school-record for most bars crowns to 27.
LSU finished the uneven bars with a 49.500 and took a commanding 99.075-97.450 lead halfway through the meet.
The only low point of the night for LSU came on the balance beam, where Courville fell during her routine. But the reigning SEC Gymnast of the Year was overjoyed by her team’s ability to overcome her mistake.
“That’s what it means to have a team behind you,” Courville said. “You don’t have to be perfect to achieve what you want as a team. It takes lots of people to do what we do, and [this meet] showed one mistake won’t hurt us.”
LSU finished with a 49.275 on beam. Hall and Gnat tied for the title, both scoring a 9.875. It was the first beam title of Hall’s career and the second for Gnat. After the third rotation, LSU led Missouri 148.350-146.250 heading to the floor exercise, where Hall’s memorable performance secured the first 198-score in program history. 
LSU’s next competition will come next Friday against North Carolina State, the second of a three-meet home stand before the squad takes part in the SEC Championships in Birmingham, Ala. 

Gallery • 19 Photos

Lauren Duhon

LSU freshman all-around gymnast Sydney Ewing celebrates after landing a flip off the vault Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 during the Tigers' 198.050-194.825 victory against Missouri at the PMAC.