The undefeated Florida gymnastics team handed LSU its first loss of the season on Friday. It consisted of scores that were uncharacteristic of leading contenders: Kiya Johnson, Haleigh Bryant and Alyona Schennikova amongst some other veterans. Johnson finished on floor with a 9.85 while Bryant failed to complete her final pass and received a 9.775.
“It’s something we’ve come to expect,” leading Florida gymnast Nya Reed said. “LSU is an amazing team. It’s been neck-and-neck each of my four years. It wasn’t a shocker.”
However, the Tigers losing to Florida certainly doesn’t reflect this year’s outcome for the team, who still sit at the No. 5 spot in the nation after scoring their highest road score of the season at 197.825. To top things off, the score is also the second-highest road score of any team so far this season.
Defeating a team like the Gators isn’t an easy feat, especially when they’re scoring over 198 at home. Not to mention they have the top-two floor competitors in the nation right now. On floor, Trinity Thomas and Reed boast an average 9.975 and 9.97, respectively.
“Florida is the team that is year in and year out a top program,” Head Coach Jay Clark said. “We have generally competed well in Gainesville, and I do not expect anything different this week. I know our team is excited and we have momentum after a great meet against Auburn. It will be a challenge, but I feel confident in this team and their ability to compete. It should be another really exciting meet.”
Despite atypical performances from leading scorers, the team still managed the fourth-highest score in the country in 2022, thanks to aid from their freshmen. KJ Johnson did not disappoint, scoring 9.90 on floor and an explosive 9.95 on vault. Aleah Finnegan made her debut on floor, earning a 9.90 off the bat. Finnegan is also ranked 24th overall on beam according to national rankings.
Their team average (197.400) trails Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah and Florida. The Tigers are expected to face harsher challenges ahead from these foes but are up for the challenge. LSU ranks third collectively on vault, bars and beam while sitting at No. 8 on floor.
The purple and gold are looking ahead rather than grieving their loss right now. Additionally, the performances of Johnson and Bryant shouldn’t lower expectations of the power. The sophomore is fourth in the nation in the all-around category, while also holding the No. 7 spot on vault and No. 12 on bars. Johnson is currently in the tenth spot for both the All-Around and Floor events.
“We know how hard it is to win at Florida, but we [left] with a really strong road score,” Clark said. “We’ll take a couple days off and get back in the gym before a tough stretch next weekend with two meets.”
The Tigers have a double weekend ahead of them. For their next meet, the team will return to Baton Rouge to face No. 8 Alabama on Friday at 7:45 p.m. The competition will televise on ESPN. LSU will then turn around for a tri-meet on Sunday against Missouri and Arkansas at 12 p.m.
