After saying she wouldn’t single out any one performer, LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux singled out freshman all-arounder Erin Macadaeg following No. 3 LSU’s 197.950-197.425 victory against No. 2 Florida on Friday night.
Macadaeg got on the beam in front of 12,217 fans — the largest crowd in program history — at a critical point in the meet.
The Tigers were clinging to a 98.925-98.875 lead heading into the third rotation, but the numbers suggested LSU was outmatched. The Gators averaged a 49.342 team score on floor heading into the meet while the Tigers averaged 49.275 on beam.
An uncharacteristically low-scoring routine by freshman all-arounder Myia Hambrick strengthened Florida’s advantage. LSU needed its remaining four gymnasts to hit their routines, starting with Macadaeg.
The pressure didn’t affect Macadaeg as she maintained her composure on the beam and earned a 9.900. The remaining Tigers followed Macadaeg’s example by posting scores of 9.875, 9.900 and 9.925 to score the second-highest team total of the season in the event at 49.450. The mark eclipsed Florida’s 49.325 floor score and gave LSU a comfortable lead heading into the final rotation.
“[Macadaeg] got up there and reestablished herself,” Breaux said. “She said ‘We are a great beam team. Follow me.’ Then everyone behind her followed suit. That was a real pivotal point.”
Macadaeg first learned the art of composure while competing at the club level. By 2013, she was competing alongside Olympians at the P&G Championships. A year later, her efforts at the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships earned her a spot on the J.O. National Team.
“P&G is a national competition with the top gymnasts in the nation, so I was really excited to get the opportunity to compete there and actually place 7th on beam,” Macadaeg said. “I had two Olympians in my rotation. I was competing side by side with Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney. Just being up there with those girls made me feel so special.”
While competing at LSU, Macadaeg has improved her ability to maintain composure with the help of senior all-arounder Jessie Jordan, the No. 2 beam performer in the nation, whom Breaux said is the master of composure.
When Macadaeg landed in Baton Rouge, Jordan saw her raw talent and knew she would become one of the best gymnasts in the nation on beam.
“I see so much more in her on beam than what I had coming in as a freshman because she has all the technical abilities as a gymnast that I wish I would have had,” Jordan said. “Her lines are just amazing, and her presence on the beam is something that you don’t see from many gymnasts, especially not a freshman.”
Jordan wasn’t wrong.
Macadaeg posted three scores of 9.900 or better, including a career-high 9.950 during LSU’s victory against Georgia on Feb. 6.
The lone blemish on her résumé — a 9.150 after falling off the beam in LSU’s victory against Missouri on Jan. 23 — came just moments before the announcer warned fans against the use of flash photography.
Macadaeg attributed a portion of her success to the consistent advice she gets from Jordan.
The duo has formed a close relationship while traveling together for away meets. Their friendship has translated to prosperity on the beam, the event on which LSU has the best mark in the nation with an average of 49.300.
“When she hits her routine and I see her get excited at the end of it, it’s almost personal,” Jordan said.
You can reach Jacob Hamilton on Twitter @jhamilton_TDR.