LSU gymnast Jessie Jordan will remember Saturday more vividly than the rest of the LSU gymnastics team.
The freshman earned her first all-around title, but No. 17 LSU (1-6, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) fell victim to No. 7 Georgia’s (3-1, 2-1) highest team score of the year, as the Tigers lost, 197.25-195.75.
LSU freshman Rheagan Courville won her third vault title with a 9.95 and freshman Lloimincia Hall won her second floor title with a 9.90. Junior Ericka Garcia tied her career-high with a 9.85 on beam.
Courville also earned LSU’s highest score on bars with a 9.875. Hall finished second in the all-around with a 39.225.
“This team fought hard all meet long,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux in a press release. “We made adjustments throughout the meet, and even though we didn’t come away with the win we gave great effort.”
Jordan’s 39.25 all-around score was enough to seal the individual victory, even though it wasn’t her highest all-around score this season as the freshman earned a 39.30 all-around score Jan. 20 at Arkansas.
“The first couple meets have been really fun,” Jordan said Jan. 23. “It’s been a different experience. The crowd’s are much bigger, there’s more people watching you, which is exciting. I go in there and just try to hit my routines, and whatever happens, happens.”
Since the season-opening Cancun Classic on Jan. 6, Jordan has earned at least a 39.00 in the all-around in each of the last three meets.
“Starting out, it was overwhelming, but everybody figures out how to calm their nerves and just get prepared,” Jordan said. “Mine might be dancing around the floor, but different things work for different people.”
Jordan tallied at least a 9.75 in each event and earned season-highs on vault (9.875) and bars (9.75).
“Jordan comes in to practice every day and does her complete assignments, and that was reflected in her performance today,” Breaux said. “I’m proud of her for winning the all-around, and I’m proud of this team for continuing to fight.”
LSU finished the meet with a season-high 48.975 on floor but scored lower on vault, bars and beam than it did in its previous meet against Arkansas, when it earned a season-high team score of 196.325.
The Tigers finished Saturday’s meet with a 49.30 on vault, a 48.50 on bars and a 48.975 on beam. The scores weren’t high enough to match Georgia, which scored at least a 49.25 in each event and bettered LSU’s score in every event.
The GymDogs earned a 49.325 on vault and bars, a 49.35 on beam and a 49.25 on floor.
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]