It did not take junior gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney long to prove she is recovered from a foot injury that caused her to miss her sophomore season. Clare-Kearney anchored a Tigers gymnastics team that placed No. 4 at the Super Six Challenge in Fayetteville, Ark., on Jan. 4, posting a perfect 10.0 score on the vault. “We have seen that kind of performance from Ashleigh time and time again in practice,” LSU coach D-D Breaux said. “After missing last season she has had a better level of training and is in a good place both mentally and physically, and it showed tonight.” Clare-Kearney’s performance on vault gave LSU an early lead over second place University of Florida. LSU was unable to build on its lead in the first event, falling behind the field in the beam and floor events. “Even with two bad events, I think we still came away with a decent score,” Breaux said. “We are perfectly capable of much more, but I am glad to get this meet behind us.” Senior Nicki Butler and freshman Summer Hubbard each posted scores of 9.850 on the bars, leading the team in the event. Freshmen Kayla Rogers and Sabrina Franceschelli each scored 9.750. Despite the No. 4 finish, Breaux said she was optimistic about her team’s season. “Overall I am not displeased,” she said. “I see where we have room to improve.” The team then traveled to Iowa City, Iowa on Friday night, where they defeated the University of Iowa by about 3 points. Clare-Kearney again led the Tigers with a 39.425 overall score, winning the second all-around title of her career. Senior Kelly Phelan also performed well for LSU, placing second overall with a score of 39.300. “With Ashleigh and Kelly in the all-around it really makes us a stronger team,” Breaux said. “I thought they both did a really nice job tonight.” Like the Super Six, LSU opened the meet strong, scoring 48.675 on the bars to take an early lead against the Hawkeyes. LSU dominated the event, earning each of the top-five places. Hubbard posted a career-high 9.850 to win the bars. LSU also won the vault event, earning the top three places. The Tigers held a three point advantage going into the last event, but a fall on the beam allowed Iowa to win the last leg of the meet, giving LSU the two-point victory. “I don’t feel like we have hit our full stride,” Breaux said. “We had to make some last-minute adjustments to the lineup, and I think that always leaves you a little unsettled. But the upside of that is that we are competing a lot of people, and we are getting this team ready for SEC competition.”
—–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]