LSU senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney is the most decorated gymnast in LSU history. She has won the most individual titles (110) of any gymnast to walk through coach D-D Breaux’s gym during her 32 years at LSU.She has accumulated more honors through her four seasons — including 2008 Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year — than she could count on two “you can’t see me” hand waves. But there’s one title that has eluded her since she stepped foot on campus in 2005 — a national championship.The Manchester, Conn., native views that elusive national championship as the “icing on the cake.””I’m very blessed with all the accolades I’ve won, but a national championship would seal the deal,” Clare-Kearney said. “I would love to get one, whether it be team or individual. But if I don’t, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”Clare-Kearney said she won’t think less of her career if it ends without one — at least, not too much less.”To say that if I didn’t win one, my career would mean less, to me, in my eyes I would think I was missing something,” she said. “But … all my fans, teammates and coaches, they would think that my career has been wonderful, and there are a lot of people who would love to have the career I’ve had.”The three-time first-team All-SEC selection will have to take care of business at this weekend’s NCAA Central Regional to get her shot at the national championship.One thing Clare-Kearney will have to do to help her team win the regional is staying on the beam. She has fallen the last three times she competed on the apparatus.”We’ve done a lot of video work and a lot of watching it when it’s good and not talking about it when it’s bad,” Breaux said. “Hopefully, we can bridge that gap and get past this because she’s an excellent beam worker, and this should not be a problem with her.”Clare-Kearney said the falls were all on the same pass in her routine and have all been mental mistakes because of her overthinking her routine.”Subconsciously, at the meet I’m thinking, ‘I can’t fall this time because I fell last time,'” she said. “The last thing I hear is, ‘Fall.’ And that seems to be what is happening.”But the senior has taken care of business on the other three apparatuses so far this season.Clare-Kearney is ranked No. 1 nationally on the floor with a 9.945 regional qualifying score, No. 4 in the vault (9.930), No. 5 on the bars (9.910) and No. 3 in the all-around (39.515).All of these rankings come despite Clare-Kearney suffering minor ankle injuries in the middle of the season.”She’s a tenacious competitor,” Breaux said. “She has a tremendous amount of love for LSU and for the team and for what she does. She always puts the team ahead of what she would like to do and what her goals are.”After five outstanding years as a Tiger — including a medical redshirt in 2006 because of an ankle injury — Clare-Kearney said her body is ready to call it quits, but she isn’t.”I’m sure I’ll cry at nationals,” she said. “But it hasn’t hit me yet.”Clare-Kearney does have plans for after her final meets as a Tiger.The two-time All-American has been on both the Academic All-American team and the SEC Honor Roll and holds a 4.00 GPA in graduate school, majoring in kinesiology with a sports management concentration.She’s also leaving a lasting mark on the community, as she was named to the SEC Community Service team for the second-straight year.She is the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which encourages the importance of student-athletes participating in community service.”[Community service] shows your appreciation and how blessed you are, and that’s important,” she said. “To go out in the community and give back to people who are a little less fortunate than we are is amazing, and they really appreciate it, no matter how small it may seem to us.” One thing is for sure — Clare-Kearney won’t be forgotten anytime soon by those who have competed with her Friday nights in the PMAC.”She’s a big part of this team, and she always has been,” said LSU junior Sabrina Franceschelli. “She’s one of the best in the country. She’s really consistent because she’s always that 9.9 score we can count on.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]