A week ago, Lexie Priessman received injections in her elbow for a nagging injury that caused her to miss three weeks of the season.
Friday night in the PMAC, the senior all-arounder performed like she didn’t miss any time at all, scoring her first career perfect 10 on bars in LSU’s win over Georgia. 
“It felt so good to be back out there again,” Priessman said. “Taking a few weeks off was something that I needed to do for my body to get back to where I need to be physically. Tonight, I just went out there with there with the mind of being free and it just happened. Our body’s know what to do at this point, everything is on autopilot, so I just went out there and did my job.”
Priessman is only one of four gymnasts in program history to receive a perfect 10 on the uneven bars. LSU coach D-D Breaux said that Priessman’s picture will “live forever” as it hangs no the wall in the team’s training facility. 
“I was just like ‘wow did this really happen today?'” Priessman said. “I said after it happened ‘is this real life?’ It was special for sure.” 
As Priessman stuck her dismount, she was swarmed by her teammates as they celebrated her return. Priessman has gone through multiple major surgeries throughout her gymnastics career, and all of her teammates were excited to see her succeed. 
“I had the team right beside me and I can’t thank them enough because they have helped me through every trial that I have been through,” Priessman said. 
Priessman’s perfect score was the first in the Southeastern Conference in the 2019 season, and the only until fellow senior Sarah Finnegan did the same on beam later in the meet. 
LSU coach D-D Breaux said she thought Finnegan got too excited following Priessman’s 10, causing her to settle for a 9.825 on bars, which is far below her average. 
Finnegan was all but willing to share the spotlight with her teammate and roommate. The energy and enthusiasm from Priessman’s perfect 10 went through the entire meet and allowed the team to succeed. 
While Priessman is only on the uneven bars now, both her and Breaux want her in at least one more lineup before the end of the season. 
“I think mentally, I’m ready to go,” Priessman said. “It’s just making sure that the timing is right where I need it to be. I trust the coaches and their choices but hopefully I’ll be ready for floor and vault soon.”
“We’re just happy to have Lexie back in our bar lineup though we want her in more lineups,” Breaux said. “She truly is a difference maker.”

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Courtesty of LSU Creative Services

lexie celebration