LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux constantly emphasizes energy and enthusiasm for her fifth-ranked Tigers.
With that, LSU gymnastics has been known for its entertaining and dynamic floor routines in recent years, but this year it has been the lowest event average for the normally solid Tigers.
Floor had been the one event slowing down LSU in 2019. Often times, the Tigers will start strong on vault and a their highest-averaged event, bars and plateau once they get to beam and floor.
But that all changed on Feb. 17 when the Tigers went for a season high 49.550 on floor and 197.650 overall against Missouri.
Junior Ruby Harrold and sophomores Christina Desiderio and Reagan Campbell all went 9.85 to start the rotation before turning the lineup over to the big hitters. Junior Kennedi Edney and seniors Sarah Finnegan and McKenna Kelley exploded for three straight 9.95s to end the meet.
“It was amazing,” Finnegan said. “Ruby is a great lead off. She’s in that position for a reason and she hit her routine.
Then, one after the other, we just kept building momentum. When we got through the lineup, the last three people were just amazing. I’m so glad we got to end on a good note.”
Breaux has fiddled with parts of the floor lineup early in the season, but she believes that the current gymnasts have claimed their spots and proven they belong.
Breaux said floor is the event LSU has had to work the hardest at to be as good as they have become, and that work has shown in the last couple of meets. The Tigers set their previous season high of 49.475 on the event on Feb. 15 at the GymQuarters Invitational in St. Charles, Mo.
Finnegan averages 9.925 on floor, and Kelley isn’t far behind at 9.857, but Edney stepped up for the Tigers against Missouri.
Edney, who has a career high 9.975, particularly struggled on floor this season with a tough tumbling pass to begin her routine. Against Missouri, she hit every pass and scored a season high 9.95 while the PMAC crowd screamed for a 10.
“It felt like [my routine] was back to normal,” Edney said. “All week in the gym we’ve been trying to figure out what the problem was and making sure my mind was right, knowing what right cues to say in my head.”
LSU has consistently started home meets with strong performances on vault and bars to start, but struggled to finish in the same manner on beam and floor.
Edney said everybody had been working in the gym this past week, focusing on hitting those landings. The Tigers’ ability to finish strong made all the difference against Missouri.
“Energy wise and the mindset [changed on Sunday],” Edney said. “Momentum is a dangerous drug, so we wanted to keep that going. As it showed, we had momentum and it stayed throughout the whole meet.”