Over the past decade, the tight competition between LSU and Florida gymnastics has made them a fan-favorite to watch in the SEC competition. As both teams currently sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation, viewers will get the opportunity to watch one of the most intense rivalries of the season unfold in Baton Rouge.
“It’s probably one of the biggest meets of the year but I don’t think we’re thinking about it as that,” Bryant commented during an interview. “We’re just gonna go in the PMAC and do our normal gymnastics. What we do in the gym every day and what we’ve shown is enough and we’re really excited to compete against Florida this Friday.”
A victory over the No. 1 seed in the nation could prove LSU has exactly what it takes to not only sweep the SEC Title, but capture the NCAA Championship. Defeating top-ranked Florida won’t be a walk-in-the-park by any means as they proved in the last meet against Missouri with the top score of 197.85 in the nation and a record-setting 197.50 in the history of their season openers.
“Regardless of who we share the floor with, we’re competing against every team in the country.” said head coach Jay Clark.
These two respected SEC programs will enter the meet undefeated, but only one will hold that record after the conclusion of the meet. A loss for either team could drop their conference record below Alabama gymnastics. Florida’s defeat would also mark LSU’s first win against the Gators at the PMAC in four years.
LSU has a lot of gaps to fill in their competition against Florida. Let’s take a minute to compare.
The Gators sit comfortably at No. 1 in vault and beam while LSU ranks No. 5 in both rotations respectively. Besides one, all of Florida’s gymnasts average above a 9.85 in vault while only Tigers Sami Durante and Haleigh Bryant can match those scores.
Despite being No. 5, the Tigers definitely have enough potential to win the beam victory especially if anchor Reagan Campbell can dish-out another score within the 9.95 range.
On bars, LSU only trails behind Florida by a single ranking. With senior Durante’s consistent performance on bars and hopefully strong executions from Alyona Shchennikova and Olivia Dunne, the team could also steal the win on this rotation.
The Tigers, posting the No. 1 ranking on floor this season, could still risk losing the floor exercise if they cannot manage a 49.3 or higher. Leaders such as Kiya Johnson, along with Bryant and senior Sarah Edwards, have proven that they are fully confident to contend with the Gators’ top competitors on floor this season.
All-around freshman Bryant will have her hands full against powerhouses Trinity Thomas and Megan Skaggs. The junior and senior both have averages well above 9.85 in every rotation so far this year. Additionally, Thomas was named 2020 SEC Gymnast of the Year and 2019 Freshman of the Year. Bryant remains calm in the face of the challenge though and is ready to prove that she has a lot more to give LSU this season.
Although coach Clark is unsure how much of an impact that all-around Johnson could have on Friday night, he is certain that a risk of injury during the regular season is not worth it.
“To put that risk on the table right now….for what? A dual-meet? I’m not gonna do that. We wanna win but we also believe in the other kids we have.” Clark said.
The Gators’ steady score of 197.25 and higher will prove to be a problem for LSU, who has barely managed to keep afloat a 197 in the last two meets against Arkansas and Georgia. The last time the two teams battled, LSU lost in Gainesville despite having some of their best scores of the season.
The last time the Tigers earned a 3-0 record was in 2018 when they went on to win the SEC Championship and compete in the NCAA Super Six. If the Tigers can defeat the Gators on Friday, this will be their first win against Florida since the regular season in 2018.
“After the first meet, we kind’ve felt different. The freshmen class really came in and did their job. We’ve gotten so much closer this year even though it’s been harder,” Durante spoke. “There’s something special about this year.”
Guidelines in the PMAC will allow up to 25% capacity while requiring attendants to wear face masks and socially distance. Fans at home can tune into SECNetwork to watch what could possibly be the highest-scoring meet of the 2021 season.
The Tigers will clash with the Gators at 6:15 p.m on Friday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU gymnastics sophomore Kiya Johnson performs a front toss on balance beam on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 during the LSU vs. Arkansas meet at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on N Stadium Dr.
