Although fans might miss hearing the names Rheagan Courville, Jessie Jordan and Lloimincia Hall at LSU gymnastics meets, the excitement that last year’s seniors brought to both the team and PMAC has only evolved.
It starts on beam. Courville’s standing Arabian had LSU fans holding their breath from start to finish, while the landing served as big a momentum boost for the final performances every meet.
Now, fans hold their breath a little longer, because freshman all-arounder Sarah Finnegan’s triple wolf turn has become beam’s head-turning element.
Though the wolf turn doesn’t have the same difficulty as the standing Arabian, it is a distinctive start to a routine. In fact, Finnegan is the only gymnast in the NCAA who performs it.
But having a breathtaking highlight on beam isn’t the only thing Finnegan and the 23-time All-American, Courville, have in common. Sophomore all-arounder Myia Hambrick saw a connection between last year’s seniors and the freshman class from the start.
“It’s almost like you took Rheagan’s and Jessie’s personality and spread them apart among all of them,” Hambrick said. “All of our freshmen are really excited to be here and are very good at competing, just like Jessie was. Rheagan was full of energy and that’s what they all are, too.”
When it comes to crowd involvement, senior all-arounder Randii Wyrick took a small step into Hall’s footsteps on floor. There is no LSU themed music, no Les Miles handclaps, but the Las Vegas native’s routine lands perfectly in 2016’s pop culture with a strong ‘dab’ after her final pass, despite a more traditional performance style.
One important thing changed after all, but you won’t see it in the Tigers’ performances. LSU coach D-D Breaux and the returning class said the biggest difference from last year is cohesiveness.
“I think this year we’re a lot more focused on being together in the gym and outside,” Hambrick said. “We’re a lot more focused on building relationships and really are 15 best friends.”
The Tigers’ focus on cohesiveness produced a comfortable environment that allows underclassmen to take on leadership as well.
“It’s not just one person standing up saying ‘Hey, do what I do.’ It’s more of a ‘Let’s all be good people,’” Breaux said. “You need a good first follower to have a good team and we got a great team of great first followers, while different leaders step up every time.”
The freshmen’s contribution and the 2-0-start fuel optimism about the future. Hambrick said she is excited to see what more the team can do and hopes continued growth brings them another step up.
“Every year there’s been something to remember,” said senior all-arounder Jessica Savona. “Some things are good about it, some things need to be improved, but throughout every single year the program has gotten better and better. The team, the atmosphere and the way LSU Gymnastics has grown has been phenomenal.”