LSU gymnast Annie Gagnon knew her vault had been good, but even she was surprised at the score.
The junior from Montreal scored a near-perfect 9.95 on the vault to tie for the victory in the event in LSU’s 197.525-195.600 win over Ohio State Friday.
A 9.95 and an event win is great under any circumstance, but for Gagnon to achieve it in her first-ever collegiate vault attempt is doubly impressive.
“I was extremely nervous. I don’t think I’d ever been that nervous in my life,” Gagnon said of her first-ever vault attempt.
Gagnon said she was very satisfied with her debut performance.
“I’m very happy with the vault,” Gagnon said. “It was my first time to compete that vault in college. I think the judges were nice, but I think my vault was good too. I can’t ask for better than that right now.”
In addition to her vault title Friday, Gagnon also won the bars with a 9.95 and turned in a 9.8 on the balance beam.
LSU coach D-D Breaux said Gagnon’s emergence on the vault can only help the No. 6 Tigers as they prepare for the postseason.
“We’re getting more out of her right now than I think we thought we would,” Breaux said. “I was going to be happy with two events. But for her to step in and vault like she did tonight, if we get two more good weeks of training and she can vault like at SEC, that will be another very consistent, very high-scoring score for us.”
Although Gagnon is new to the vault, she has been an important part of the LSU team since the 2002 season. Gagnon, a 2003 All-American on the uneven bars, has been one of the Tigers’ most consistent performers on the event.
The junior is currently ranked No. 6 in the country on bars with a 9.855 average. She recorded a career high in the event with a 9.975 at the Feb. 13 meet against Georgia and has won the event title at six of the last seven meets.
Gagnon said she still is looking for that elusive first career 10 on the bars.
“Maybe next week I’ll try, but I’m just happy every time I score 9.95,” Gagnon said. “I think it’s pretty good. It helps the team and that’s what I want to do.”
Breaux said Gagnon has provided a young LSU team with something they lacked last season — leadership from the upperclassmen.
“Annie has given us good leadership,” Breaux said. “She’s doing a great job in the gym and out of the gym. It’s very important, and part of our problem last year we were not getting upper-class leadership, and we’re getting that now.”
“These kids are beginning to speak out and understand what it means to be a team — what it means to sacrifice and put your feelings aside and put the feelings of the entire team ahead of what you personally feel. And Annie brings that to this team.”