Maleah Bourgeois
LSU gymnastics all-around Aleah Finnegan performs on the floor durinig LSU's 197.550-197.450 win against the Florida Gators on Friday, January 17, 2025 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU gymnastics traveled to Fayetteville for their first road conference meet. The Tigers endured their first loss against No. 17 Arkansas, 196.600-196.875.
The team expressed enthusiasm to be on the road again, ready to perform somewhere else other than the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
“I’m very excited for another travel meet this season,” all-around freshman Kaliya Lincoln said this week. “I’ve heard Arkansas is a very good environment.”
The Tigers arrived at Bud Walton Arena with a three-meet winning streak and entered the first rotation with a bang as they took to the bars, with all-around sophomore Konnor McClain leading the team with a 9.925.
All-around senior Tori Tatum made her season debut on bars tonight as well, with a score of 9.250, securing a total of 49.375 for the Tigers.
Moving to vault, fans eagerly watched to see if all-around graduate student Haleigh Bryant would finally make her way back to vault given her preseason injury.
“I assume we’re going to try and progress Haleigh,” head coach Jay Clark said this week. “Whether that means fully functional on another event or not, but I’m sure we’ll be adding more to her plate.”
Alas, Bryant was not seen on vault, however, she could count on her team to help secure the advantage over the Razorbacks.
All-around freshman Kailin Chio brought home a 9.950, matching her personal best on vault.
Following Chio was fifth-year senior Chase Brock, who carried a 9.900.
With their combined scores alongside their teammates, LSU brought a 49.350, leading by 0.100.
Brock took to the floor in LSU’s third rotation, her routine earning a 9.825.
Fans were surprised to see graduate student Sierra Ballard missing from tonight’s lineup. Ballard, who usually starts the floor event, did not compete in the event tonight.
Instead, graduate Olivia Dunne opened and earned a 9.700.
Chio scored a 9.100, a low score for Chio, her lowest on the floor this season.
Following Chio, came Aleah Finnegan, who earned a 9.575. She received a neutral deduction from her routine for stepping out of bounds on the floor.
Finally, Bryant debuted on the floor and received a 9.875.
Sophomore Leah Miller finished the floor event for the Tigers with a 9.550, setting LSU at a 147.575 as they swung into the fourth rotation.
It was in the fourth rotation on the beam that Ballard performed in, opening with a 9.800.
McClain followed Ballard with a 9.575, one of the lower scores on the beam for the meet.
Still, the Tigers attempted to prevail as Chio took on the beam with a leading 9.850 and Finnegan with a 9.925, Bryant later tying with Ballard with a 9.800.
Unfortunately, their efforts as a team weren’t enough as they suffered the lower end of a 0.500 point upset on the balance beam, which led to the end of LSU’s winning streak.
The No. 2 Tigers, 196.600, fell before the No.17 Razorbacks, 196.875, in a gut-wrenching loss in Fayetteville.
The Tigers have a lot to learn as they recover from what can be considered an irregular performance, particularly on the floor, given Ballard’s absence.
In the meantime, LSU is on its way back to Baton Rouge to prepare for the Missouri Tigers on Jan. 31.