Friday night was historic for the No. 2 LSU gymnastics team. It drew in the largest attendance in program history for senior night, during which it recorded the best team score in history.
The PMAC had a record 13,179 fans to witness LSU’s (11-1, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) 198.375-195.450 victory against No. 16 Minnesota. It was the last time seniors Rheagan Courville, Jessie Jordan, Lloimincia Hall, Britney Ranzy and Scarlett Williams performed in their home arena.
“We mean business this year,” Courville said. “It’s something that we worked extremely hard for, and it’s amazing to have everybody notice how hard we’ve worked and what we plan to do. It’s awesome to have a whole community along with us.”
The senior class that brought the gymnastics program to its highest peak in recent memory recorded three perfect scores, helped set the best vault score in program history (49.825), tied the best score on floor (49.700) and accounted for seven marks of 9.900 or above.
“We came in here with so much excitement, enthusiasm and pride in what we were doing,” Courville said. 
But while the seniors reminded fans of the last four years, the Tigers’ younger gymnasts showed the future is just as bright.
The underclassmen shined in their mentors’ shadow, winning two event titles while tallying six scores of 9.900 or better. Sophomore all-arounder Ashleigh Gnat led the group with the all-around title.
Three Tigers vied for the all-around title as Gnat’s career-high mark of 39.725 edged out Jordan, who also scored a career-high at 39.675. 
Courville didn’t compete in the all-around for just the second time in her career, but the Tigers didn’t miss a beat with freshman all-arounder Myia Hambrick in her place. 
Hambrick filled in for Courville with the best performance of her career. She set or tied a career-high in all four events en route to a career-high 39.575 all-around score
“Rheagan not doing the all-around, [I] was very concerned about that because she has an all-around frame of mind,” said LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux. “But Myia Hambrick, what a great job she did tonight. [She] hit four beautiful events.”
Every time a senior posted a high clip, her younger counterpart answered right back.
Jordan got the high scores rolling early with her first career perfect score on vault. Hambrick followed it with a 9.925, and Gnat responded with a perfect score from one judge and a 9.950 from the other for a career-high 9.975.
The underclassmen set the pace on beam after Courville won the bars title in the second rotation. Sophomore all-arounder Sydney Ewing and freshman all-arounder Erin Macadaeg tallied scores of 9.875, while Hambrick posted a 9.900. Jordan also earned a 9.900, but Gnat one-upped her with a 9.925 to claim the event title.
“Little Erin Macadaeg [was] one little hop short of a 10,” Breaux said. “[Hambrick was] one little shoulder tilt on beam short of a 10. We are knocking on the door with our underclassmen, but again, they’re getting great leadership, and they realize it.”
Three underclassmen set or tied their career-highs in the last rotation on floor. 
Ewing posted a 9.925, Hambrick earned a 9.875 and Gnat received a perfect score from one judge again to end up with another 9.975.
Gnat said this class of seniors is responsible for forging the program into the powerhouse it is today, and the advice it passed down is invaluable.
In a final sign of respect and appreciation for the senior class that guided them to be the gymnasts they are today, the underclassmen bowed down to the seniors as fans showered them with cheers following Hall’s     perfect score in the anchor spot on floor.
“[The seniors are] leaders inside and outside of the gym in everything that they do,” Hambrick said. “They will be missed. It was us showing our gratitude, but also [saying] ‘you’ve taught us so much, now we’re going to carry it on.’ It was great to send them off like that.”
You can follow Jacob Hamilton on Twitter at @jhamilton_TDR.