The No. 3 LSU gymnastics team is focused on putting together a consistent string of scores as the season progresses.
LSU (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) completed a second-half comeback in its 196.600-195.600 victory against Kentucky and Arizona State (194.400) last Friday night.
Despite earning the victory, LSU’s 14-meet streak of scoring 197 points or more was snapped. It will look to start a new streak against Missouri tonight at the PMAC.
“What we need to see week-in and week-out is a consistent level of high intensity — a consistent level of sticking dismounts, hitting handstands and solid and fluid movement on the beam,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux. “If we can do those things, we can get better through the season.”
After producing uncharacteristically low scores on floor and vault in the season opener, LSU bounced back to score the highest in those same events in a tri-meet with Kentucky and Arizona State the next week.
LSU’s national rankings of No. 2 on beam and No. 3 on bars continue to be the team’s strengths, but its performance against Kentucky and Arizona State elevated the floor and vault lineups each to No. 7 nationally.
“I would say our strong suit is floor and vault,” said senior all-arounder and two-time reigning SEC Gymnast of the Week Jessie Jordan. “It’s fun because there is so much energy on floor. [Senior Lloimincia Hall] nailed her last pass that really put it over the top, and it got us hyped up for vault.”
Missouri (2-1, 0-1 SEC) is coming off a losing effort against then-No. 7 Georgia, but it played up to the stiff competition and managed to score a season-best 195.225.
LSU and Missouri also faced off last season in the PMAC, when LSU scored its first 198 in program history in a 198.050-194.825 victory.
This time, Mizzou is led by freshman all-arounder Shauna Miller, who is No. 15 nationally in the all-around and tied for No. 10 on vault.
She has led Missouri to its highest team vault and beam scores since 2013.
But Miller’s numbers are dwarfed by Jordan’s, who ranks No. 1 in the nation on floor, No. 2 on beam, No. 3 in the all-around and No. 11 on bars.
“We want teams to know how hard we have worked and what our plans are for the season,” said senior all-arounder Rheagan Courville. “We plan on doing the absolute most we can to achieve our goals.”
Jordan leads LSU into the matchup with six individual titles on the season. She is accompanied by four other gymnasts who have won an individual title, an attribute to the team’s depth.
“This is, I think, as good of a team as we have ever had and [opposing teams] have to bring their very best performance to all of the meets,” Breaux said.