The fourth-largest home crowd in LSU gymnastics history had a couple of things to cheer about Friday night.
When freshman Lloimincia Hall rocked the floor exercise to tie the nation’s top score of 9.975 in the event, the 5,159 fans packing the PMAC screamed.
And when former LSU linebacker Bradie James revealed the Fifth Annual Etta James Memorial Meet had raised $100,000 for his Foundation 56, which aims to stamp out breast cancer in Baton Rouge, they roared.
“A lot of people worked to get to this point, and it’s been great,” James said. “We want to do some things that are bigger. Everybody had to step their game up, and $100,000 should be enough to make an imprint in this community.”
Hall posted a 39.425 all-around score to win her second overall title of the season and spark a 196.550-194.875 victory for the No. 10 Lady Tigers (5-8) over No. 20 NC State (9-4). LSU is now 10-0 all-time against the Wolfpack.
“It’s just a blessing,” said Hall, who was ranked No. 8 on the floor going into the meet. “I go out there and have fun. Floor is like my baby, I love that event. I just have a good time because you can, especially at home, release all your worries.”
Freshman Rheagan Courville added two more individual titles to bring her team-leading total to 15, taking the vault with a 9.875 and sharing the uneven bars with sophomore Sarie Morrison by matching her 9.900. It was the first time this season an LSU gymnast scored a 9.9 on bars.
LSU coach D-D Breaux used the special occasion to talk about how important giving back to the community is for her and her athletes. She said James is a “shining example” of what she believes an LSU student athlete is supposed to be, but she wasn’t the only one who walked away from the meet impressed.
“The hair was standing up on the back of your neck,” James said of Hall’s floor routine. “I’ve been involved in five of these things, and man, [the gymnasts] just get better and better.”
 
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