LSU senior gymnast Sarah Finnegan continues to collect accolades.
The Lee Summitt, Missouri native was named a finalist for the Class of 2019 Honda Sport Award for Gymnastics, THE Collegiate Women Sports Award announced Thursday.
Finnegan has already been named the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year, the Central Region Gymnast of the Year and the AAI Award winner, which is considered the Heisman of gymnastics.
Finnegan is the sixth LSU gymnast to be nominated for the Honda Sports Award, following Ashleigh Gnat (2016-17), Rheagan Courville (2012-13), Susan Jackson (2009-10), Ashleigh Clare-Kearney (2008-09), and Rachel Fruge’ (1989-90). Jackson, a three-time NCAA champion, is the only LSU gymnast to win the award.
Finnegan is the only one to be a finalist in consecutive years.
Finnegan won 95 individual event titles in 212 routines during her four years at LSU. She also set the career record for titles on beam with 27.
Finnegan saved her best season for last as she won 14 individual all-around titles in the 16 meets where she competed all four event. She also set a single-season record for beam titles at 11 and became the fourth two-time NCAA champion in program history when she capped her career with the 2019 Uneven Bars title.
Finnegan also totaled 49 individual titles in 2019 to break a record of 45 set by Sandra Smith in 1980 and tied in 2010 by April Burkholder. No other LSU gymnast since Burkholder as won more than 30 titles in a season.
Maggie Nichols (Oklahoma), Brenna Dowell (Oklahoma) and Kyla Ross (UCLA) are the other finalists as voted on by coaches across the country.
“Sarah Finnegan is the greatest gymnast and one of the greatest LSU athletes ever,” head coach D-D Breaux said in a press release. “From the day she stepped on to this campus, Sarah put everything she could into the classroom, the community and in the gym.
“She has achieved so much success as an individual, but I know that means nothing compared to what she was able to do as a teammate to help LSU achieve greatness.”
LSU’s Sarah Finnegan named finalist for Honda Award
By Kennedi Landry | @landryyy14
April 25, 2019
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