ST. LOUIS — Before LSU’s final rotation on vault in the Super Six, senior Myia Hambrick called the team together in a huddle.
Junior all-arounder Sarah Finnegan says Hambrick told the team, “I don’t care what place we get. It’s really tight. If it’s first, second, whatever— I don’t care. I want to finish strong. I want us to finish like Tigers.”
Though they ultimately finished fourth, all Hambrick wanted was for the Tigers to leave everything on the floor and that’s what they did.
LSU finished with the highest Super Six score in program history at 197.8375, a score that would have won the Tigers a national title in both 2015 and 2016.
Hambrick had one of the best meets of her career on Super Six night by finishing second in the all-around with a score of 39.6625, the highest at an NCAA Championships for an LSU gymnast in program history.
Hambrick and freshman Sarah Edwards tied for second highest vault score of the night at 9.95, while Hambrick and Finnegan tied for second on floor at 9.95.
“She was amazing tonight,” LSU coach D-D Breaux said. “We started on bars and she did a beautiful job. Every event she just got better and better. I think vault probably the best. I don’t know what her all-around score was but it was probably the best all-around performance that we’ve had from her in her career. What a way to end it. What a night to go out on.”
After a freshman season where she only competed consistently on vault, Hambrick has become one of the best all-arounders in the nation.
“Her freshman year was a real growing experience for her,” Breaux said. “She got her feet wet and realized this is really what she wanted to do. She’s so creative and such a wonderful little human being. Every year she’s gotten better and better. She’s so emotional about what LSU has done for her and what she brings to the table for LSU. It’s been a great relationship.”Since her freshman year she has not only grown as a gymnast but also as a leader on the team.
LSU gymnasts have continuously talked about Hambrick’s “lead by example” nature and and how it contributes to the overall success of the team.
“Myia’s been amazing,” Finnegan said. “I’m just really proud of the growth that she’s had throughout her college career. Me, coming in a class after her, she’s definitely been one of my role models to look up to. To see what kind of student athlete that I’m trying to be, in the gym and out of the gym and she really embodies what it means to be a true leader.”
Ending her career with a fourth-place finish at the Super Six is hardly something to look down upon, and Hambrick recognizes that.
“My whole gymnastics career has been really crazy,” Hambrick said. “It’s just been up and down, and I’m really excited that I get to end here at LSU, in the Super Six. I’ve been saying all week, not everybody gets to come to nationals. Not everyone makes the Super Six. Being in the Super Six in general is a great opportunity. I’m glad I got to finish it here with everybody. This team was really awesome, and I love them.”
Despite her departure from the program, Hambrick has high hopes for LSU in the future. Only six teams have won a national championship: Utah, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA.
LSU, as a program, has grown a tremendous amount in the last decade, and Hambrick sees a national title in LSU’s future. Since Hambrick’s freshman year, the Tigers have added two Southeastern Conference championships and two national runner-up titles to its resume.
“Not many people have done it in general and I think that LSU’s heading in a really great direction,” Hambrick said. “I’m excited to watch them and see what they’re able to do.”
The development of the program comes directly from Breaux as a head coach. Even when LSU wasn’t hitting reaching the same heights as it is now, Breaux always believed they could and that’s what drew Hambrick to compete at LSU.
“I think she knows me pretty well and I know her pretty well too,” Hambrick said. “It’s been cool to grow and learn somebody like that. I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s the greatest place I could’ve been doing college gymnastics.