FORT WORTH, Texas — Standing arm and arm, LSU coach D-D Breaux and associate head coach Jay Clark gathered LSU’s gymnasts as the team’s destiny would be decided in the upcoming moments at the NCAA’s opening Semifinal on Friday.
“We’re off to a great start,” Clark said after the Tigers’ 49.350 team score on the uneven bars before moving to the balance beam. “But, we’re not here for ‘okie dokie.'”
“Beam is such an important mental event,” said junior all-arounder Ashleigh Gnat. “We had a great start on bars, so being able to settle down after that excitement and move to beam and mentally prepare ourselves, that got us started.”
LSU, without a dent in its execution on the opening event, marched to the balance beam, where its 10th-place finish was decided in 2015’s Semifinal II after having to count two falls after dropping the lowest score.
“Stay focused!” Breaux said sternly with a big smile in the team’s huddle. “Be aggressive.”
LSU listened, and executed, and only missed one beat compared to last year’s heart-stopping three.
After two routines, freshman all-arounder Julianna Cannamela toppled off the four-inch, fate-conclusive balance beam. She went on to finish her routine, then joined Breaux for a hug.
The Tigers swapped and replaced multiple gymnasts into the balance beam’s third slot this season. But, when asked earlier this week, Breaux had no hesitation as to whose role it is, the same conviction she also had on Friday after LSU’s second-place, Super Six qualifying 197.3375 team score.
“Hog dog or die, Julianna’s my third person on beam,” Breaux said on Monday.
After her fall, Cannamela is Breaux’s choice in the third slot and still is, Breaux confirmed.
“She had a little break today, but we’ll see what tomorrow brings,” she said.
Behind strong opening routine scores of 9.8755 from sophomore all-arounders Erin Macadaeg and Myia Hambrick, Cannamela’s score was dropped.
Then, just as LSU practiced “1,000 times” this season, Gnat said jokingly, the latter portion of the Tigers’ beam workers re-ignited the flame bars started.
“This year, we’ve worked hard on our three-person lineups,” Gnat said. “Me, Sydney and Sarah have practiced that a thousand times. That’s what Sydney did, ‘This is our half, it’s our time to do our job.’”
Junior all-arounders Sydney Ewing (9.800), freshman Sarah Finnegan (9.850) and Gnat (9.900) leisured LSU into a joyful night before a treacherous tomorrow in the NCAA’s Super Six as the Tigers will battle for their first National Championship in program history.
LSU combined to produce its second-highest beam score at the NCAA Championships in program history at 49.300, which was both stellar and subpar.
But, it was enough, Breaux said.
“It was enough to get a 197-score and push some very good teams,” Breaux said. “It was a confidence builder. Our enthusiasm and eagerness to hit those steps and climb up on the podium was a joy to be a part of.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter: @CBoutwell_TDR