Floor was expected to be just another event mixed into four rotations for the Tigers this season after the loss of a historic senior trio that combined for nine All-American nods during the past four years. Instead, floor may remain as one of LSU’s knockout punches.
Three meets into the 2016 season, the almost fully reloaded floor lineup is showing potential and promise, and it’s only growing.
“We lost three good floor routines last year,” said junior all-arounder Ashleigh Gnat. “Half of our lineup is now new. Some people are competing this year that didn’t have the opportunity to compete last year. Those people are doing a really good job embracing their role.”
In all three meets, LSU has competed at least two gymnasts who were not used on floor during the 2015 season along with the floor-mainstays Gnat, junior all-arounder Sydney Ewing and a blue-moon appearance from sophomore all-arounder Myia Hambrick in 2015.
Junior Shae Zamardi and sophomore Erin Macadaeg never competed in floor last season. The two produced a 9.925 and 9.950, respectively, in their debut performances.
Zamardi has been a recurring floor performer, following the initial performance with a 9.325 and a 9.300, lowering her national averages. Macadaeg, on average, leads the nation in the event, as her 9.950 has been the only routine she’s performed thus far this season.
The two are paired alongside four Tiger freshmen who have stellar floor routines, veteran gymnasts said, causing a constant swapping of the lineup for LSU coach D-D Breaux.
The Tigers have scored a 49.475, 48.925 and a 49.225 in the event through three meets, averaging 49.208 for the nation’s fifth-best event average score.
And, they haven’t turned the dial up to full-blast, yet, either.
Senior all-arounder Jessica Savona and freshman all-arounder McKenna Kelley have battled ankle injuries to begin the season, deducting from the Tigers’ floor ability. Kelley has competed twice on the event this season, but her freshman colleagues Sarah Finnegan and Lexie Priessman have yet to compete on the event, signifying LSU’s immense depth on floor.
Savona, who Breaux said is “one of the nation’s best tumblers,” is expected to return to competition soon, bringing the Tigers closer to their normally dominance on the event.
With Savona’s absence and the freshmen not competing, the core of floor performers has interchanged so far, but that’s natural for the beginning of a season, Savona said. The growing pains are reasonable for the soon-to-be-tested freshmen.
“They’re super important,” Ewing said. “We’re relying on them in all four events. We really have so much depth on floor. Once everyone is back, it’s going to be awesome.”
The Tigers began to see the depth in practice, as nearly 12, somewhat healthy, gymnasts are competing to find a spot in the event’s lineup.
In its most recent inner-squad meet in practice before the matchup versus then-No. 20 Kentucky, LSU competed 12 different gymnasts on floor, which was “awesome,” Gnat said.
The dozen of floor performers speak to the Tigers’ unseen talent on the event, which they are excited to soon unveil, the gymnasts and Breaux said.
“That’s double what we can compete,” Gnat said. “That’s awesome. It says a lot about the depth on this team. We’ve been able to interchange people. If anyone is experiencing an injury, we can put anyone else in and watch them succeed.”