The No. 5 LSU gymnastics team came up short in its quest to earn the school’s second Southeastern Conference title, but April Burkholder added a first of her own.
The Tigers finished third and Burkholder was named the 2004 SEC Gymnast of the Year Saturday night at the conference championships in Duluth, Ga.
The 2003 SEC Freshman of the Year, Burkholder becomes the first LSU gymnast to receive the conference’s top honor.
LSU coach D-D Breaux said the awards show just how much Burkholder has accomplished in a short time with the Tigers.
“I don’t know if anyone has ever been named SEC Freshman of the Year and then followed that up by being named the SEC Gymnast of the Year,” Breaux said. “I think it shows the great amount of respect the coaches in the conference have for April and what a special athlete and person she is.”
Burkholder was also named All-SEC on the all-around. Joining the sophomore on the all-conference team were senior Lindsay Beddow and junior Annie Gagnon on bars and freshman Lisa Rennie on the balance beam.
In the SEC competition, the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs took home the conference title with a score of 198.175. Defending champion and No. 3 Alabama finished second with a score of 197.950, and LSU was third with a 197.275, the highest SEC championship score in team history.
The Bulldogs were led by a pair of perfect 10s from Cory Fritzinger and Marline Stephens on the bars and floor, respectively. Alabama’s Ashley Miles had the only other 10 of the competition on floor.
Rounding out the competition were Florida (197.225), Auburn (195.925), Arkansas (194.825) and Kentucky (193.850).
The Tigers began the competition on the floor exercise where Burkholder led LSU with a score of 9.925. Sophomore Terin Martinjak added a 9.9 and freshman Kelly Phelan had a 9.850.
Burkholder led the Tigers again on vault with a 9.925. Freshman Nicki Butler had a 9.875. Phelan and Rikki L’Heureux each scored a 9.825 in the event.
The LSU gymnasts then posted a season-high tying 49.400 on the uneven bars. Beddow and Burkholder finished in a tie for third place with identical scores of 9.9. Gagnon and Rennie followed with a pair of 9.875s. Butler and L’Heureux also added scores of 9.850 and 9.825, respectively.
In LSU’s final event on beam, Rennie proved why she was named All-SEC, finishing third with a career high 9.950. Gagnon also turned in a career high 9.900 to finish sixth.
Burkholder finished third in the all-around competition with a score of 39.600.
Breaux said she was pleased with the Tigers performance.
“I couldn’t ask for more from this team tonight,” Breaux said. “For as young as this team is, they came in and were composed and competitive and did what they have been doing the last three-quarters of the season.
“All I can ask is all they can do, and this team did that tonight.”
The Tigers next competition will be when they host the NCAA Central Regional Championships April 2 at 6 p.m. in the PMAC.