The third meet in tonight’s SEC Network’s Friday Night Heights triple header pits LSU against Missouri in the battle of the Tigers. These two squads just competed against each other in last weekend’s GymQuarters Invitational, where LSU came out on top with a new season high and Missouri finished third behind Iowa State.
The home Tigers have been led primarily by senior Morgan Porter and freshmen Helen Hu. Porter has been a steady all arounder who generally also brings in the team’s top vault and floor scores. Hu is known for her excellent beam work and creative choreography on floor, but also has a stellar bars routine and a usable vault that’s gotten her consistently into the all around the past few weeks. Aspen Tucker, a former regular on three events, has been used only sparingly on bars lately after missing a few meets due to illness earlier in the season. If Missouri can get her healthy and back on three events, it could help boost scores that have topped out in the mid-196s.
After a rocky two meets earlier this month, LSU rebounded well the past two weeks to put up back-to-back scores in the 197s. Those off meets came right after losing Sarah Edwards to a sprained ankle and Kennedi Edney being limited to beam and floor due to an elbow sprain. Edney has since returned to vault, and the scores reflect it. Freshmen Kiya Johnson caught the 10.0 bug, having achieved the feat on both vault and beam so far this season in addition to having hit 9.975 on floor four times. If the away Tigers can put up another good road score tonight, they will be in a great spot once NQS rankings come out after this weekend.
You can follow along tonight with scores and video courtesy of the SEC Network!
Here’s a look at LSU’s lineups for tonight featuring the photoshopped picture of Bridget Dean’s body backwards that has been used all season! Still no Edney on bars tonight.
https://twitter.com/LSUgym/status/1231031607227633665
And Missouri’s, Tucker only on bars and Hu in the all around again tonight.
Tonight's Lineup! pic.twitter.com/orO4C3iAyZ
— Mizzou Gymnastics (@MizzouGym) February 22, 2020
Rotation 1: Missouri Vault, LSU Bars
Schreiber (Miz): Yfull. Nice height and form, just a step back, tiny bit of piking at the end. 9.775
Johnson (LSU): Toe on shaposh to bail, good handstand, jumps to high bar, toe on, double layout dismount, small step back after fighting for the stick. 9.800
Gottula (Miz): Yfull. Great height and stuck! Just a tad off center. 9.850
Dean (LSU): Mounts to the high bar, Ray, done well, toe on to bail, slightly piked, jumps to high bar, slightly short on the final handstand but sticks the double layout! 9.825
Hu (Miz): Yfull. Beautiful in the air, takes a step sideways on the landing. On the replay from the side you can see some piking. 9.825
Rivers (LSU): Toe on to toe on shaposh to bail, nice handstand, jumps to high bar, great double layout with a small hop back. 9.850
Brandt (Miz): Front pike half. Chest a little low on the landing and a decent sized hop back. 9.825
Durante (LSU): Great first handstand, blind half to high jager, wonky legs in her pak salton, jumps to high, hits the last handstand, sticks the full-in dismount but in a bit of a deep squat. 9.900
Porter (Miz): Y1.5. Great block and nearly gets the stick but ends up taking a small slide. 9.900
Shchennikova (LSU): Toe on shaposh to tkatchev to pak, better form than usual, misses handstand on half pirouette, sticks her double layout dismount with the usual form. 9.850
McCrary (Miz): Y1.5. Really good stretched position in the air, takes a step on the landing. 9.800
Harrold (LSU): Jumps to high bar to immediate Zuchold, good, jumps back to high, blind half to jager, hop to double front dismount, nearly stuck. 9.900
After 1: LSU 49.325, Missouri 49.200
Both teams did their jobs in the first rotation! Missouri did a good job on vault landings, getting one stick and only losing about a tenth on the rest with only minor steps and hops. LSU got the sticks on bars, but still has some form deductions it can look to eliminate before the postseason arrives. Regardless, both teams are off to good starts!
Rotation 2: LSU Vault, Missouri Bars
Rivers (LSU): Yfull. Flairs it out and goes for the stick but takes a hop back. 9.750
Schreiber (Miz): Toe on to toe on shaposh to bail, tiny bit short of handstand, jumps to high, sticks her beautiful double layout! 9.750
Rau (LSU): Y1.5. Low on the block and has to bend her legs to make it around, takes a hop back. 9.775
Sheremeta (Miz): Mounts on the high bar, blind half to jager, sky high, clear hip to bail, tiny arch, jumps back to high bar, dismounts with a blind half to rudi, lands low and steps forwards. 9.750
Durante (LSU): Yfull. Good height and form, slides back on the landing. 9.775
Christensen (Miz): Opens with a full pirouette to tkatchev, bail, decent handstand, jumps to high bar, blind full to double tuck, chest down on the finish and hops forward. 9.725
Harrold (LSU): Y1.5. Really nice height, just takes a step forward. 9.850
Tucker (Miz): Mounts to the high bar, blind half to piked jager, nice, good handstand, bail, jumps back to high, blind full to double tuck, near stick but takes a step. 9.825
Johnson (LSU): YDouble. Nearly stuck but takes a tiny side step at the last second. 9.825
Porter (Miz): Opens with a blind half to jager, clean, toe on to bail, tiny leg separation, hops back to high bar, blind half to stuck double front dismount! 9.875
Edney (LSU): Y1.5. Great height and just a step forward. 9.900
Hu (Miz): Church to pak, amazing, shaposh half, beautiful, toe full to double tuck, over-rotates and has to take a deep squat and step back. Great work during the routine just a shame about the dismount landing. 9.850
LSU Vault: 49.125, Missouri Bars: 49.050
After 2: LSU 98.450, Missouri 98.250
This meet is a lot closer at the halfway point than I thought it would be coming in! That rotation got off to a slow start for both teams, but the back half of each lineup was able to finally break into the 9.8’s. LSU will be a little disappointed in its vault rotation as a whole, but no major errors still keeps them in contention for a high score. Missouri is also error free thus far, and is still shooting for a possible 197.
Also just got a mini fluff on favorite gymnasts. Both commentators picked Mary Lou Retton while a handful of Missouri’s team picked McKenna Kelley. Interesting!
Rotation 3: Missouri Beam, LSU Floor
Schreiber (Miz): Tiny check on her opening full turn, bhs loso, no problems, switch half to split jump to beat jump, nice split positions, dismounts with a front rudi, small hop. 9.775
Harrold (LSU): Front double full, controlled step forward, sticks her double pike second pass, chest a tad low, switch ring to switch half, could’ve hit more of a ring position, closes with a RO 1.5 to front layout, sticks it easily. 9.825
Porter (Miz): A switch in position from the tweeted lineup earlier. Nice handstand mount, switch leap to split jump, cleanly done, front aerial to back tuck, small leg wobbles on the landing, front toss, off to the side but keeps it on, dismounts with a RO 1.5, small hop forward. 9.775
Desiderio (LSU): Opens with a double layout, wild on the landing and goes OOB, RO 1.5 to front layout second pass, hits it, switch ring to tour jete half, finishes with a double tuck, low on the landing and lunges forward. 9.475
McCrary (Miz): Nice front toss to beat jump, bhs loso, gorgeous, looks confident tonight, split jump to double stag, gainer pike dismount, mini hop forward. 9.850
Dean (LSU): Opens with a great double pike, very well controlled, RO 1.5 to front layout, some leg form but good landing, slightly off balance in her leap series, closes with a double tuck, good height and a controlled lunge. 9.800
Sheremeta (Miz): Swapped lineup spots with Porter. Beat jump, bhs loso, nice, hitch kick to switch side, front aerial to split jump, moving very quickly and smoothly, ends with a gainer pike, hops back from some over-rotation. 9.800
Campbell (LSU): Mounts with a RO 2.5, nice landing, great double pike second pass, tour jete half to straddle full, hits 180 in the leaps, RO 1.5 to front layout final pass, slightly whipped on the layout but clean landings. 9.875
Gottula (Miz): Bhs bhs loso to open, beautiful, great control, tiny check on her full turn, split jump to straddle 3/4, small wobble, cartwheel to stuck gainer full dismount! 9.900
Johnson (LSU): Opens with a sky high full in, small slide back on the landing, so much power, RO 1.5 to front layout, stuck cold, nice leap series, dismounts with a double pike, nails the landing. 9.925
Hu (Miz): Here we go! Shows off her flexibility to start, bhs loso, arm check, switch leap to split jump, great positions, leg up full turn, gorgeous, front aerial to beat jump, front aerial to scale, solid, Valdez-like element to stuck gainer full! 9.975
Edney (LSU): Double Arabian to open, over-rotates and steps OOB, RO 1.5 to front layout, nice height, switch full to split full, great height again, double tuck to close, nearly steps OOB again but keeps her heel up. 9.750
Missouri Beam: 49.300, LSU Floor: 49.175
After 3: LSU 147.625, Missouri 147.550
We’ve got a close one!!!! Floor was a missed opportunity for LSU, and now it’s in a position where it MUST hit beam to avoid taking a toss and putting up a “low” score. Missouri’s beam did its job with Gottula and Hu coming in clutch at the end. If Missouri can bring the energy on floor, we might be in store for a big upset tonight!
More drama! Schreiber’s score was raised to 9.825! Closer than we thought! Missouri now has a 147.600!
Rotation 4: LSU Beam, Missouri Floor
Desiderio (LSU): Bhs loso, nice, small check on her full turn, switch leap to switch half to beat jump, low chest after the half but covers well, front aerial to sissone, cat leap to stuck gainer full! 9.850
Gottula (Miz): Started with the wrong music. Opens with a nice double pike, barani to double full, little uncontrolled in her lunge, slightly off balance in her leap series, sticks her double tuck to close! 9.825
Dean (LSU): Side aerial to bhs, solid, switch leap to split 1/4, no problems, front aerial to split jump, side aerial to layout full dismount, sticks it but a tiny bit of bent knees in the air. 9.850
The difference before Dean’s score is 0.050.
Sheremeta (Miz): Nice front double full to open, clean through her leaps, rudi to loso second pass, nice landing, closes with a RO 1.5 to front tuck, looked like it was maybe supposed to be laidout but tucked it. Covered it well if so. 9.825
Durante (LSU): Bhs loso, really nice height, front aerial to split jump, clean, switch leap to split 1/4, side aerial to layout full, hops in place. 9.850
Schreiber (Miz): Mounts with a double pike, tiny tiny bit short but covers will with the lunge, rudi to back tuck, a little off in her leaps, looked short of rotation, a quick two pass routine. 9.875
Edney (LSU): Front aerial to sissone, clean, bhs loso, small check to the side, switch leap to split 1/4, no problems, small arm check on a full turn, great front toss pike, dismounts with a RO 1.5, slight slide back. 9.875
Back to a 0.050 difference before Edney’s score.
McCrary (Miz): Front layout to rudi, small foot slide in the lunge, great landing on her double pike second pass, cleanly through her leaps, closes with a RO 2.5, controls the landing well. 9.875
Johnson (LSU): Bhs loso, easy, switch leap to switch half, great splits, front aerial and a weird leg check, finishes with a double full, near stick. 9.900
Porter (Miz): Opens with a double pike, kicks out really high and early for a clean landing, RO 1.5 to front layout, good, nice leaps, double tuck final pass, shuffles back on the landing. Small error there unfortunately probably seals a close loss with what LSU has done on beam. 9.850
Campbell (LSU): Nice bhs loso, front aerial to sissone, moves so fluidly, switch leap to switch half, solid, RO double full dismount, sticks it! 9.925
Hu (Miz): Slightly short on her opening front double full, steps back and to the side, RO 1.5 to front layout, much better landing, good leaps, love her ring leap, sticks her finishing rudi. Needed a 10 to tie the meet and unfortunately it won’t happen here. 9.825
LSU Beam: 49.400, Missouri Floor: 49.250
Final: LSU 197.025, Missouri 196.850
That was a fun one! Much closer than expected and it was a good test for both teams! LSU won’t be happy with tonight’s score despite squeaking out a 197 somehow, but learned that it can bounce back from adversity with that beam rotation following the misses on floor. Missouri will probably be a little bummed to have just missed 197 yet again, but staying close to LSU and tying a season high isn’t anything to be too upset about. That wraps it up for tonight! Thanks for following along!
Event Winners:
All Around: Hu (Missouri), 39.475
Vault: Edney (LSU), Porter (Missouri), 9.900
Bars: Durante (LSU), Harrold (LSU), 9.900
Beam: Hu, 9.975
Floor: Johnson (LSU), 9.925
Live blog by Brandis Heffner
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