It’s a top-10 Tiger showdown in Baton Rouge! This meet has absolutely everything: The high drama of closely-ranked conference duals, the reigning all around champion in Suni Lee, the (likely) return of Haleigh Bryant and Kiya Johnson to all four events. In short, this meet is stacked.
Auburn has really been flying high, topping out at a massive 197.525. LSU hasn’t broken the 197 mark yet, but this is LSU at home, allegedly back at full health. Watch out.
Vault is tracking a bit behind the other three for Auburn, due largely to having three 10.0 starts and hoppy landings. Jeff Graba said he’s pushing to add more 10.0s to the lineup soon; he alluded to having six ready to go before postseason. For LSU, floor has been the weak link. A healthy Bryant and Johnson should shore that up, although if early lineup routine scores are lower, the cap for that event will still be a pace behind 2021 numbers.
War Eagle and Geaux Tigers, go gymnastics. This should be a treat.
While we’re settling in for this one, time for a shameless plug: I got to chat with Mike Smith, LSU’s PA announcer, as well as some of the PMAC facilities staff about what it takes to put on a meet like this. It was a fascinating piece to write. Check it out here.
LSU is debuting a new leo tonight, very black (? I think? Could be deep purple. We’ll have to wait and see on TV. Those Instagram filters can be tricky. Does that make me sound old?) and with a shoulder cutout. Vanessa Ferrari-esque, but toned down 10 notches. Don’t think we’ve seen what Auburn will wear yet.
Looks like Kim Mulkey is in the PMAC! If you don’t follow women’s basketball, may I gently suggest you give it a try? It’s a blast, both pro and college. Mulkey’s LSU head coaching attire is very reminiscent of D-D’s competition getups of yore.
https://twitter.com/LSUgym/status/1490064483795935235?s=20&t=0z_3rYqDQaD1D_1VQrp_xA
Hmmmmmmm four minutes of this Dayton at Saint Louis basketball game, huh? Let’s see if gym will get rolling on time.
We got an SEC gym champ hype video and are onto ads so I’m optimistic. ESPNU wouldn’t make us wait. Okay, gym is starting on the ESPN app. Let’s see if I can get logged in and not miss anything real quick.
Alright fam, I’m in. Check your ESPN app or ESPN 3. LSU leo is black, the crystals are at least in part purple I think and I adore that.
Rotation 1: LSU vault, Auburn bars
Arenas (LSU): She’s in for Kai Rivers, no word on why. Yfull, big, good hips, step back. 9.85
Watson (Aub): Archy handstand to good Tkatchev. Toe hand to bail hand, some leg sep but good handstand. Late last handstand. FTDB, coach was in front of her feet, Sloan called it stuck. 9.75
Rivers (LSU): Oh hmm okay. Just shuffling the lineup I guess. Yfull, some leg form on the table, flares but then underrotates so steps forward. 9.75
Sabados (Aub): She’s baaaaaack. Great handstand to good Ray, some leg form on the catch. Toe hand to messy bail hand, loose in her back and leg sep. DLO, stuck-ish, hopped together from staggered feet. 9.775
KJ Johnson (LSU): Yfull, massive! Just huge huge distance, good landing. 9.9, that was better than Arenas’, if you ask me.
Stevens (Aub): Toe hand to Ray, just foot form. Bail hand touch short. DLO, whippy just a foot shuffle. 9.85
Edwards (LSU): Y1.5, lands back on her heels, a few quick steps back but stay on her feet. 9.675
Brusch (Aub): Toe hand to Maloney, just leg sep on the back swing. Great bail hand, the cleanest one yet. DLO, just a tiny hop straight up. 9.85, I can find those deductions, but that was 9.9y to me.
Ki. Johnson (LSU): DTY, some soft knees, little hop forward and to the side. 9.875
Gobourne (Aub): Good Tkatchev to excellent Pak. Over on her half pirouette, short last handstand. Stuck FTDB. Excellent, just those two handstand errors. 9.875
Bryant (LSU): Her classic FHS pike half and she stuck it! 10.0, not mad. That’s such a glorious vault.
The PMAC is loud, friends.
Lee (Aub): Talk about back to back superstars. Bryant vault to Lee bars is a real treat. She got a huge scream from the crowd. Maloney to pak, to van Leeuwen, so smooth. FTDB stuck cold. Well. The gauntlet was raised and she rose to it. 10.0 oh there we GO. This meet is going to be a RIDE I’m glad you’re here with me.
AFTER 1: LSU 49.375, Auburn 39.350
Um, back to back 10.0s? Is this Michigan’s vault lineup? I kid. Lee is currently walking around hugging all of LSU. We love that. We have the slimmest margin possible in regular season college gym going to top it off.
Alright we hopped back over to ESPNU, folks!
I just remembered that this is Tigers vs. Tigers there better be a giant stuffed tiger going to the victors!
Rotation 2: LSU bars, Auburn vault
Walsh (Aub): Yfull, little hip angle and hop to the side. 9.825, that tracks with what we saw for LSU.
Ki. Johnson (LSU): Maloney, leg sep, to bail hand, little loose in her back. Short last handstand. DLO, hop forward. 9.8
Groth (Aub): Yfull, true stick! Great vault. Just some foot form in the air, really. 9.9
Rivers (LSU): Great first handstand. Maloney, leg sep, immediate great bail hand. Tkathcev, good, maybe lacking a touch of turnover. DLO, hop back. Her handstands were stellar. 9.75
Lee (Aub): Yfull, lovely, holds the stick, just goes up on her toes a bit. 9.9
Dunne (LSU): Talk about star following star. Tkatchev to pak, some leg form on both. Short handstand to DLO, had to whip it down, but stuck. 9.825
Hubbard (Aub): Y1.5, few quick steps back. 9.825
Bryant (LSU): SNAPS that handstand in. Good blind to Jaeger. Lovely bail hand, best tonight maybe. Blind to double front half, step forward. That’s a crowd-pleaser, the PMAC fans gasped. 9.85
Watson (Aub): Y1.5, some knee form throughout, little hop, she is THRILLED dropping the landing in. 9.9
Shchennikova (LSU): Ray to pak, usual feet but otherwise clean. Short last handstand. DLO, hop. 9.925
Gobourne (Aub): Y1.5, wow! Great landing, just a foot shuffle. She did underroate it a touch but pulled it in. 9.95, not mad at that.
Durante (Aub): Hecht mount. Blind to Jaeger, good, just a big uneven in the release. Leg sep back down to the low bar. FTDB, low chest but holds her feet. 9.975, mmm interesting that’s the first score that I’ve felt was noticeably high. It was clean, it was 9.9y, but being off kilter on the release is a precision deduction, you know? I’d have been the 9.95 judge is what I’m saying.
AFTER 2: Auburn 98.825, LSU 98.750
Oooooh you guys this one is so so juicy. My favorite kind of meet. Auburn pulls ahead on the heels of a really well-landed vault rotation. We’re seeing pretty nice gymnastics across the board so far. LSU does have some bits and bobs to sort out in the front half of that bar lineup, but the end is pretty tidy. Shchennikova has cleaned up that set a lot.
Alright alright Auburn floor timeeee let’s gooooo. No shade, LSU beam can also be a spectacular rotation. This is the one I was most looking forward to, I think.
Big girl ESPN tweeted the Suni 10 routine, this is gymnastics’ growth era and I love it. New fans, welcome, join us.
Rotation 3: LSU beam, Auburn floor
Desiderio (LSU): Switch to switch half, steady, just what you expect form her. Micro adjustment on her bhs loso, but she covered it really well, just moved in the feet a bit. Clean front aerial. Cat to gainer 1/1, small hop I think? TV cut her feet off. JK, got the replay, she stuck. 9.925
Stevens (Aub): Front lay rudi, clean landing, would want the rudi to have a little bit more amplitude, but that’s getting picky. Tour jete half to I fully blacked out the shape of her second jump I think wolf full was rotated pretty cleanly. Double tuck, great lunge, no foot movement. Her music went out partway through? But she kept on like the pro she is. 9.875
Durante (LSU): Front aerial bhs bhs, no deductions there. Switch to straddle 1/4, just a touch low on the front leg in her switch. Side aerial to 1/1, stuck. 9.85
Brusch (Aub): Front through double tuck, OOB and moved her front foot. Switch half popa wolf full was clean. Double pike, holds the stick! No lunge necessary here. 9.7
Bryant (LSU): Front aerial bhs, clean. Switch to straddle 1/4. Have to wonder if that foot is still bothering her a touch, not as pointed as the other. Small check on her front tuck. Split jump, tidy. Punch rudi, stuck. 9.875
Groth (Aub): Fhs 2/1, little wild into her lunge out, but she pulls it together. Clean switch half to wolf full, just not super amplitude. RO 3/2 front lay, ooo she found that camera for a post-landing smile. FHS rudi, great landing. Music went out again! Oh no! The freshman handled it really well. 9.9
Finnegan (LSU): Bhs loso loso, she was just teeeeeeeny bit off balance but she didn’t give anything away. Clean leaps. Front aerial, small check but again covered well. Bhs 3/2, hop. 9.9
Watson (Aub): Double Arabian, hops forward, OOB. RO 3/2 front lay, great landing on that one. Tour jete half, split 1/1, way off balance, almost put a hand down but covered it by dancing out. It was weird. THE MUSIC WENT OUT AGAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING. Double tuck, great. Ooooo, Jeff Graba must be frustrated right now with this music situation. Props to the Auburn gymnasts. 9.725
Dean (LSU): Side aerial bhs, off line before she took off for the bhs and can’t stay on, falls. She was nervous ahead of it, clearly. witch to split, good. Front aerial to beat, good. Stuck side aerial 1/1. 9.275
Lee (Aub): DLO, low chest but good lunge. Switch ring to tour jete half, clean. She seems to really enjoy this routine, performs it so well. That DWTS flare I guess! Clean 3/2 front 1/1 to close. Great! 9.95, just her chest on the DLO landing.
Ki. Johnson (LSU): She’s smiling before even mounting. IS HER BEAM MUIC EVANESCENCE. Love. Bhs loso, tiny check, but covered well. Switch switch to split, clean, bit of a pause before the split. Great front toss. Bhs 3/2, step back. 9.9, what a way to close after a fall. Just what you want in your anchor.
Gobourne (Aub): My favorite floor set in the NCAA this year I think? She’s just so dynamic. Double tuck, slightly off balance on the landing, just drops one shoulder. Switch side to wolf 1/1, holds the stick before dancing out. Crown yourself that is RIGHT. FHS front 1/1, front lay, just really floats it, so gorgeous. Double pike, great lunge. 9.925, just that first landing.
AFTER 3: LSU 148.200, Auburn 148.200
ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME. WE ARE TIED.
What more could you ask for in an SEC dual, honestly? Auburn has some legitimate questions about the music. That’s weird! It usually doesn’t happen at all let alone in three routines. I know we love to assume SEC scoring is always cracky, but this has really stayed in the realm of reason so far. LSU really is clean on beam, and the hit Auburn routines we hit. I have no really big questions on any number from that rotation. Brusch was maybe a bit harsh, but she did take a few shuffly steps on that first landing, plus the OOB gets you to three tenths off.
If homesoring is going to blow up anywhere, it’s closing on floor, so we’ll see if my feelings on the scores overall hold.
Rotation 4: LSU floor, Auburn beam
Hollingsworth (Aub): Bhs loso, excellent. She has had a few micro checks, just seems stiff. Clean leaps. Split 1/2, good. She’s relaxing now. Side aerial stuck 1/1. Great start! 9.875, those baby checks added up a little.
Desiderio (LSU): The leadoff pro. DLO, slightly low chest but excellent lunge. RO 3/2 front lay, just some leg sep in the air, clean landing. Tour jete half to split 1/1, little off balance in the air but lands well. HIGH double tuck, lunged well, slid her front foot a tiny bit but she showed control first. 9.95, not too mad. I had a 9.9.
Brusch (Aub): Front aerial to split, good. Her split position was great. Bhs loso, small check. Switch to straddle 1/4, bit of a check, just an arm swing but she covered it well. Gainer 1/1, small foot shuffle. 9.875
Shchennikova (Aub): FHS 2/1, slid on her feet a little on the landing but covered it up well. RO 3/2 front 1/1, good landing, lacked a little amplitude. Leaps were clean, just a touch shy of 180 with a low leg in there. FHS rudi loso, low on the loso but a good landing. Phew she covered a lot in there, holding her feet on landings that a lot of gymnasts would’ve moved on. 9.925, okay, that feels a bit high. I’d have 9.9 max, just those foot shuffles on landings.
Stevens (Aub): Bhs loso tiny check, just a little off in her shoulders. Split to double stag, clean. Gainer front toss to knee, the Stevens. It makes me catch my breath every time! RO 3/2 hop. 9.875, anotha one.
KJ Johnson (LSU): Full-in, good chest on her landing, did slide her front foot on the lunge, though. RO 3/2 front lay, good body position in the lay. Switch side to popa, clean 180s, cheated the rotation a bit, but it was subtle. Double tuck, good lunge, adjusted that front foot the tiniest bit. 9.95
Groth (Aub): Bhs loso bhs, small check, I love that series. Switch to switch half, really well done. Little smize on her full turn. Front aerial, NAILED, and a huge grin. She really performs beam, stellar for a freshman. Stuck aerial 1/1. 9.95, yes absolutely.
Finnegan (LSU): Floor debut! Floats her double Arabian into stag, good there. Tour jete half split 1/1, clean rotation. 5/2 punch front, low on the front and takes it out instead of up, OOB. Once she performs that a little bigger, it’ll be great. Just needs some more reps in the gym, probably. 9.8, yeah, that’s about right.
McLaughlin (Aub): A beam star in the house. Her beam presence is just so excellent. Switch to bhs loso, leg up check, ahh! Beat to side aerial, clean, good recovery. Switch to straddle 1/4, way back in her heels, arm swing to stay on. Gainer pike. Auburn will want to drop that one. 9.725
Bryant (LSU): She’s back she’s back! FHS double front, little cowboyed but clean landing. FHS front lay rudi, just a small front foot adjustment. Switch ring to switch half, really lovely, her splits are always excellent. FHS 2/1, SO HIGH. 9.95, that one’s legit, they just took the second landing I’d guess.
Lee (Aub): You want the AA Olympic champ to be your beam anchor. Solid wolf turn 1/1. Front aerial bhs, no deductions. Switch to switch half, clean there too. Bhs Gainer 1/1 stuck. Wow. Auburn will be happy with that no matter the score. 9.975, mhm, that’s correct. She just locked up the AA title.
LSU announcing the second-largest crowd in its history.
Ki. Johnson (LSU): Full-in, adjusted her front foot a little, but it was controlled. RO 3/2 front lay, emphasizes that landing. She needs a 9.8 for LSU to win. Clean leaps. Double pike, great landing. Judges could go 10 for that. Yeah, there it is, 10.
FINAL: LSU 197.975, Auburn 197.750
I mean, wow. What more could you want in a meet?! Three 10s, superstar after superstar. Wow. Auburn just gave up a little too much on those early beam sets. Little wobbles. Also, I know we’re going to talk about it: Scores were a little generous but they weren’t bananas. I don’t feel strongly about anything other than the Durante bars number. Beyond that it was the scoring we expect in an SEC headliner. If we’re comparing numbers, I could’ve seen Gobourne go higher in relation to the LSU floor numbers. But it’s within the bounds of usual homescore situations. We see it across the country.
Auburn tied its program record with mistakes to fix. Keep your eyes on that.
Lee and Dunne might be taking a photo together, so they’re about to break the Internet.
Event winners:
AA: Lee, 39.825
VT: Bryant, 10.0
UB: Lee, 10.0
BB: Lee, 9.975
FX: Ki. Johnson, 10.0
Live blog by Emily Minehart
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