Finishing ranked No. 2 on CGN’s 2024 preseason rankings, LSU is one of the teams to watch this season. LSU is keeping every routine from last year and added transfers Savannah Schoenherr and Jillian Hoffman, both athletes who have competed well-executed 10.0 start value vaults. Not to mention, 2022 U.S. elite national champion Konnor McClain will begin her NCAA career after missing the 2023 elite season. This is one of the strongest teams head coach Jay Clark has put together in years and the potential is sky high. With a stacked roster, this team has its eyes set on greatness.
The consistency and the depth of the Tigers will be tested at today’s Gym 101. It will be many of the athletes’ first time competing in the PMAC for LSU, including sixth-year Cammy Hall, a transfer from Utah who missed last season due to injury. Today is an opportunity for these athletes to show what have been working on during the preseason and to see the progress that still needs to be made. Based on how this team has been looking, the Tigers are expected to show out today.
All right, team intros are happening now! They are looking hyped!
A helpful graphic:
https://x.com/LSUgym/status/1736140072586551315?s=20
Head coach Jay Clark just announced that Aleah Finnegan will only compete on beam, and Elena Erenas is nursing a minor back injury. Kai Rivers is also still dealing with the Achilles injury she sustained last season. Looking like she’s not competing tonight.
Rotation 1
Beard BB: Nice BHS+LOSO to start and follows that with a solid full turn. Switch leap to straddle half, has a bit of a balance check. Dismounts with a cat leap to gainer full off the side, and sticks the landing! Nice debut in the PMAC! 9.8.
Cowan FX: Dramatic music to start. First pass is a super floaty front double full. Take a bit of an awkward step back. Follows that with a back 1.5 to punch front layout. She is looking really strong! Finishes the routine with a Rudi with a nicely controlled landing. 9.850.
Shchennikova BB: Really nice acro series to start. Follows that with a switch leap + split jump, a slight hesitation on the landing. Side aerial with a little balance check. Dismounts with a gainer full dismount and finds that landing. A few wobbles, but she showed some experience up there. 9.850.
Coen FX: First pass is a front layout to front double, has to take a step on the landing. Tour jete half to Popa was great. Two-pass routine and finishes with a nice double pike with coach there to spot.
Ballard BB: Starts with a BHS+LOSO but comes off the beam. Remounts and does a solid full turn. Sissone to switch half, is a little short of 180 degrees. Stuck front toss. Dismounts with a back 1.5, takes a small step on the landing.
Dunne FX: First pass is front tuck through to double back, really nicely landed. Leap pass is a switch leap to switch ring half, and showed good flexibility in both leaps. Nice Y-turn to follow. Last pass was a sky-high double pike with a really nice landing! That was great! 9.900.
McClain BB: Beautiful switch leap to split leap. Follows that with a sky-high BHS+BHS+layout, perfectly stuck. Shows confidence with a solid full turn. Side aerial, is nicely done. Gainer full of the side the dismount and sticks the landing! That was great! 9.900.
Hall FX: Mounts with just a back layout. The choreography is a lot of fun and she’s enjoying it! Leap pass is a nice straddle quarter to Popa. Second pass is a front full to front full, a little low. She starts bawling immediately once she finishes. What a moment for her after missing all of last season.
Bryant BB: Front aerial to back handspring step out is nicely done. Follows that with a switch leap to straddle quarter, a little balance check. Solid full turn. Sticks the standing front tuck. Finds the landing on her Rudi. Nice routine! 9.875.
Wilson FX: Starts off with front layout to front double, steps out of bounds. Switch ring to switch half, nicely controlled leaps. Last pass is a back 1.5 to front layout, a little form but looks floaty.
Johnson BB: Solid full turn to start. Follows with a BHS+LOSO, perfectly stuck. Switch leap to switch leap and shows nice flexibility. Sticks her front toss. Roundoff to double full, she sticks the landing and her teammates rush to put the stick crown on her head. 9.950.
Jeffrey FX: First pass is a front tuck through to double back, lands a little short and takes a step forward. Leap pass is a switch straddle to Popa, nicely controlled. Double wolf turn, slightly overturned but solid! Really nice double pike dismount. 9.900.
Schoenherr BB: Front aerial to start, a little balance check. Really nice BHS+LOSO and shows off the landing. Lovely style on the full turn. Switch leap to split three quarters, really nice! Dismounts with a back 1.5, a little short and takes a hop back.
Drayton FX: Mounts with a sky-high double layout with coach there to spot. Shows nice flexibility on those leaps. Nice single wolf turn before her second pass, a front tuck through to double pack. Finds the landing but her chest is down. Nice routine! 9.950.
Johnson FX: Starts off with just a back layout. Second pass is a super well-controlled back 1.5 to front layout. Hits 180 degrees on her switch straddle to Popa. Double back to dismount, takes a little step on the landing! She is showing her first, a full-twisting double back, separately – and it looks great!
Rotation 2
Ballard FX: Starts off a really good double layout, nicely landed! Second pass is a back 1.5 to front layout, nicely controlled landing. Last pass is a double pike, lands really short and puts her hands down.
Wilson VT: Sticks her Yurchenko full cold! A little bit of loose form in the air, but looks good. 9.850.
Schoenherr FX: First pass is a front double full, takes an awkward step to the side. Really nice tour jete half to wolf full! Second pass is back 1.5 to front layout, really nice amplitude on that second salto and nice controlled landing! 9.800.
Hall VT: Yurchenko 1.5, major leg separation in the air and takes a big step back.
Shchennikova FX: Starts the routine with a front layout. Leap pass is a really nice switch ring to switch half. Second pass is back 1.5 to front layout, lack a little bit of height in the second salto. Dismounts with a Rudi to split jump and lands with both feet out of bounds.
Johnson VT: Sky-high Yurchenko full, looks like she stuck the landing, but the view was blocked. She looks great!
Brock FX: Uses a spot on her full out and lands it well! Second pass is a back 1.5 to front full, takes a big step forward but the form was clean! Good routine for her!
Tatum VT: Big Yurchenko full, looks like she is capable of adding an extra half twist.
McClain FX: Starts off with a HUGE double layout and lands it perfectly! Switch leap to switch full, and hits the split position with ease. Second pass is a back 1.5 to front full, nicely landed! That was great!
Hoffman VT: Big Yurchenko full, looks like that is a timer for a Yurchenko 1.5. Super clean form and explosive pop off the table.
Bryant FX: First pass is a double front, just a small hop forward. Switch leap and tour jete half, nice flexibility. Front layout to Rudi as her second pass and has a clean landing.
Drayton VT: Nicely landed Yurchenko 1.5! A little bit of soft knees at the end but the height and distance is great!
Johnson FX: Doesn’t do her first pass. Second pass is a back 1.5 to front layout, the slightest bit short but lands it well. Really nice position in her Popa. Finishes with a sky-high double pike and lands it perfectly.
Ballard FX: Just shows another double pike, has a lot of energy!
Shchennikova FX: Shows another front double twist, step on landing.
Rotation 3
Shchennikova VT: Clean Yurchenko 1.5 but takes a step forward. Nice height and distance!
Jeffrey UB: Starts with a Maloney to Bail, hits the handstand. Really high on the half in half out dismount but takes a hop back.
McClain VT: Just a Yurchenko full, super explosive off the table and looks capable of adding that extra full twist.
Tatum UB: Ricna to Pak, really nice! Dismounts with a stuck half in half out.
Schoenherr VT: Clean Yurchenko 1.5, but lands out of bounds with one foot. A slight side step on the landing.
Dunne UB: Starts off with a Tkatchev to Pak with legs and feet glued together. A little short on the half pirouette on the low bar. Dismounts with a double layout, a little leg separation but sticks the landing! Nice routine!
Johnson VT: Another Yurchenko full timer, looks capable of doing the double!
Cowan UB: Ray to shootover, a little leg separation. Dismounts with a really nice stuck double layout! Really nice routine!
Brock VT: Performs a Yurchenko 1.5 and sticks the landing! That was great!
Drayton UB: Starts off with a clean straddled jeager, and follows that with a clean pak salto. Dismounts with a giant full to double back, overrates the double back and takes a step back.
Byrant VT: Sky-high block on the front handspring front pike half. Has to take a hop backwards on the landing but it looked great.
Rotation 4
Jeffrey BB: Begins with a wolf turn. Switch leap to switch side, done with nice height. BHS+LOSO, nicely landed. Follows with a standing front tuck, stuck. Dismounts with a back 1.5 and finds the landing. That was nice!
Johnson UB: A little short on the first handstand, but follows with a Maloney to Bail and hits that handstand. Sticks the double layout dismount cold.
Cowan BB: Starts with a BHS+LOSO, just a slight balance check. Solid full turn. Switch leap to switch half, a little short of split. Dismounts with a back 1.5 and finds the landing. She is looking great tonight!
Shchennikova UB: Starts with a Ray to Pak, very nice. Hits the half pirouette on the low bar. Body position issues on the dismount, but sticks the landing. Good routine for her!
Coen BB: Front aerial with some arm swings on the landing. Hits the BHS+LOSO. Nice switch half to beat jump. She showed confidence on that full turn. Dismounts with a back double full, a little leg separation at the end but sticks the landing.
McClain UB: A little close to the bar on the Church, but kept the rythym going. Nice Pak and hits the handstand back on the high bar. Nice new dismount for her, a full twisting double back with a step.
Dunne BB: Nice full turn. BHS+BHS+LOSO, perfectly done! Almost comes off the beam on a front aerial and grabs the beam to stay on. Lacks flexibility on the switch half. Gainer back pike to dismount, lands it nicely! Good fight!
Schoenherr UB: A little but close to the bar on the Jaegar, but it had height. Hits the handstand on her Bail. Dismounts with double front half out, just a small hop back.
Johnson BB: Switch leap to back tuck to split quarter, a bit slow on those connections. BHS+LOSO and has a major balance break. Solid side aerial. Dismount with a back 1.5 and sticks the landing.
Bryant UB: Starts with nice straddled Jaeger. Follows with a Bail but has a slight leg separation. Dismounts with a stuck double front half out.
Finnegan BB: Her only event tonight. Starts off with a perfect BHS+LOSO+LOSO. Leap series is a switch leap to split jump, hits a beautiful position in her leaps. Slide hesitation on the front aerial. Gainer full dismount and sticks the landing!
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