After a stellar opening three weeks to its season, LSU will hope to keep this momentum going throughout the season. Last week, the Tigers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats by .525 with a 198.125 clinched by a perfect 10 by Kiya Johnson on the floor. Multiple tens were thrown at this meet with a 10 from Haleigh Bryant on bars and a 9.975 on vault also from Bryant. The Tigers were able to finally put it together on beam scoring a 49.425 and not counting a score below 9.850. Although this was their lowest event score of the night, it is still a massive score that the Tigers will hope to build upon throughout the season. Other notable numbers include a 9.950 from KJ Johnson and Bryant on floor, a 9.925 from McClain’s floor debut, and a pair of 9.925s from Schoenherr on vault and bars.
The other Tigers in the SEC also had a successful weekend defeating the Georgia Bulldogs with a 197.400 last weekend. The Tigers put up great event scores in the 49.400+ range on beam and floor with vault not too far behind. If Missouri does have a weakness, it is on the bars where the team struggled to break into the 9.9 range until transfer Mara Titarsolej broke the Missouri bar record with a 9.975. Titarsolej has been a huge asset to this bar team, but unfortunately one gymnast cannot carry a rotation when it comes to competing against teams of SEC caliber. Last year’s vault and floor 1-2 punch of Celestine to Moore as the anchors, has now been transformed to a 1-2-3 punch with the addition of fantastic freshman Hannah Horton who has been turning heads this season. Missouri has been proving itself as a real threat in the SEC the last couple seasons and has only gotten better this season.
The classic Tigers vs. Tigers matchup will be an interesting meet as always with spectacular gymnastics to expect from both teams. LSU absolutely has the upper hand here, but Missouri can absolutely give it a run for its money.
Rotation 1: Missouri VT LSU UB
Feed started a bit late
Davis (VT): 9.875
Jeffery (UB): 9.875
Schreiber (VT): 9.800
Cowan (UB): 9.900
Light (VT): 9.850
Kiya Johnson (UB): 9.850
Horton (VT): Stuck 1.5. Solid. Great sticks on vault. 9.950
McClain (UB): Huge church and misses. Pak to half in half out and melts a bit on the landing. 9.150
Celestine (VT): 1.5 and goes for the stick, but hops back and squats a bit too much. 9.850
Schoenherr (UB): Bit of a wait. Great first handstand. Spectacular Jeager. Bail. And steps on the double front half out. 9.850
Moore (VT): 1.5 and lands off center. Sticks but leans to the side and waves her arms. Way to fight. 9.900
Bryant (UB): Great Jeager. Bail. A little short. Another double front half out. Feet landed a bit staggered, but her normal, fantastic bars. 9.925
After 1: Missouri 49.450 LSU 49.400
Great rotation for both teams. Could be a close meet. Missouri is here to fight.
Rotation 2: Missouri UB LSU Vault
KJ Johnson (VT): Dynamic FTY with a hop back. Chest up on landing. 9.875
Burns (UB): Great starting handstands. Clean jeager to bail. Stuck double layout. What a start. 9.875
Drayton (VT): Super high 1.5. Goes for the stick and steps backwards.
Light (UB): Toe hand to Maloney to pak. A bit short on the pirouette. Winds up for a great double lay. Hops back. 9.875
Schoenherr (VT): 1.5 with a tiny landing adjustment. So so high. Great technique. 9.900
Marshall (UB): Blind to huge jeager to bail. Quick and snappy. Nearly touches the ceiling in her half in half out dismount. Love the way she swings. 9.900
Finnegan (VT) Omelianchik with just a hop forward. Chest is maybe a tad bit forward. 9.800
Moore (UB): Great ray to bail. The Tigers are loving those bail connections. Shows off the stick on her full out dismount. 9.875
Kiya Johnson (VT): Yurchenko double full. A little impatient on the block and misses some amplitude. 9.875
Schreiber (UB): Great stretched positioning on her Maloney and fights for the handstand on her bail. Nice double lay to finish. 9.875
Bryant (VT): Handspring pike half with a hop back. Her normal. Always a beauty even without the stick. 9.900
Titarsolej (UB): Maloney to pak. Perfect. Couldn’t tell the angle on the half pirouette. Blind full lands right on top of the bar and steps ever so slightly on the double tuck. 9.875
After 2: Missouri 98.825 LSU 98.725
Missouri still leads at the half way point. With only a .100 lead, the Missouri Tigers will need to keep it up. It is still anybody’s meet. Jay Clark did not seem too thrilled with LSU’s performance on vault and Missouri is coming up on two strong events.
Rotation 3: Missouri BB LSU FX
Marshall (BB): Front arial to back handspring. Perfect. High front toss with a check. Bobble on the full turn. Split jump to stag jump. Flies on the back handspring to gainer full. Sticks it. 9.750
Ballard (FX): Double with great control to open. 1.5 to front lay. Layout is a bit chippy. Switch ring to switch half. Love the split positions. Double pike to finish. Opens a bit early a steps forward. Ankle cruncher. 9.775
Light (BB): Handspring handspring layout. Back leg bent throughout. Split jump jump straddle half with great positions. Creative choreography. Cat leap to gainer full off the end. 9.800
McClain (FX): Double lay. Now THAT’S control. Switch leap switch full. 1.5 to front full. Great form and great landings. Beauty. 9.875
Schaffer (BB): Handspring handspring layout. Small check. Stunning front arial. No movement. Switch leap split jump. Solid. Roundoff 1.5. Sticks but kicks her leg up to fight for the stick. A beautiful kick at least…
KJ Johnson (FX): Open full in with dynamic landing. 1.5 to front layout. Floaty and high. Steps forwards. Good precision on leap series. Double tuck to finish. Slides back and also steps out of bounds. Not LSU’s usual floor rotation. 9.725
Celestine (BB): Good wolf turn to start. Handspring to side arial. Interesting combo. Punch front. Foot slides off, but saves it. Cat leap to gainer full and stick. 9.825
Finnegan (FX): Double arabian to stag jump. Flawless. Smiling through her choreo. 2.5 to punch front and sits it down. Oh no. LSU will want to drop. Going to have to count 2 sub 9.8 scores. 9.350
Davis (BB): Okayyy Billy Joel beam music. Handspring layout. Doesn’t move. Front toss. No wobbles in sight. Beat jump to sheep jump. Switch leap to back handspring gainer full off the side with a hop. Small stumble after leap. 9.750
Drayton (FX): Double lay and goes for stick, but has to step forward. Front tuck through to double tuck. No errors here. Wolf turn. Lacking some precision. 9.875
Schreiber (BB): Handspring layout and is off. Switch half to split jump. Great amplitude. Side sumi. Gainer full off the side and sticks. Good redemption. 9.350
Kiya Johnson (LSU): Full in and slide back. 1.5 front lay and sticks. Doesn’t event need the stick. Switch half to popa. Good splits. Double pike with a step back. Typical Kiya Johnson magic. 9.900
After 3: Missouri 147.725 LSU 147.875
Neither team had the rotation they would have wanted, but LSU takes back the lead by .150 after Missouri fails to break into that 9.9+ range. Still could go either way…this is exciting.
Rotation 4: Missouri FX LSU BB
Ballard (BB): Handspring layout. So confident. Switch leap to switch half. So solid. Great front toss. Roundoff 1.5 and sticks. WOW. Didn’t see any visible errors. 9.850
Schreiber (FX): Front full front lay to stag jump. Floats on that jump. Rudi to whip back to a sky high split jump. Switch full to popa. The amplitude on those jumps highlighted this routine. 9.900
Beard (BB): Handspring lay to a wobble. Leg comes up, but she saves it. Switch leap straddle half to beat jump. Nice. Side arial to a check. Little bit of nerves. Cat leap to stuck gainer full. 9.750
Light (FX): 2.5 punch front. Great power. Euphoria soundtrack very popular in the SEC this season for music. Double pike and slides back. 9.900
McClain (BB): Switch leap to switch side. Great amplitude. Front arial to back handspring. Beautiful and precise. Side arial. Perfect. Stuck gainer full. Crowd is chanting “10”. I didn’t see any errors… 10.000. As she should.
Horton (FX): Full in to open and bounces back and out of bounds. Front through to 2.5. Could not have been more controlled. Love that pass. This is gonna be a close meet. 9.825…. Okay…
Kiya Johnson (BB): Great leap series. Front toss. Lands so high and so solid. Double full and sticks it. Feet a bit staggered. 9.900
Celestine (FX): Full in with a wonky landing. I think they letting the nerves get to them. Front full front layout. Great. Love this music choice. Double tuck to close. Highest tumbling pass I’ve seen tonight. What a performer. 9.900
Bryant (BB): Front arial to back handspring. Perfect. Switch leap to straddle quarter with a check. Standing front tuck. Solid. Punch Rudi with a tiiiiiny slide back. 9.850
Griffin (FX): Front through to double tuck. Small slide back. Double pike with a solid landing. Great finish. Both teams have pulled it together for this last rotation. Crowd is chanting “10”. Okay. 9.975
Finnegan (BB): Tied game. This is exciting!!!!!! Opens with a triple series and hops off. Front arial. Nice. Gainer off the side and sticks. Hard night for Finnegan. 9.100
Moore (FX): Meet comes down to this. She looks determined. Double lay with a slide back. Switch half popa popa. Nice. A performer, but also looks so dialed in. Front through to a stunning double tuck. Just what Missouri needed. 9.925
What an exciting meet. Down to the last routine.
FINAL: Missouri 197.325 LSU 197.225
VT: Horton 9.950
UB: Bryant 9.925
BB: McClain 10.000
FX: Griffin 9.975
AA: Johnson 39.500
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