It’s another top-10 SEC showdown tonight as the Missouri Tigers head to Baton Rouge to take on the reigning national champions, LSU, in their home arena!
Last weekend, LSU had a few uncharacteristic mistakes that led to a narrow loss to Arkansas by less than three-tenths of a point. While it wasn’t a disastrous meet, it certainly wasn’t the score the Tigers hoped to post on the road. LSU had to count a sub-49 score on floor, typically one of their strongest events. Though they put up solid numbers across the other three events, it ultimately resulted in their lowest team total of the season. Returning to the PMAC this Friday, LSU will look to shake off last week’s performance and feed off the energy of their home crowd to get back on track.
Missouri enters this matchup with momentum, coming off their highest score of the year—a 197.200—against Kentucky last Sunday. The Tigers have been climbing the rankings, jumping two spots to land in the top ten heading into week five. Missouri boasts a balanced lineup of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. Look for standout performances from familiar names like Helen Hu, Jocelyn Moore, and Amari Celestine as they aim to keep their upward trajectory going in this exciting SEC dual.
Follow along at 8:30 PM EST on the SEC Network to watch what is likely to be an intense competition!
Rotation 1: VT LSU, UB Missouri
Johnson (LSU): Back in the lineup! Opens this rotation with a STUCK Yurchenko full. Amazing. Wow no notes. 9.90.
Burns (Missouri): Mounts with a blind to Jaeger down to the low bar, and dismounts with a stuck double layout! Nice lead off for the Missouri Tigers tonight! 9.850
Brock (LSU): In the second spot, Yurchenko 1.5 STUCK COLD. Coming in hot early!! 9.925.
Light (Missouri): Maloney to Pak, really nice and clean. Holds that last handstand and dismounts double layout the tiniest slide back!
Finnegan (LSU): Following up two 9.9+ scores already, ANOTHER STUCK Yurchenko 1.5! Are we kidding!? 9.925.
Moore (Missouri): HUGE Ray to shoot over really nice, little short on the last handstand and a full in dismount, small hop on that landing. 9.850.
Lincoln (LSU): Four in a row. Yurchenko 1.5 STUCK. 9.925.
Horton (Missouri): Maloney to Pak, really nice, dismounts with a super flighty double layout with just a step back on the landing. 9.825
Drayton (LSU): Yurchenko 1.5, slight under rotation and a step back on that landing. 9.750.
Celestine (Missouri): Opens with the Maloney to Pak, nice and back up with a Maloney 1/2, and her ‘Celestine’ (stalder to pike 1/2) dismount stuck! 9.90
Chio (LSU): Yurchenko 1.5, small hop forward on that landing, but WOW, what a rotation for LSU! 9.875.
Titarsolej (Missouri): Maloney up to Pak, perfect, right on top of the bar for that pirouette and dismounts blind full double tuck stuck! Wow. Again, no notes. 9.925
After 1: LSU 49.550, Missouri 49.350
LSU and Missouri both got off to the strongest start they could have asked for in this intense match up! LSU stuck four vaults in a row to end with a HUGE 49.550 event total with three back to back to back 9.925s in the 2 to 4 spots. LSU looked locked in, and wow did they deliver! Missouri shouldn’t be overlooked in this rotation at all however, with no score lower than a 9.825 starting the night on bars with two huge routines from Celestine followed by Titarsolej in the anchor spot. These teams after one rotation are showing why they are two of the top ten teams in the country, and this just feels like its going to be an insanely close meet as the night goes on.
Rotation 2: VT Missouri, UB LSU
Tanskanen (Missouri): Opens up rotation two for Missouri with a Tsuk full, big hop back on the landing but a nice, powerful vault to lead off! 9.725.
Zeiss (LSU): Maloney to Pak and pirouettes right on top, and ends full in, small scoot back on the landing.
Tisler (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5, a small hop forward on that landing but a huge vault for Missouri! 9.825
Cowan (LSU): Opens with a huge Ray to shoot over, a little short on the last handstand and dismounts with a big double layout and small scoot back. 9.850.
Horton (Missouri): STUCK Yurchenko 1.5 (and the celebration dance)! Wow! 9.925
Jeffrey (LSU): Nice Maloney to shoot over and stops in that handstand. Huge full in and gets it all the way around for a stick! 9.925
Celestine (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5, smallest movement on the landing but such a nice vault! 9.900
Chio (LSU): Maloney to shoot over, nice and back up to the high bar with such a fun skill, perfect Khorkina, and dismounts with a perfectly stuck full in! 9.925
Moore (Missouri): Yurchenko 1.5 with a couple small shuffle steps back looking for the stick. 9.800.
Finnegan (LSU): Beautiful piked Delchev to start, almost goes over on that handstand but saves it, down to the low bar with a shoot over, and sticks that huge full in dismount! 9.800.
Griffin (Missouri): Yurchenko full, a little piked down with a hop back, but a nice vault overall. 9.700.
McClain (LSU): A BIG piked Ray right to a Pak, wow. Dismounts with a really nice full in dismount and a step back. 9.875
After 2: LSU 49.425 (98.975), Missouri 49.175 (98.525)
Another outstanding rotation for both teams in the second rotation! A pair of 9.925s for the LSU Tigers in the middle of the lineup from Jeffrey and Chio led the way in this rotation, but, its evident how much work was put in just in a week! This lineup looked clean and confident, dialed in on the landings and their lines, giving them another huge 49+ event total. Missouri is still holding strong although giving up a few tenths to LSU on vault, but, nonetheless, had a great vault rotation highlighted by Horton’s 9.925 and Celestine’s 9.90 back to back. LSU will go to beam, and Missouri to floor as we head into the third rotation to see if the two can keep pace, or if one will pull past the other in the second half of this competition.
Rotation 3: BB LSU, FX Missouri
Ballard (LSU): Solid BHS LOSO to start off, sissone to switch half, really good. Front toss, perfect. Ends with a round off double full stuck! Wow! What a lead off beam routine for her!! 9.875.
Light (Missouri): A nice floaty 1.5 to front layout to start off, good landing. Switch half to wolf full, kind off walks out of it doesn’t hold the landing. Ends with a huge double pike and a great landing! 9.850.
Coen (LSU): Front aerial to beat jump, really nice. BHS LOSO really good. Switch leap to split jump, and dismounts with a stuck double full! A little chest down on the ending but keeps it in place! 9.900.
Tisler (Missouri): Really nice front layout to front rudi to start. Switch full to straddle full, beautiful. Love the vibe of this routine and her energy! Back 1.5 to front layout, really great routine! 9.875.
Chio (LSU): Round off BHS mount, perfect and follows it up with a really nice BHS LOSO. Really nice front aerial to split jump and a stuck BHS 1.5 dismount! 9.925.
Horton (Missouri): The biggest full in to start, really nice. LOVE this routine. Switch side to wolf 1.5, good. Ends front thru to double tuck, kicks it out early and ends perfect! 9.825.
McClain (LSU): Switch leap to switch half to split, perfect. Front aerial to BHS really nice. The most perfect stunning wolf jump. Gainer full STUCK off the side. 9.950.
Celestine (Missouri): Really huge full in to start. Great leaps down the middle. Front through to double tuck, beautiful. 9.825.
Bryant (LSU): Front aerial to BHS, nice. Switch leap to straddle 1/4 perfect. Standing front tuck, almost is off but saves it and dismounts with a nice rudi! 9.875.
Griffin (Missouri): BIG double pike to start off. Goes into her second pass of a front thru to STUCK double tuck. Loving the energy of this floor lineup. Torjete 1/2 to straddle full straddle full right to choreo to end! 9.875.
Finnegan (LSU): Sets up with a perfect BHS LOSO LOSO. Switch leap to split jump, really nice. Love her flow on this event. Front aerial, nothing given up in this routine wow. Gainer full and fights for the landing but does the forbidden college stick. Besides the landing, that was one of her best routines so far this season!! 9.850.
Moore (Missouri): Really nice double layout and even more energy to follow. Tuck full into choreo. Nice leaps into more dance. Front through to a HUGE double tuck to close this rotation! 9.90
After 3: LSU 49.550 (148.525), Missouri 49.325 (147.850)
This meet has been huge so far! Another big score for LSU on beam for its second 49.5+ score of the night. LSU once again looked more comfortable and confident than the previous week, dialed in on the landings, and more relaxed overall. Another pair of 9.950s in the middle of the rotation for Chio and McClain to lead the way into the final rotation of floor where things got a little shaky last week. Missouri came out strong on floor with all scores over a 9.825 on the event, capped by Moore in the anchor spot with a 9.9. Missouri will be looking to keep this meet as close as they can as they head into the last event of the night.
Rotation 4: BB Missouri, FX LSU
Wier (Missouri): Cat leap to front aerial to start off, really good. Sets up for BHS LOS, solid. Hitch kick to straddle 1/2, little bobble just saves it well. Ends cartwheel Gainer full and fights for that stick! 9.775.
Ballard (LSU): HUGE double layout to get it started. Back 1.5 to front layout second pass right to dance. Torjete 1/2 to sissone and sets up for last pass a perfect double pike to start LSU off on floor! 9.850.
Celestine (Missouri): Wolf turn to start, nice. BHS swing thru to side aerial, nice. Front tuck, really good no movement on that landing. Split jump to split 3/4, really good and ends cat leap to Gainer full stuck! 9.850.
Brock (LSU): Full in to start, the best she’s done this year! Wolf 1.5, might be shy on the rotation. Second pass back 1.5 to front layout, really nice. Switch side to straddle full, nice ending for this routine!
Kelly (Missouri): Front aerial to BHS, really nice. Switch leap to split jump, good. Side aerial, looking really confident so far in a nice double wolf turn. Dismounts 1.5 STUCK! 9.875.
Chio (LSU): HUGE full in to start! Switch ring to torjete half perfect where there was a little hiccup last week but gets through it! Ends with a big 2.5 to front tuck! 9.90.
Mueller (Missouri): Little bobble on the full turn, but a nice BHS LOSO and moves out of it to keep her on. Beat jump to split 3/4 holds onto it. Beat jump to front toss, solid. Ends with a stuck 1.5! 9.825.
Drayton (LSU): HUGE double layout to open, crazy. Switch ring to switch half over extended amazing. Second pass, front thru to double tuck, holds on the landing, really great routine! 9.90.
Jackson (Missouri): Front aerial to BHS really good. Side aerial, perfect. Switch leap to switch half, nice. Dismounts with a big 1.5 dismount with just a step forward on that landing. 9.800.
Finnegan (LSU): Double arabian to sissone, a little stiff legged on the landing but recovers well and no deduction on that most likely. Nice over extended leaps in the middle. Second pass a 2.5 to front tuck, steps out of bounds on that but keeps it on her feet. 9.750.
Hu (Missouri): Art. Y turn to start, perfect. Front aerial to front aerial perfect. Split jump to split 3/4 amazing. This choreo. Gainer pike off the end with another stick!! NO NOTES. 9.975!!!
Bryant (LSU): Ending this meet tonight, opens with a double front, amazing. Beautiful leaps and ends with a front layout to front rudi to end! 9.950.
FINAL: LSU 198.00, Missouri 197.175
What a meet for both Tigers! LSU came back strong from a more uncharacteristic performance last weekend, but completely wiped it away this week with a huge 198.00, only the second 198 of the year! The Tigers started the meet off strong on vault with a 49.5+ event total, and carried this momentum all the way through to floor ending the night with a 49.475. This team truly looked like the reigning national champions, fighting for every tenth across all four events, putting up big event totals and taking the competition one routine at a time.
Missouri might have come up short to LSU, but had an outstanding meet tonight with its second highest team total of the year at a 197.175! Missouri looked calm, confident and strong throughout the entire competition, and although the scores may have been a bit tighter on this end, this team held pace with LSU in its performance, energy and clean gymnastics the whole meet tonight!
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Live Blog by Julianna Roland
