It’s the final weekend of the regular season and we have the battle of the Tigers to close out SEC competition.
LSU easily qualified into the night session of the conference championship and is now fighting for seeding and the possibility of earning the No. 1 national ranking. If it can score above a 198.025 (shout out to our senior data editor Claire H for doing the math!), LSU will have a chance for that top spot while a 198.400 guarantees that ranking regardless of what Oklahoma scores. It won’t be easy; the Tigers haven’t gone 198 outside of the state of Louisiana this season, so they will need a stellar performance in Auburn to make that happen. Look for the all-around trio of Haleigh Bryant, Kailin Chio, and Aleah Finnegan to lead the way, although Finnegan has been pulled from the all-around in recent meets to give her a mental break.
Auburn’s season started out with a lot of promise. Injuries to fifth-year Olivia Hollingsworth and freshman Katelyn Jong have hurt its depth, but getting Marissa Neal back last week on bars and beam was a much-needed boost. Unfortunately, Auburn is now fighting for its spot in the SEC championship. A 197.500 guarantees its place in Birmingham next week, so it will want to have its destiny in its hands rather than hope for another team to falter. It’s also senior night for several key contributors, including fifth-year Gabby McLaughlin, so look for the team to rally for a final farewell to its seniors.
Quick links for tonight: Live stats and lineups can be found on Virtius and live streaming will be streaming on SEC Network+ linked here. Of note, LSU will go with their three all-arounders. Both teams were scheduled to have exhibitions on all events, including the return of Alyona Shchennikova on bars, but LSU appears to have pulled Leah Miller’s exhibition on vault.
Rotation 1: AUB vault, LSU bars
Huff (AUB): Y 1.5, small step forward on the landing. Bit of bent arms on the block, but got a lot of height and distance. 9.800
Zeiss (LSU): Pretty first handstand, Maloney to Pak salto, good. Full twisting double tuck dismount, slight hop off to the side. 9.850
Bell (AUB): Y full, hop in place on the landing. Really good block gave her a lot of amplitude off the block. 9.825
Cowan (LSU): Pretty Ray to immediate overshoot combination, handstands are right on top of the bar, double layout dismount, STUCK. 9.900
Schumaker (AUB): tucked Y 1.5, hop forward and to the side on the landing. Pretty straight arms on the table, good height in the air. 9.875
Finnegan (LSU): Deltchev, good height and distance from the bar. Full twisting double back dismount, STUCK. 2 sticks in a row for the purple and gold. 9.950
Hubbard (AUB): Y 1.5, stuck vault for the senior! Some loose knees in the air will be the biggest deduction, but a great final routine for her at home. 9.900
Chio (LSU): Maloney to Pak salto combination, good form throught. Markelov release was her usual, timing was a little off on the dismount, but gets the stick on the full-twisting double tuck.
Zancan (AUB): FHS front pike off vault with another stick! Good piked position in the air, Auburn answers LSU’s sticks with two of their own. 9.975
McClain (LSU): Missed a lot of this routine because the crowd was going crazy for Zancan’s score, but the double layout dismount had a hop back. 9.875
Zois (AUB): Y 1.5 with a locked leg landing. Some leg separation in the air, not the cleanest form. 9.850
Bryant (LSU): blind to straddle Jaeger, nice straight arms on the catch. Good transition to low bar, double front half dismount, nice high chest position on the landing. 9.975
After 1: LSU 49.600, Auburn 49.425
WOW, what a first rotation. The sticks were flying and so were the scores in response. Both teams ended up with a 9.975 at the back end of their lineup, but LSU pulled out three additional 9.900 plus scores to give it an advantage heading to rotation 2.
Rotation 2: LSU vault, AUB bars
Johnson (LSU): Y full, solid vault off the table. Flares out to find the landing, looked like she adjusted her feet on the landing. 9.875
Boyd (AUB): Maloney to Pak, some visible leg separation on the Maloney. Stalder to double tuck dismount, step to the side on the landing. 9.850
Zeiss (LSU): Y 1.5, some bent legs in the air, lot of amplitude thanks to her block, nice solid stick on the landing. 9.900, I would’ve gone a little lower because of the leg form.
Leonard (AUB): Clear hip to Tkatchev, arches the handstand immediately afterward but fights through. Pretty final handstand, double layout dismount with a stick. 9.875
Finnegan (LSU): Y 1.5, cross step on the landing. Good height and distance off the table. 9.900
Neal (AUB): Arches her first handstand ever so slightly. Maloney to Pak salto, looks like she’s trying to muscle through this routine. Van Leeuwen back up to high bar, blind full to double tuck dismount with a step back. 9.825
Drayton (LSU): Y 1.5, LOTS of power off the table, went super far distance wise, but took a sizable hop forward. Will likely be the drop score but we will see. 9.800
Groth (AUB): Tkatchev, nice height and distance from the high bar, arches her handstand on the low bar, blind full to double tuck dismount, takes a small hop forward. 9.800
Chio (LSU): WHY DID MY STREAM LAG AGH??? On the replay, looks like she had good arm form off the table, maybe a tiny bit of loose knees in the air? Got the landing though. 10.000, first one for the freshman!
Irvine (AUB): We cut away from part of this routine to celebrate Chio’s ten, but what I was able to see looked good. She tried to step out of the stumble, but should still be a good score.
Bryant (LSU): Front pike half, usual height and distance, step forward on the landing. Looked like she wasn’t quite expecting the landing? And 9.900. Why not?
Greaves (AUB): Pretty Jaeger, beautiful transition to the low bar. Full twisting double tuck dismount with a stick! What is happening??? 9.975
After 2: LSU 99.175, Auburn 98.825
Are we having fun yet?? Auburn has a little trouble finding landings on bars which keeps their scores in the 9.8s with the exception of Greaves’ 9.975. LSU, meanwhile, gets its first vault 10 of the season from the freshman Chio and claims three additional 9.900s to extend its lead at the half.
Rotation 3: AUB beam, LSU floor
Ahern (AUB): Little off center on the full turn to start. BHS LOSO, small wobble after the layout. Cat leap to switch half, angles are really hard for me to tell if she got the 180 split. RO 1.5 dismount with a stick. 9.850
Coen (LSU): Opens with FHS front double full, little out of control with the step out of it. Front layout front full combo pass, nicely done. Pretty 180 split on her leap series! 9.875
Greaves (AUB): BHS LOSO, little balance adjsutment on the landing. Switch leap split jump, nicely done. Beat jump side aerial, good comeback after the adjustment on the acro series. Gainer pike dismount with a decent hop back. 9.750
Ballard (LSU): DLO to open, good control on the landing, maybe a tiny pike down beforehand. Good rotation on her leaps. Back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise on the layout. Switch ring switch half to one knee closes out her routine. 9.875
Zancan (AUB): Okay ma’am, we love the flexibility on the mount. BHS LOSO series solid. Switch leap switch half, tiny adjustment after the switch half but covers it well. RO 1.5 dismount with a stick. Short and sweet. 9.900
Chio (LSU): Tucked full-in, bit of a low chest but stuck it cold. Leaps were right at 180 degrees, 2.5 twist to punch front, underrotated with a step back. Follows up a 10 with a solid performance. 9.925
Neal (AUB): BHS LOSO series looked nice, balance check after the side aerial. Switch leap split jump, another tiny adjustment after the second skill, RO 1.5 dismount with a tiny hop back. Oh, 9.525 with a 9.8 SV. That’s going to make Greaves’ 9.750 count. Not what Auburn wants.
Drayton (LSU): Double layout to open, beautiful rise on the second layout. These leaps have looked pretty good tonight so far, and hers was no exception. Front tuck through to double tuck, chest down with a step to the side on the landing.
Groth (AUB): BHS LO BHS series, teeny tiny adjustment on the landing. Switch leap switch half, maybe a little under 180 on the second leap. Cartwheel gainer full with a step back on the landing. 9.825
Finnegan (LSU): Double arabian to immediate stag jump, better than I’ve seen it in previous weeks. Switch ring split full, nice 180 degrees. This last pass is one she has struggled with. 2.5 twist to punch front and she stays in bounds this week! 9.975
McLaughlin (AUB): Needing higher than a 9.575. BHS LOSO, bend at the waist. Bit of an adjustment after her side aerial. Split jump straddle half, nice split position. Gainer pike dismount with a stick. 9.825
Bryant (LSU): FHS double front, nice control on the step out of it. Leap series was at 180 with good rotation to get it around. Aaaaand the weather blew my stream out for a minute, so I have no idea what her last pass looked like. 9.950
After 3: LSU 148.825, Auburn 147.975
Apologies for any breaks in coverage, there’s a whole superstorm outside my window right now. Auburn had a couple hiccups on beam with balance checks that capped it no higher than a 9.900. The goal for those Tigers will be to secure its trip to SECs with a 49.525 on floor. LSU seems to solidly have control of this meet, but can it get the No. 1 national seed? A 49.575 on beam will get it done.
Rotation 4: LSU beam, AUB floor
Ballard (LSU): BHS LOSO, right on top of the beam. Sissone to switch half, slightly under 180 on the split but that is if I’m picky. Front toss was spot on. RO double twist with a step on the landing. 9.825
Ahern (AUB): FHS Rudi to layout step out, some loose knees in the air in the twist. Back 1.5 front full, lacked a bit of rise on the full but got it around. Good split position on the leaps, nice routine to start! 9.875
Coen (LSU): Front aerial beat jump looked good, BHS LOSO, nice control on that series. Tiny adjustment on the leap series, but covers well. RO double full, nice rise in the air during the twist with a stick. 9.725 with a 9.900 SV. Interesting…needs to be dropped by the end.
Zancan (AUB): Front through to double pike, nice height on the pike. She’s had a solid meet so far this evening! Leap series was great, nice connections and rotation. Double tuck, great chest position on that landing. 9.925
Chio (LSU): I love her mount. That is all. Wobbles after the leaps and has to add a skill to make up for it. BHS 1.5 twist with a stick. Unfortunately, not what LSU needed if it wants to secure that No. 1 ranking. Oh, 9.825. Well that’s higher than I expected.
Bell (AUB): Double full to immediate punch front, good rise on that front punch. Nice amplitude in the air on her leap series. Double pike, slide of the front foot on the landing, but a solid routine!
McClain (LSU): Tigers need three big scores here at the end of the lineup for a shot at that No. 1 ranking. Leaps looked good, I wonder if the judges are taking the pause between the leaps? Front aerial BHS series looked good as did the wolf jump. Side aerial spot on. Gainer full dismount, made sure to stay still on the landing. 9.900
O. Greaves (AUB): Front through to double tuck, great amplitude in the air with a nice landing. Switch ring switch half, ring position looked good. This music is really fun though. Double pike, underrotated with a step forward. Nice toe point in her remaining leaps. 9.800
Bryant (LSU): Front aerial BHS a little slow to start, but I guess she wanted to make sure she got credit because she made sure her arms kept moving. Way above 180 on the leaps, standing front toss looked good. Front 1.5 dismount with a stick. LSU trying to regain some momentum. 9.950
McLaughlin (AUB): The final routine at home for McLaughlin incoming. Back 1.5 to front layout looked good as did her leaps. I for one am going to miss her personality on this event. Double pike, slight slide of the front foot on the landing. Fitting farewell for the fifth year. 9.925.
Finnegan (LSU): needs higher than a 9.725 here. BHS LOSO LOSO series spot on. Front aerial with the tiniest adjustment on the landing. Gainer full, little off balance with a step to the side. Should be enough to drop Coen’s 9.725.
For Auburn to reach 197.500, Groth needs a 9.875 here. Hold on everyone.
Groth (AUB): FHS front double full to open looked solid, we got the back angle though. Switch half wolf full, nice toe point throughout. Back 1.5 front full, loved the rise she got on that second skill. FHS Rudi with a small slide of the front foot. Will it be enough?
FINAL: LSU 198.200, Auburn 197.550
Wow what a whirlwind of a night. Auburn gets a 49.575 on floor and will compete at SECs! LSU doesn’t quite reach its goal of securing No. 1 but it will lock in the No. 2 seed after getting its lowest event score of the night so far on beam.
VT: Chio (LSU) – 10.000
UB: Bryant (LSU) and O. Greaves (AUB) – 9.975
BB: Bryant (LSU) – 9.950
FX: Finnegan (LSU) – 9.975
AA: Bryant (LSU) – 39.775
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Live blog by Savanna Wellman
