The LSU Tigers had a fine-not-great performance at Missouri last week that showed a bit of a drop off from their recent momentum. It is critical for them to bounce back tonight at this, their penultimate home meet. Currently counting two 196-range scores in their NQS, the Tigers have tonight and two weeks from now to get replacement 197s. You’d think the Tigers would want to take advantage of that home scoring given that, so far, they’ve scored all but one of their 197s on the road.
Arkansas has been stuck in the low 196-range for the past few weeks; last week was an especially tough go with a bars rotation that counted a fall The Razorbacks have scored up to a 196.550 on the road this year, so they’d like another number in that range tonight to offset a lower total. Rising all around star Kennedy Hambrick will look to post a big number to compete with the LSU four eventers.
Interestingly, all but one of tonight’s projected all arounders have names that begin with a K: Edney, Johnson, Hambrick, and Hambrick’s teammate Kiara Gianfagna. We still love you, Jessica Yamzon.
Hearing that Kiya Johnson is set to do just vault and bars this evening. Her classmate, Kai Rivers, is ill and won’t appear at all.
ROTATION 1: LSU VT / Arkansas UB
Nibbs (LSU): Full, looked clean in the air but her chest down on landing. Small bounce. 9.750.
Yamzon (Arkansas): Good first handstand. Tkatchev not as close as usual. FTDLO close to the bar and a small step. 9.700.
Rau (LSU): Y1.5, not a huge block and a step to the side. 9.800.
Gianfagna (Arkansas): Big air on the Tkatchev, too big and she’s off. Handstand short, sticks the full-in to end. 9.175.
Joydyn is STUNTING in that red turtleneck.
Durante (LSU): Still can’t believe she’s vaulting. Flared full, piked down with a bounce back. 9.775.
Garner (Arkansas): Giant full to Gienger to toe shoot, no issues. Last handstand short into the giant full, double back. 9.850.
Harrold (LSU): Powerful 1.5, big lunge forward. 9.875.
Lovett (Arkansas): Over on a handstand, over on another one into the Ray, she almost arches over oh my godddd but she makes it around for the release. What a fighter, but it’s just too hard to recover and she has to come off after arching on a giant half. Really impressive she got that far. Double tuck with a small hop. 8.700.
Arkansas counting a bars fall. Taking their sweet time to calculate this one.
Johnson (LSU): Does just a full tonight, hop back. 9.825.
Hambrick (Arkansas): Pretty piked Jaeger. Good last handing, almost imperceptible hop on the full-in. 9.825.
Edney (LSU): 1.5 similar to Harrold, just a step forward. Powerful. 9.825.
Shaffer (Arkansas): Missed first release, looked nice, crisp last handstand, DLO small hop back. 9.875.
After 1: LSU 49.100 / Arkansas 48.2425
Arkansas counts a fall on bars for the second week in a row, a rut they’ll want to get out of. A promisingly pretty last routine from Shaffer was redemptive, as was Garner’s hit. LSU had a decidedly “meh” vault rotation compared to their usual, thanks to hoppy landings and some downgrades. But it went over 49.000 (bet you never expected to hear that in relation to LSU).
ROTATION 2: LSU UB / Arkansas VT
No Yamzon here for Arkansas in yet another meet out of the AA. 😢
Johnson (LSU): Super swingy Maloney, beautiful handstands, stuck DLO. 9.950.
Gianfagna (Arkansas): Full, really low block and she bounces back with chest down. 9.725.
Dean (LSU): Hitting her handstands, Ray is fine, pikey DLO with a step. 9.900 will be a career high.
Hickey (Arkansas): Better full, smaller step back. 9.775.
Shchennikova (LSU): Maloney is good, Tkatchev to Pak no apparent issues, DLO has…the usual issues but a controlled landing. 9.825.
Rogers (Arkansas): Yfull chest is super low. 9.725.
Durante (LSU): Jaeger, Pak a little messy w the legs, holds stick on full-in. 9.875.
Shaffer (Arkansas): Big Yhalf, tiny hop forward but good position. 9.825.
Edney (LSU): Hindorff pretty close. Bail to handstand, doesn’t quite get last handstand, DLO stuck in perfect position. 9.925.
Hambrick (Arkansas): Y1.5!! Super squatty and hops forward but glad she keeps going for it! 9.625.
Harrold (LSU): Zuchold, short last handstand, Jaeger is fine, double front step forward. 9.850.
Elswick (Arkansas): Good Y1.5, much cleaner with a small hop to the side. 9.850.
After 2: LSU 98.625 / Arkansas 97.275
LSU cleaned up its act on bars a little with some far better landings and some career highs to boot. Good enough for a season best. Arkansas had its usual issues on vault but still made it a decent rotation. Once Hambrick can control that landing, that difficulty in the end of the lineup will look more formidable.
ROTATION 3: LSU BB / Arkansas FX
Can Lori Strong Ballard pls forward me her skincare routine. DAMN sis.
Looking like Shchennikova is set to do beam tonight!
Desiderio (LSU): BHS LOSO small check. Switch to switch half, wobbles on that too. Sissone no worries. Sticks Gainer full to end. 9.800.
Gianfagna (Arkansas): Double pike, slide back. Back 2.5 to front lay no issues. This music reminds me a bit of Daddy Yankee but I don’t think it is. Has trouble controlling double tuck has to stumble back. 9.750.
Dean (LSU): Switch leap to split quarter, pretty positions. Front aerial to split jump. Really confident routine from her. Front aerial to back full. Having a great night. 9.850.
Hickey (Arkansas): Switch to Popa, good positions. Seeing kids at the LSU media table. Back 1.5 to front full. Missed first pass, double pike stumbley. 9.700.
Seeing literal children at the LSU media table. Glad to know they’ve made it to a big time SEC meet in person before I have…
Durante (LSU): BHS LOSO, a little off. Aerial to split jump, not quite 180. Next jump connection fine too. Back full small step. 9.775.
Shaffer (Arkansas): So the first bit of her music is just percussive beeps. Big double pike. Double tuck chest down. Back 1.5 to front lay. 9.800.
Shchennikova (LSU): Onodi to open. BHS LOSO a bit tentative. Stays on. Dance Monkey music and I know they choose their music too. 🤢 Good leap series, very much a college stick on the back full. 9.825.
Hambrick (Arkansas): Massive double tuck to open. Ooooh front Rudi to back layout to stag. Think I prefer back layout to back LOSO. Weird stumble on double pike to end. 9.800.
Edney (LSU): Front aerial to sissone. BHS LOSO no issues. Switch to straddle half. Good routine for her so far. Piked front toss a little tentative. Really enjoying using that word tonight, apparently. Back 1.5 small hop. 9.875.
Lovett (Arkansas): Pretty DLO. Front lay to front full, this is her usual so far. Big air on the leaps. Double tuck small step back. Good. 9.900.
Campbell (LSU): Front aerial to split leap. Aggressive on the switch leap to switch half. Back double full stuck. 9.975, alright.
Carter (Arkansas): Another big double tuck. Back 1.5 to front full. Nice double pike to end, sorry missed the in between. 9.950.
After 3: LSU 147.950 / Arkansas 146.475
LSU definitely building momentum as this thing goes on, so let’s get excited for some…influential floor scores. Arkansas had a redemptive floor rotation and picked up two much-needed 9.950’s.
ROTATION 4: LSU FX / Arkansas BB
Yamzon (Arkansas): Good BHS LOSO LOSO. Front toss is squatty into the beat jump. Stuck the back full. 9.825.
Harrold (LSU): Front double full. Double pike. The music starts out so good and descends into basicness SIGH. Back 1.5 to front lay stuck. 9.900.
they REALLY just said over the intercom “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN” I………….
Gianfagna (Arkansas): Missed series, front tosss a little tentative, doesn’t connect leaps and chest goes down, big check but stays on. 9.750.
Desiderio (LSU): DLO, clean. Back 1.5 to front lay some legs in the air. Double tuck and the back leg barelyyyyy stays in bounds but she does. 9.900.
Lovett (Arkansas): Candle mount. Switch to split leap, good position. BHS. Stuck Gainer pike. 9.900, sheesh!
Goodrich (LSU): Career debut for her. Double tuck high, she’s capable of a double arabian. Back 1.5 to front lay. Double pike a tad short. 9.575.
Hamrick (Arkansas): Straddle half textbook. Missed most but a stuck Gainer full. 9.925.
Dean (LSU): Double pike slide back.Back 1.5 to front lay, Double tuck good landing. Her career high is a 9.875 so let’s see.
Carter (Arkansas): BHS LOSO, yikes pretty big check but stays on. Switch leap to sheep jump not really where it usually is. Rattled after that check. 9.775.
Campbell (LSU): Double tuck. Back 1.5 to front lay but is way short and it becomes a front tuck that’s sat. Too bad. 8.950.
Edney (LSU): Big double arabian small step forward. Back 1.5 to front lay the bounciest I’ve seen all evening. Good double tuck to end. Delivered for the hit. 9.925.
FINAL: LSU 197.15 / Arkansas 195.725
Live blog by Katherine Weaver
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