Da Boot Sports
​2/4/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   BATON ROUGE - The No. 9 LSU Gymnastics team defeated No. 17 Georgia with a season high score of 197.700-196.925 in front of an electric crowd on Friday night in the PMAC.


“I’m really proud of this team. We continue to see their theme of their fight and it has become the team’s identity,” said head coach Jay Clark. “We put together one of our best floor rotations, minus one mistake that we’ve seen all year. I thought vault was outstanding from start to finish. Bars was a little less than where we have been in previous meets, but nonetheless still effective, and beam we continue to fight. We’ll feel good about this tonight and then get back to work on Sunday as we head into a big Auburn environment next week.”

“It was a great night. It was our highest score of the year and I’m impressed with the fans coming out again after the week that it’s been in the PMAC. We are so appreciative of them and the students for being so consistent this year. It’s been tremendous and that lifts us in ways that you can’t measure.”

A crowd of 12,099 fans showed out to watch the Tigers defeat the Bulldogs for the sixth-straight time in the PMAC. Sophomore Aleah Finnegan recorded her first career perfect 10 on floor to boost the Tigers to a season high floor score of 49.675 and help LSU secure the win..

LSU started off strong on vault, scoring a 49.475. Finnegan earned a 9.900 and junior Chase Broke put up a career high 9.95 to help the Tigers get off to a strong start after the first rotation. Sophomore KJ Johnson recorded a 9.875 and junior Haleigh Bryant anchored with a 9.975 of her own to take the title.

On bars, sophomore Alexis Jeffrey led off with a 9.900. Finnegan scored a 9.850 in the fourth spot while senior Alyona Shchennikova followed with a 9.875. Bryant anchored with a 9.900 to close the second rotation with a score of 49.300 and propel the squad into the third rotation. Jeffrey and Bryant, along with Georgia’s Haley De Jong, won the event with performances.

The Tigers lead the Bulldogs at the halfway point 98.775-98.300. 

In the third rotation, Schennikova continued to bring the competition as she scored a 9.850. Bryant and Finnegan both recorded 9.900’s on beam to take the co-title as LSU scored a 49.250 for the third rotation. 

LSU finished strong to secure the win in the final rotation. Both Shchennikova and Bryant scored a 9.925, while KJ Johnson matched her career high with her 9.950 routine. Finnegan earned her first career perfect score in the fifth spot to take the win. It was a season high performance from the floor squad. 

Bryant finished the night with her sixth all-around title in six meets as she finished the night with a 39.700.

Finnegan’s 10 marks the first in her career and third title on floor this season. The sophomore finished the night with a career high all-around score of 39.650.

Shchennikova’s all-around score of 39.400 also recorded a season high for her. 

The Tigers will be back in action on Friday, February 10, as they travel to take on Auburn for a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt on the SEC Network.

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

Da Boot Sports
1/28/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - LSU traveled to Fayetteville hoping to build on their first win of the season last week against Missouri in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, but the Lady Tigers dropped another close one, falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 197.475 - 197.250  

   The Tigers held a slight lead after the first three rotations, but faltered on the beam allowing the
​Lady Hogs to escape with the victory. 

   Haleigh Bryant recorded her fifth straight all around title, finishing the night with 39.575

   “We’re continuing to get better. We hit 24 routines, but we allowed the environment to get to us at the end,” said head coach Jay Clark. “It’s a decent road score that improves our average, but it was short of what we wanted to accomplish today. Now we have to get back in the gym and get better.”

   Really Jay Clark? You inherited a gymnastics program loaded with talent and in each of your first three seasons the program has declined each year under your leadership. 

   Clark is known as a great recruiter but may simply not be head coach material, as he fizzled out in
similar fashion after his first season as the Georgia Bulldogs head coach. 

   This group of incredibly talented young ladies are now sitting at 1-4 due to a coaching staff's inability to coach up their mental toughness. This has lead to costly concentration mistakes. Mistakes that are costing them wins.

   Since the great Dee Dee Breaux stepped down after the 2020 season, you can see the mental part of
the ladies performances slip, especially on the vault and beam. 

   The 2021 team had a great season and the beginning of the Jay Clark era looked promising.
The squad dropped three regular season meets that season, but finished in 2nd place at the SEC Championships meet. They would go on to finish 2nd at the Utah Regional advancing to Forth Worth, where the Tigers would place 4th in the semifinals

   In 2022 the team dropped three meets during a roller coaster ride type regular season before struggling in the postseason, finishing with a disappointing 5th place in the SEC Championships meet. The struggles continued into the NCAA Raleigh, NC Regional where they would place 3rd ending their season.

   Now, with a roster oozing with talent, the Tigers are sitting at 1-4. 

   One of LSU's strongest events, the vault, has sputtered, especially in 2022 since Clark's decision to
force longtime LSU assistant coach Bob Moore into retirement, replacing the legendary vault coach with Garrett Griffeth. Though, we have witnessed improvement in that area in 2023.  

   Also since Clark has taken over the program the beam event has struggled, as several
​"lack of focus" performances have cost the Tigers on several occasions. 

​   Are we witnessing the LSU gymnastics program steadily fall from elite status? 

   If so, when will Scott Woodward decide to step in and stop the slide?

   If the Lady Tigers lose two or three more meets this season and fall short of or in postseason play, will
Jay Clark be forced to make staff changes at season's end or will he be forced to resign so the program can move in another direction? Only time will tell.....
 

Da Boot Sports
1/21/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   BATON ROUGE – The ninth-ranked LSU Gymnastics picked up its first win of the season against No. 12 Missouri in the PMAC on Friday night with a 197.150-196.525 victory.

"Overall, I'm pleased. There was a lot of good that happened out there tonight. We got a win, but we have to be able to handle prosperity. When you start a meet out and you're almost at a 99.000, you have to be able to put the hammer down, and I think that's the lesson to come away with from tonight," said head coach Jay Clark.

"I love this bunch. They're gritty, and you've seen that over and over. They don't quit and they understand that when a mistake happens, what happens next is the most important thing. I'm proud of who they are and I'm proud of their fight, but they also know we have to get better if we want to be the team we want to be."

The Tigers started off hot on vault, scoring a season high 49.475 on the event highlighted by a perfect score from junior Haleigh Bryant in the anchor spot. Junior Elena Arenas led off with a strong 9.825 followed by senior  Alyona Shchennikova who earned a 9.875. Junior Chase Brock scored a season high 9.850 in the third spot as well as sophomore KJ Johnson who scored a 9.900. Sophomore Aleah Finnegan added another 9.850 before Bryant anchored with a 10 to take the title.


The perfect 10 marked Bryant’s first of the season and sixth in her career.


In the second rotation, sophomore Alexis Jeffrey led off with a career-high 9.925 to set the tone and earn her first title on the event. Arenas followed with a 9.850 in the second spot. Sophomore Tori Tatum had a career night in her second ever routine and earned a 9.900. Finnegan added another 9.850 in the fourth spot and Bryant anchored with a 9.900.


LSU finished the second rotation with a 49.425 and held on to the lead as the squad transitioned to beam.


The home Tigers were able to bounce back after a rough start on beam as Finnegan anchored with a 9.950 to take the title for the night. It was a career high performance from the sophomore. Bryant stayed composed and added a strong routine in the fifth spot with her 9.900.


LSU led Missouri 147.850-147.575 going into the final rotation in the PMAC.


In the floor leadoff spot, junior Sierra Ballard brought the energy with her 9.850 performance. Shchennikova followed with a strong 9.875 routine. KJ Johnson recorded a season high a 9.925 on floor and Bryant scored a 9.950 to finish off the night in fashion.


Bryant earned her fourth-straight all-around title against Missouri, as she matched her career high with a 39.750. 
The junior also took the titles on vault and floor, moving her individual title total to 11 this season.


Finnegan's title on beam moved her total to three on the year.


The Tigers will be back in action on Friday, January 27, as the team hits the road to face Arkansas at 8 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

Da Boot Sports
​1/16/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The LSU gymnastics team took to the floor in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for the first time in 2023 looking for their first victory of the season after a disappointing 0-2 start, but the defending national champions and top ranked Oklahoma Sooners had other plans as the squeaked past the Tigers, 197.600-197.450,.. 

   "Well, you never like to lose, but I'll tell you this. The kids showed tremendous fight and heart today. We went against the best team in the country and the defending national champions and showed a lot of guts," said head coach Jay Clark. "I'm just proud of their fight. After the emotion that surrounded Friday night with Kiya getting hurt, they picked themselves up, got on message, and competed fearlessly."

​   The 197.450 was the Tigers highest score of the season as they kept pace with the Sooners all meet long, but a key mental miscue late in competition killed any chance of an upset as Chase Brock fell to the mat on her final landing attempt on her floor routine, drawing a 9.150 score. 

   LSU started strong in the opening rotation on vault. After Elena Arenas opened with a 9.775,
Alyona Shchennikova recorded a 9.875,... Chase Brock scored a 9.800,... KJ Johnson landed a 9.875,... Aleah Finnegan recorded a 9.850 and then, cha-ching! Haleigh Bryant posted a 9.925,...

   The bars were the Tigers best rotation event of the day with six impressive performances. Alexis Jeffrey led off the rotation with a 9.800, followed by Arenas with a 9.875,... Tori Tatum recorded a strong 9.875,... Finnegan scored a super 9.925,... Shehennikova landed a 9.875 and, cha-ching! Bryant rang up a 9.900,...

   On the beam LSU was good enough to keep pace with the Sooners. Kai Rivers lead off with a 9.800 while Sierra Ballad recorded a solid 9.875,... KJ Jackson landed a 9.750,... Arena scored a very nice 9.875,... followed by, cha-ching! Bryant ringing up a 9.950 that I felt should have been a 10,... Finnegan finished off the beam rotation with a 9.775,...

   The floor routines have recently been a strength for LSU and on this day four of the Lady Tigers flirted with a perfect 10. Ballard lead off with a fantastic routine, scoring a 9.900,... Shehennikova followed with an outstanding 9.925,... Brock recorded a 9.125,... Johnson danced to a 9.775,... then Finnegan and Bryant both finished with incredible routines. Finnegan with a 9.950 and Bryant with a 9.900,...

   Haleigh Bryant impressively took the all around title on the day with a season high 39.675,... She has won the all around title in all three meets so far this season.

   With the loss the Tigers are now 0-3 as they head into SEC play. 

   Next up LSU will host Missouri this Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:00pm CST in the PMAC.

Photos By: Michael Bacigalupi

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

Da Boot Sports
​1/14/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   LEXINGTON, KY. – No. 10 LSU Gymnastics fell in its SEC opener against No. 12 Kentucky on Friday night with a score of 196.575-197.125 in Rupp Arena.


"Tough night losing Kiya and Bryce, but we have to keep moving forward and keep fighting," said head coach Jay Clark. "I'm proud of the leadership and fight we had to the finish, but now we have got to have some people step up."


LSU started off with a solid first rotation, scoring a 49.475 on bars. Senior Kiya Johnson led the squad off in Lexington, earning a 9.90 to set the tone. Sophomores Alexis Jeffrey and Aleah Finnegan both recorded new career highs with scores of a 9.90. In the anchor spot, junior Haleigh Bryant matched her career high with a 9.95 and took the individual title on the event for the night.


As the Tigers began their second rotation on vault, junior Elena Arenas led off with a score of a 9.80. Both Kiya Johnson and sophomore KJ Johnson posed strong routines to earn a 9.875. Bryant recorded a team-high 9.90 to round out the vault lineup.


The Tigers earned a score of 49.200 on vault and held on to the lead at the halfway point by a score of 98.675-98.625.


On floor, junior Sierra Ballard led off with a 9.85. Senior Alyona Shchennikova and KJ Johnson both added a 9.85 in the second and third spots. LSU finished with a 48.825 in the third rotation after Kiya Johnson suffered an injury in the sixth spot.


In the final rotation in Lexington, Kai Rivers started the beam squad off with a 9.85. After freshman Bryce Wilson suffered an injury in the second spot, the rest of the lineup continued their routines and battled through adversity. Bryant and Arenas had career nights on the event. Bryant matched her career high with a 9.95, while Arenas recorded a new career high, scoring a 9.925 after anchoring in place of her injured teammate.


LSU finished with a 49.075 in the final rotation and fell to the Wildcats with a final score of 196.575-197.125.


Haleigh Bryant earned a 39.575 on the night to take the all-around title on the night.The junior also took the title on bars and balance beam, alongside Kentucky's Raena Worley.


The Tigers will be back in action on Monday, January 16, for their home opener as they host No. 1 Oklahoma in the PMAC at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Da Boot Sports
1/6/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   SALT LAKE CITY – No. 6 Gymnastics fell to No. 3 Utah on the road in their season opener by a final score of 197.275-196.775 on Friday night in Salt Lake City.The Tigers 196.775 was the highest score earned in a road season opener in program history. The squad put on a strong performance in Huntsman Center despite the result.

“That was a solid start,” said head coach Jay Clark. “The difference in the meet was that we walked on almost all of our landings throughout the meet, and they didn’t. We can land better than that. I’m proud of the fight and the fact that we can go on the road and not fall. It’s a baseline start and we came very close to doing what we wanted to do, and now we’re going to move on to the next and focus on getting better.”

LSU started the night competing on bars. Senior Kiya Johnson leadoff with a 9.775, followed by junior Elena Arenas with a 9.75. Sophomore Alexis Jeffrey had a team-high 9.875 for her debut on the event. Aleah Finnegan added a 9.75 in the fourth spot and Alyona Shchennikova added another 9.775. Junior Haleigh Bryant anchored with a 9.825 to help the Tigers finish the first rotation with a score of 49.000 on the event.

Arenas opened the second rotation scoring a 9.85 on vault. Shchennikova and Finnegan followed with a 9.825 and a 9.85 in the second and third spots, while sophomore KJ Johnson added a 9.775. Kiya Johnson earned a 9.875 before Bryant anchored with a 9.900, taking the individual vault title alongside Utah’s Makenna Smith. The Tigers earned a 49.300 on the event and had a score of 98.300 at the halfway point.

Junior Sierra Ballard set the tone on floor by starting off with a score of 9.825 and Shchennikova followed with a 9.825 in spot number two. Bryant also added a 9.875 in the fifth spot and Kiya Johnson earned a 9.900 to help LSU finish with a 49.375 in the third rotation. Finnegan recorded a career high 9.950 to take the title on the event.

It was a 148.050-147.675 Utah lead heading into the final rotation in Salt Lake City.

In the final rotation of the night, senior Kai Rivers lead off with a 9.7 on beam. Freshman Bryce Wilson and KJ Johnson had impressive debuts, scoring a 9.775 and 9.725. Bryant had a strong routine and earned a 9.85 while Finnegan continued her dominant night, scoring a 9.900. The Tigers finished with 49.050 on beam to round out the fourth and final rotation on the road.

Utah kept the lead the meet and closed out the night with a 197.275 over LSU’s final score of 196.775.

Bryant and Finnegan finished as the co-all around leaders for the meet, both earning a 39.450 to share the title for the night. Kiya Johnson also competed in the all-around for the Tigers, earning a 39.400.

​The Tigers continue their road trip as they take on Kentucky next week on Friday, January 13, at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Da Boot Sports
12/13/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   BATON ROUGE - The LSU Gymnastics team previewed the 2023 squad during its annual Gym 101 showcase on Monday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.


"I am really pleased with how we did," said head coach Jay Clark. "We did 37 routines tonight, and certainly there were some execution things that we need to work on, but that's to be expected the first time you get out here. You're going to look a little rough around the edges, but I feel really good about the hit ratio. That's what you want this time of year. As a coach, that's about all you can ask for in the middle of December."


Elena Arenas led off an impressive vault lineup for the Tigers. Nine girls competed in the rotation in front of a raucous crowd. Sophomores Aleah Finnegan and KJ Johnson vaulted in the fifth and sixth spots to start off their second year. All-Americans Kiya Johnson and Haleigh Bryant picked up where they left off and brought experience to the lineup. Freshman Bryce Wilson threw an impressive vault to show for her first routine in the PMAC.


Senior Kiya Johnson led things off for the bars squad and opened the event strong. Freshman Ashley Cowan performed her first routine in the PMAC on the event. Junior Haleigh Bryant showcased a new dismount. Arenas, Aleah Finnegan, Tori Tatum, Olivia Dunne and Kamryn Ryan all got a chance to showcase their skills as well.


After missing last season due to an injury, senior Kai Rivers returned to the beam lineup with an impressive leadoff routine to set the tone. Freshman Bryce Wilson followed and got her first beam routine under her belt. The beam squad hit every routine with Kiya Johnson, Alyona Shchennikova, Aleah Finnegan, Sierra Ballard, KJ Johnson and Elena Arenas performing nearly flawless routines as well.


Ballard brought the crowd to life and lead off the floor squad for the final rotation. Shchennikova, KJ Johnson, Finnegan, Bryant and Kiya Johnson all executed their routines in fashion. Chase Brock closed out the night with an exciting final routine.


The Tigers will officially kick off the 2023 season on January 6 against No. 3 Utah in Salt Lake City at 8 p.m. CT. The meet will be broadcast on ESPN2.
​

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

Da Boot Sports
​12/9/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics team ranked No. 6 in the WCGA Preseason Poll, the organization announced on Friday morning. 

The Tigers totaled 1,434 points amongst the top 36 teams. Members of the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association voted the University of Oklahoma the top team heading into the 2023 season.

Oklahoma totaled 1,727 points and 22 first place votes. The Tigers will kick off the 2023 season against the Sooners in Baton Rouge for the squad’s home opener on January 16.

LSU heads into 2023 ranked in the top-10 for the eleventh straight season. The ranking also marks the 26th consecutive season that the Tigers were placed in the top-25.

The Tigers own one of the toughest and most exciting schedules for the upcoming season, meeting all but one ranked team in the regular season. 

The schedule includes 11 top-25 matchups and six top-10 matchups this season, with three of those being in the Maravich Center. Every team in the Southeastern Conference found a spot in the top-20. 

(1) Oklahoma, (2) Florida, (3) Utah, (5) Auburn, (7) Alabama, (8) California, (9) Missouri, (11) Kentucky, (15) Arkansas, (20) Georgia, and (21) Washington all own spots in the top-25. 

LSU continues to look for a new record as more than 7,100 season tickets have been sold. Season tickets are still available at $36 for adults and $18 for youth in the 300 level of the arena. Single-meet tickets are also available in sections 313-321 and 334-344 for all five home meets. 

For all ticket information visit lsutix.net. 

2022-23 WCGA Preseason Poll:

Rank, Team, Points (First Place Votes)
1. Oklahoma (1727 pts; 22 first place)
2. Florida (1724 points) (21 first place votes)
3. Utah (1648 points) (2 first place votes)
4. Michigan (1600 points) (4 first place votes)
5. Auburn (1509 points) 
6. LSU (1434 points)
7. Alabama (1395 points)
8. California (1325 points)
9. Missouri (1262 points)
10. UCLA (1242 points)
11. Kentucky (1154 points)
12. Michigan State (1129 points)
13. Denver (1119 points)
14. Oregon State (1066 points)
15. Arkansas (1043 points)
16. Minnesota (1042 points)
17. Stanford (1007 points)
18. Iowa (952 points)
19. Ohio State (844 points)
20. Georgia (794 points)
21. Washington (768 points)
22. BYU (674 points)
23. Illinois (674 points)
24. Arizona State (583 points)
25. Arizona (548 points)
26. Boise State (501 points)
27. North Carolina (497 points)
28. Southern Utah (455 points)
29. Maryland (424 points)
30. Iowa State (407 points)
31. North Carolina State (373 points)
32. Nebraska (295 points)
33. West Virginia (214 points)
34. Utah State (212 points)
35. Penn State (146 points)
36. San Jose State (144 points)

Also receiving votes: Towson (142), George Washington (94), Central Michigan (93), Temple (69), Western Michigan (60), Kent State (55), New Hampshire (51), Rutgers (50), Pittsburgh (16), Bowling Green (15), Sacramento State (14), UC Davis (8), Illinois State (5), Texas Woman’s (4), LIU (4), Northern Illinois (3), Ball State (2), Lindenwood (2), and Fisk (1)

Da Boot Sports
12/8/2022
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - Head Gymnastics Coach Jay Clark met with the media to discuss the upcoming 2023 season on Thursday. 

   Video of the press conference is below..  GEUAX TIGERS!!!
 

Da Boot Sports
9/20/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Alyssa Leal


   BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU gymnastics head coach Jay Clark announced on Monday a strong schedule for the 2023 season that will begin on the road on January 6 in Salt Lake City.

The schedule features five home meets and six away meets.

“This year's schedule is exciting, tough, and full of great opportunities to demonstrate what we want this team to be,” said head coach Jay Clark. “The home schedule is one that should prove to be great for our fans. They give us such a tremendous advantage at home, and we will count on them to do so again this year. We are all looking forward to getting back out there and starting our climb this year.”

The Tigers season begins on the road against Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The Utes finished third at the NCAA Championships in 2022.

The Tigers will remain on the road to open its Southeastern Conference schedule the following week against Kentucky in Lexington.

LSU will also travel to Arkansas, Auburn, and Alabama. The Tigers will welcome Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, and West Virginia to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for the squads five home opponents.

The schedule also includes a quad meet at the Baton Rouge River Center against Cal, Washington, and George Washington.

The Tigers first home meet will be on January 16 as they host Oklahoma. The Sooners won the NCAA Gymnastics Championship title in 2022 and are ranked No. 1 in the early power rankings.

LSU was ranked No. 4 in the NCAA’s early power rankings as the Tigers have depth returning to the lineup.

Post season is set to begin on March 18 at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, for the SEC Championship. NCAA Regionals will begin on March 30 and the NCAA championships will follow on April 15 in Fort Worth, Texas. Specific competition days and meet times will be announced at a later date.


Meet times and broadcasts will be announced at a later time.

Information on renewals and purchases for season tickets can be found on lsutix.net.

**John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Find Jesus. God Bless)

Da Boot Sports
3/31/2022
LSU Sports Communication
By: LSU Staff


   RALEIGH, N.C. – The LSU gymnastics team finished third overall in round two of the 2022 NCAA Raleigh Regional with a team score of 196.575, Thursday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum.The Tigers’ season ends after failing to advance to the regional final. Missouri took the top spot in session one with a 197.150 and Iowa finished second with a 196.900. NC State was fourth overall with a 195.1700.
Kiya Johnson, Haleigh Bryant and Alyona Shchennikova are all in contention to still advance as individual qualifiers for NCAA Championships.
   LSU opened with as good as a start as it could hope with a 49.500 on floor for the highest away from the PMAC this season and the third-highest score on the event at a regional in school history.
   Senior Christina Desiderio opened the event with a 9.85. Freshmen KJ Johnson and Aleah Finnegan made their NCAA postseason debuts each with a 9.90. Sophomore Olivia Dunne also made her floor debut in replace of Bryant and scored a 9.90. Kiya Johnson wrapped up the opening rotation with a 9.95.
   The Tigers went to vault and hit every routine for a 49.475 and 98.975 at the halfway point. Elena Arenas opened with a 9.825 and Alyona Shchennikova stuck her vault for a 9.90. KJ Johnson earned a 9.85 in the third spot and Sarah Edwards followed with a 9.825. Kiya Johnson and Bryant anchored the rotation with near-perfect vaults for a 9.95.
   LSU was led on bars to a 49.000 by 9.90’s from Kiya Johnson and Shchennikova. Dunne scored a 9.85 and Arenas added a 9.70. The Tigers also scored a 9.65 from Sami Durante.
   The squad was forced to count a fall on beam and consequently unable to advance out of the second round. Kai Rivers earned a 9.80 and in her final collegiate routine Bridget Dean scored a 9.875. Shchennikova added a 9.875 and Kiya Johnson ended the event with a. 9.750.

Da Boot Sports
3/30/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Brandon Berrio


   RALEIGH, N.C. – The sixth-ranked LSU gymnastics team begins NCAA postseason competition in a fight for the program’s 31st NCAA Championships appearance at 12 noon CT Thursday at the Raleigh Regional at Reynolds Coliseum. 
The Tigers will take on No. 11 Missouri, No. 22 Iowa and No. 30 North Carolina State in the first session of the second round. If the squad finishes in the top two of the regional it will advance to the regional final and compete against the top two finishers of the second session, which includes No. 3 Michigan, No. 14 UCLA, No. 20 Maryland and No. 35 North Carolina. The top two teams in the regional final will advance to NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, April 15 and 17.
 
“Our team is really fired up to get back out and compete again,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We have used the last two weeks to reset and fine tune things before postseason. It is important for us to just stay in the present and take one routine at a time. It will be an exciting meet with so many great teams out on the floor.”
 
Every session of the meet will be streamed on ESPN+, which requires a subscription different than cable providers. John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn will have the call of the second round and Sam Gore will join Sacramone Quinn for the final on Saturday. Live results will be available at LSUsports.net.
 
LSU’s History at the NCAA Regional
Since the first year the NCAA sanctioned gymnastics in 1982, LSU has advanced to the NCAA Regional 39 out of 40 years. This season marks the 37th-straight year LSU will compete in a regional. The following is how many times the Tigers have finished in the previous 38 NCAA Regional appearances: First Place -13 times; Second Place – 15 times; Third Place- nine times; Seventh Place – one time.
 
Prior to NCAA regionals, LSU advanced to AIAW Regionals every year from the program’s inception in 1975 to the final year in 1981. The Tigers won six AIAW Regional championships during the seven-year span.
 
Last Time Out
The Tigers competed at SEC Championships and finished fifth overall. Haleigh Bryant was named to the All-SEC team and KJ Johnson was named to the all-freshman team after their performance in Birmingham. Bryant scored a 9.95 on beam and Johnson earned a 9.90 on vault to earn the honors. LSU’s beam team was lights out with a 49.550 for the highest on the event for LSU at an SEC championship.
 
Durante, Bryant Named All-Americans
Senior Sami Durante and Bryant were named WCGA regular season All-Americans following outstanding seasons. Durante earned the second honor of her career on bars. In 2022, she scored a 9.90 or higher in six-straight meets including a career high 9.975 against Auburn.
 
Bryant finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation on vault and also earned honors on bars. In just two seasons, the Cornelius, North Carolina native has already earned eight All-America honors, which is in the top-10 of LSU’s all-time list. Bryant owns the best electric vault in NCAA Gymnastics. She earned three perfect scores on the event in 2022. With a new dismount, Bryant earned All-America honors for the first time in her career on bars. She earned a 9.90 or higher in all but one meet this season, including a career high 9.95 twice.
​

Da Boot Sports
3/19/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Brandon Berrio


​   ​BIRMINGHAM -  The LSU Gymnastics team scored a 196.725 at the 2022 Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Championships to finish fifth overall Saturday night at Legacy Arena.
 
LSU will now await its seeding and placement for NCAA postseason. The selections how will be at 11 a.m. CT Tuesday on NCAA.com.
 
“There was nothing glaring today or in warmups that indicated this performance was coming,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We were pressing too much and could not settle it down. It snowballed on us, and we could not regain our composure. There is no doubt that it was disappointing.
 
“We know this is not the end though. We have four more weeks, and we must get back in the gym and process what happened and fix it. A lot of our goals are still in front of us. I still believe in this team, but we must reassess everything and use these weeks off to reboot and get it right.”
 
The Tigers were unable to claw their way into the meet after opening the night with a 48.575 on bars. Haleigh Bryant led the way with a 9.925 on the event followed by Alyona Shchennikova with a 9.90. Olivia Dunne scored a 9.875 and Elena Arenas earned a 9.625. LSU also counted a score of 9.25 from Sami Durante.
 
The squad rebounded in a big way on beam with a 49.550 for the highest score at an SEC meet in school history. Christina Desiderio led off with a 9.90 and Bridget Dean scored a 9.875 in the third spot. Bryant matched her career high of 9.95 and Aleah Finnegan also matched her career high in her first SEC meet with a 9.925. Kiya Johnson anchored the event with a 9.90.
 
LSU moved to floor and scored a 49.325. Desiderio and Kiya Johnson each scored a 9.90. Bryant and Shchennikova earned a 9.85 and LSU also counted a 9.825 from Finnegan.
 
In the final rotation, LSU was unable to find its landings and wrapped up with a 49.275. KJ Johnson led the way with a 9.90. Kiya Johnson and Sarah Edwards both earned a 9.875. Elena Arenas scored a 9.80 and Shchennikova put up a 9.825.
 

Da Boot Sports
3/18/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Brandon Berrio


   BIMRINGHAM – The fifth-ranked LSU gymnastics team will compete for the program’s fifth Southeastern Conference championship and fourth in five years at 7 p.m. CT Saturday inside Legacy Arena.
 
The meet will be televised live on SEC Network with Bart Conner, Kathy Johnson Clarke and Sam Peszek on the call. It will also be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and the app with event specific links to each apparatus so that fans can enjoy all of the action.
 
As the second seed in the meet, the Tigers will begin on bars and follow with beam, floor and vault. LSU will compete alongside No. 2 Florida, No. 6 Auburn and No. 6 Alabama in the evening session.
 
The meet will be the final score to count toward the squad’s NQS, which will serve as the seeding for NCAA Championships.
 
“I think our team is really excited to get in to the arena in front of an electric crowd and just compete,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We will be on floor with some of the top teams in the country, and the message has been to just do our job and everything will follow. It is important to just take one routine at a time and use the energy and momentum in our favor on Saturday night.”
 
LSU’s History at the SEC Championship
The Tigers will fight amongst the best teams in the country for their fifth league title. LSU captured the SEC title when the Tigers hosted the first championship in 1981.
 
Here is a breakdown of LSU’s finishes at the SEC Championship: 1st Place - 4 times (1981, 2017, 2018,2019); 2nd Place – 6 (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2015, 2021); 3rd Place - 10 (1982, 1983, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2016); 4th Place - 17 (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012); 5th Place - 3 (1992, 1996, 2011); 6th Place - 0; 7th Place - 0; 8th Place - 0
 
Gymnasts at the SEC Championships
Twenty-five LSU gymnasts have combined to win 47 SEC titles since 1981. A total of 97
All-SEC honors have been earned over the years and 17 SEC All-Freshman team honors. Sarah Finnegan, Rheagan Courville and Sandra Smith own the record for most SEC titles with five. Finnegan captured back-to-back all-around titles in 2018 and 2019. She also won three event titles in 2019.
 
Kiya Johnson is the reigning SEC floor champion and Haleigh Bryant and Elena Arenas are the reigning SEC vault champions. Johnson earned the program’s 14th floor title with her perfect score. Bryant and Arenas secured the vault titles with a 9.95 as freshmen in 2021.
 
Last Time Out
Last week, LSU put together the best performance of the season with a season-high 198.125 against fourth-ranked Utah. The Tigers and Utes went blow for blow on all 24 routines with the home squad ultimately winning. Bryant scored her third 10 of the season and the fifth of her career for the win. She also took the all-around title with a 39.700.
 
LSU also had outstanding performances from Kiya Johnson who scored a 9.975 on vault, 9.90 on bars and 9.95 on beam. Alyona Shchennikova also delivered a 9.925 on bars for the win and Sarah Edwards scored a career high 9.975 on floor on senior night. The score for LSU helped jump Auburn and Alabama in the polls and secure the No. 2 seed at SEC Championships.

Da Boot Sports
3/11/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Brandon Berrio


   BATON ROUGE – The seventh-ranked LSU Gymnastics team scored a season high 198.125 to take down fourth-ranked Utah in the regular season finale Friday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
 
The Tigers defeated the Utes, who scored a 197.875, in a thrilling meet in front of a crowd of 10,845. LSU officially finished No. 1 in the country in average attendance for the first time in school history. The Tigers overtook Utah, who held the No. 1 ranking since 2004, for the top spot in the country.
 
Haleigh Bryant started the final home meet with a perfect score on vault. The 10 marked the fifth in her career. She is now four away from tying the record for career perfect scores.
 
“We really needed this meet,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We needed to have this type of performance after last week and all the things that we’ve had stacked against us. The biggest challenge was believing it. This was the best meet we have had all year and sustained energy throughout.”
 
Bryant won the vault with a perfect score as well as the all-around with a 39.700. Alyona Shchennikova scored a 9.925 for the win on bars and Sarah Edwards had a 9.975 on floor to win the event.
 
LSU opened on fire with a 49.525 on vault for a new season high, punctuated by Byrant’s perfect score. Elena Arenas led the meet off with a 9.90 and stick on her Yurchenko Full. Shchennikova and Sarah Edwards followed with a 9.80 and KJ Johnson scored a 9.85 on her stuck Yurchenko Full. Kiya Johnson just missed out on a perfect 10 on vault with a season-high 9.975 but she set her teammate Bryant in the anchor spot.
 
The Tigers scored a 49.425 to extend their lead at the halfway point. Kiya Johnson started the rotation with a 9.90 and Arenas followed with a 9.875. Bryant gave the Tigers a 9.90 in the fourth spot followed by Shchennikova’s 9.925 and 9.825 from Sami Durante.
 
It was another consistent rotation for the squad with a 49.500. In her final performance on beam inside the PMAC, senior Christina Desiderio scored a 9.925. Kai Rivers returned to the lineup for the Tigers and scored a 9.90. Senior Bridget Dean scored a 9.85 in her final performance in the PMAC followed by Bryant’s 9.85. Freshman Aleah Finnegan gave the squad a 9.875 and Kiya Johnson anchored with a 9.95.
 
LSU scored a 49.675 on floor to outlast Utah. Desiderio started the rotation with a 9.925 and Shchennikova scored a 9.90. Edwards won the event with a 9.975 in her final routine in the PMAC. In the final three routines, KJ Johnson scored a 9.90, Finnegan scored a 9.925 and Bryant wrapped up with a 9.95.
 
LSU will now compete at SEC Championships March 19 in Birmingham, Alabama. Seeding will be determined following Saturday’s meets and released via LSU Gymnastics social media.