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.
 

Da Boot Sports
3/4/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   BATON ROUGE – The fifth-ranked LSU Gymnastics team scored a 197.450 in front of 12,838 fans in a loss to 10th-ranked Kentucky Friday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
   The Wildcats took the team win with a 197.500 in the SEC finale. LSU’s crowd marked the sixth-highest in the history of the gymnastics program.
   “We didn’t do our job tonight,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We had a lot of distractions in warmups, and we were not as dialed in as we have been. There were problems with a lot of landings, which was frustrating. I think the way we performed and the way it ended really stung, and I think they will come out hungry.”
   LSU seniors Sami Durante and Sarah Edwards along with sophomore Haleigh Bryant swept the event and all-around. Bryant scored a 9.95 on vault, bars and beam. Her score of 39.75 in the all-around marked a new career high. Durante also took home bars with a 9.95 and Edwards anchored floor with a 9.925.
   The Tigers opened vault with a 49.350 and fell behind the Wildcats. Sami Durante opened with a 9.875. Elena Arenas and KJ Johnson each scored a 9.85 and Kiya Johnson earned a 9.825. Bryant anchored the rotation with a. 9.95.
   On bars, Kiya Johnson and Arenas each scored a 9.825. Olivia Dunne earned a 9.875 and Bryant followed with her career high 9.95. Durante anchored with a 9.95 to post a 49.425 on bars.
   The Tigers scored another 49.425 on beam in the third rotation. Christina Desiderio opened with a 9.90 and Arenas followed with a 9.825. Dean returned to the lineup with a 9.85 and Bryant matched her career high with a 9.95. Freshman Aleah Finnegan also posted a 9.90 in the fifth spot for the Tigers.
   LSU was unable to find its landings on floor for a 49.250. Dunne and KJ Johnson scored a 9.80 and Finnegan put up a 9.825. Bryant scored a 9.90 in the fifth spot and Edwards ended the night with the 9.925 and win.
   LSU returns to the PMAC on Friday, March 11 against No. 4 Utah for the regular season finale. The meet will be the finale for LSU’s six seniors.

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

Da Boot Sports
2/28/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: Brandon Berrio


   BATON ROUGE – After scoring its second-highest team road score of the 2022 season, the LSU gymnastics team moved up to fifth in the second edition of the National Qualifying Score (NQS) rankings.
 
The Tigers own an NQS of 197.515, which is the average of a team’s top six scores, three of which must be away and the highest score dropped. LSU’s six scores are 196.950, 197.975 and 198.050 from home meets and 197.675, 197.825 and 197.200 away from the PMAC.
 
LSU is one of six teams with a team score of 198 or higher this season. Michigan owns the top spot with an NQS of 197.920 followed by Oklahoma (197.860), Florida (197.715) and Utah (197.685).
 
The Tigers rank second on vault, fourth on bars, eighth on beam and 10th on floor. Sophomore Haleigh Bryant is the No. 1 performer in the nation on vault and ranks eighth on bars. Junior Kiya Johnson is 17th on vault and 19th on beam. Senior Sami Durante ranks 12th on bars and freshman KJ Johnson is 17th on vault.
 
LSU has three more meets to improve its NQS before the NCAA bracket is released. The Tigers have two more chances to improve its low home score and one more away meet to replace its low of 197.200. The squad will take on Kentucky in the final SEC meet of the regular season at 7:15 p.m. Friday in the PMAC.
 
Top-25 Rankings, Average
1. Michigan, 197.920
2. Oklahoma, 197.860
3. Florida, 197.715
4. Utah, 197.685
5. LSU, 197.515
6. Auburn, 197.455
7. Alabama, 197.360
8. California, 197.065
9. Minnesota, 197.015
10. Kentucky, 196.985
11. Missouri, 196.890
12. Michigan State, 196.795
13. Denver, 196.710
14. BYU, 196.615
15. Arizona State, 196.520
16. Utah State, 196.435
17. UCLA, 196.430
18. Ohio State, 196.365
19. Iowa, 196.325
20. Stanford, 196.165
21. Southern Utah, 196.150
22. Illinois, 196.110
23. Boise State, 196.105
24. Towson, 196.065
25. San Jose State, 196.045
 

Da Boot Sports
​2/11/2022
​LSU Sports Information
By: LSU Staff


   GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No.5 LSU gymnastics team scored a 197.825 in a loss to No. 4 Florida Friday night at Exactech Arena.The Tigers dropped to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, while Florida improved to 8-0 and 5-0 in the SEC.
  “I was proud of our resiliency today,” head coach Jay Clark said. “It was a crazy environment and our team really responded when they need to. We know how hard it is to win at Florida, but we leave with a really strong road score. We’ll take a couple days off and get back in the gym before a tough stretch next weekend with two meets.”
  LSU and Florida were tied at 148.350 heading into the final rotation but the Tigers scored a 49.475 on beam and were unable to keep up with Florida’s 49.800 on floor.
  The squad opened the night on bars with a 49.425. Kiya Johnson and Kai Rivers each scored a 9.825. Olivia Dunne posted a 9.90 in the third spot and she was followed by Haleigh Bryant with a career high 9.95. Alyona Shchennikova scored a 9.85 and Sami Durante anchored with a 9.90.
  LSU cut into Florida’s lead on vault after a 49.475. Sarah Edwards scored a season high 9.875 and Elena Arenas followed with a 9.85. KJ Johnson matched her career high with a 9.90 and Kiya Johnson set a new career high with a 9.95. Bryant anchored vault with a 9.90.
  The floor lineup earned a 49.450 to tie things going into the final rotation. Christina Desiderio opened with a 9.90 and Alyona Shchennikova scored a 9.85. KJ Johnson matched her career high once again with a 9.95 and Aleah Finnegan set a new high with a 9.90. Kiya Johnson anchored the floor lineup with a 9.85.
  In the final rotation, LSU showed poise in a raucous environment to score a 49.475. Desiderio, Bridget Dean and Aleah Finnegan all scored a 9.875. Rivers entered the lineup for an injured Bryant in the fifth spot and scored a 9.90. Johnson wrapped up the night with a 9.95 to set a season high.
  LSU returns home for the start of a double weekend. The Tigers face off against Alabama at 8 p.m. CT Friday in the PMAC. The squad then travels to take on Missouri and Arkansas in a rescheduled meet on Sunday in Columbia, Missouri.

Da Boot Sports
2/6/2022
LSU Sports Information


   BATON ROUGE – In front of the second-largest crowd in the history of the program, the eighth-ranked LSU gymnastics team remained undefeated with a season-high score of 197.975 to take the win over No. 6 Auburn Saturday afternoon in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.A crowd of 13,569 fans watched LSU move to 3-0 and 2-0 in the SEC with the win. The victory marked the 300th in the history of the PMAC.
“Today was what it was supposed to feel like in the PMAC,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We really needed a meet like that. We were tight early but they settled down and started looking like what we see day in and day out. The fans today gave us the juice to finish strong today.
Haleigh Bryant and Kiya Johnson scored a perfect 10 on vault and floor to lift the Tigers to the victory. Bryant’s perfect score marked the third of her career with all coming on vault. Johnson ended the night in style with a perfect score on floor. The 10 marked the sixth of her career with one on vault, one on beam and four on floor. Bryant also picked up the all-around win with a career high 39.675 in the all-around.
   

All tied at 148.200 with only rotation remaining, the LSU floor lineup punctuated the day and win with a 49.775 for the highest score in school history. Christina Desiderio capped off the best night of her career with a 9.95 to set a new career high. Alyona Shchennikova followed with a 9.925 to tie her career high. Freshman KJ Johnson then set a new career high in her third collegiate routine with a 9.95. Following a 9.80 for Aleah Finnegan in her debut, Bryant Johnson made their triumphant return to the floor. Bryant scored a 9.95 and Johnson ended with a 10.
LSU opened the meet with a steady 49.375 on vault. Elena Arenas opened with a 9.85 and KJ Johnson matched her career high on vault with a 9.90. Sarah Edwards and Kiya Johnson scored a 9.875 in the fourth and fifth spot. Bryant anchored with the 10 to give LSU a slim lead after one rotation.
Auburn overtook the home team in the second rotation after LSU was unable to get their landings. Kiya Johnson opened with a 9.80 and Olivia Dunne scored a 9.825. Following Bryant’s 9.875, Shchennikova and senior Durante steadied the squad with a 9.925 and 9.975. Durante’s 9.975 matched a career high for the senior.
Down to Auburn 98.750-98.825, the LSU beam team delivered its best performance of the season with a 49.450. Desiderio started things off with a 9.925 and Durante also scored a 9.85. Bryant put up a 9.875 and Finnegan set a new career high with a 9.90. Following a fall, Johnson scored a crucial 9.90 to even the meet heading into the final rotation and put the Tigers in position to earn the win.
Next Up
LSU faces another top-5 team in the gauntlet of a schedule. The Tigers will travel to face Florida in Gainesville at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes