By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team came up just short in its 198.125-197.925 loss to top-ranked Oklahoma in Norman last Friday. Despite the loss, the Tigers returned to Baton Rouge with plenty be proud of.
LSU posted its best road score of the season – and did so without junior Konnor McClain competing on any event and sophomore Kaliya Lincoln on floor.
McClain, who was slated to compete on bars and beam against the Sooners, was pulled from the lineup after suffering a forearm bone contusion during warmups. Lincoln was removed from the floor lineup after experiencing inflammation in her Achilles.
So, LSU head coach Jay Clark had to adjust on the fly.
Graduate student Alexis Jeffrey stepped into the anchor spot on uneven bars in place of McClain, while junior Madison Ulrich filled in as the beam anchor. Sophomore Lexi Zeiss was tabbed to anchor on floor for Lincoln in what marked her collegiate debut on the event.
Head coach Jay Clark said his team never flinched when their names were called.
“The kids were just matter of fact about it,” Clark said on Monday. “That’s the mark, I hope, of a team that’s mature and that really understands what we’re asking of them and handles those things because circumstances can change quickly one way or another.”
Jeffrey delivered a strong 9.850 on bars in the anchor spot, a score that ended up counting for the Tigers. Ulrich posted a steady 9.825 in the beam anchor spot. But the highlight of the night came when Zeiss capped the floor rotation with a 9.925.
It was Zeiss’s first time competing on floor since performing for her club two years ago and she was thrilled to return to the event.
“It was a dream and something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and just have been working really hard on it in the summer,” Zeiss said on Monday. “I wasn’t expecting it going in and got the call right after warm-ups and so I was ready to go and was really excited and my team had my back, so it was super cool.”
Clark said the performances did not surprise him because he understands how talented and prepared each gymnast is on his squad.
“Look, these athletes – they’re all ready. Nobody that gets out there and goes for us is somebody that we don’t have confidence in,” Clark said. “I knew Lexi Zeiss was going to go hit a floor routine. I knew Madison Ulrich would go hit a beam set. So, I wouldn’t say I was shocked or surprised by anything.”
If McClain and Lincoln are limited again this weekend, Clark believes his team will be ready to respond.
“We have every reason to believe that no matter who we put out there again this weekend, we’ll do the same thing,” Clark said.
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