Category: Gymnastics

LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan qualifies for World Championships

Finnegan will represent the Philippines in Antwerp, Belgium.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

SINGAPORE – Sophomore Aleah Finnegan qualified as one of the top eight all-arounders in the Asian Championships to continue her journey with the Philippines at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Finnegan scored a 50.399 in the all-around competition on Friday, June 16, to finish seventh on the day and secure her spot to worlds as an individual qualifier. She posted scores of 12.833 on beam, 12.933 on floor, 13.800 on vault and 10.833 on bars after suffering a fall during her routine.

The Team Philippines member was recognized for the highest execution score on an apparatus at the championship. Her execution scores on vault and floor were higher than any gymnast in the competition.

After placing second on vault, fifth on beam and seventh on beam on Friday, Finnegan earned her spot in three event finals in Singapore on Saturday, June 17.

Finnegan notched two bronze medals, one on vault and one on beam, to become the first Filipino woman to earn multiple medals at the Asian Championships.

Filipino teammate Kylee Kvamme also qualified as an individual competitor and will join Finnegan in representing the Philippines at the World Championships.

The 2023 World Championships will be held at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, from September 30 – October 6. In order to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Finnegan will have to place as one of the top 14 all-arounders in Antwerp.

The scores exclude gymnasts whose teams have already qualified for Paris and who have individually qualified as all-arounders at the 2022 World Championship.

Here’s LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne’s NIL advice to current recruits

Dunne has arguably become the face of NIL in college athletics.

There’s perhaps no better example of what a college athlete can be in the new era than [autotag]Livvy Dunne[/autotag].

The rising senior LSU gymnast has the biggest social media presence of any college athlete, building a following of more than 10 million across multiple platforms. That makes her the most valuable women’s college athlete in terms of name, image and likeness deals per On3 and second only to Bronny James, the son of LeBron James who recently committed to USC.

Dunne recently appeared at a meet and greet as part of On3’s NIL Elite Series, where she gave advice to current high school football recruits on navigating the NIL space.

“I would say taking your time to pick your brand deals and to be picky,” Dunne said per On3’s Pete Nakos. “There’s no problem in saying no to brands if it doesn’t feel right to you.”

Dunne also said that having a strong support system in place is key.

“I would say having a good support system is so important,” she said. “My family, they stand behind me, and my mom, she helps me. My sister helps put together videos and sends them to the brand while I’m at practice or competing. So, she’s definitely a huge component in my everyday life and helping me with these brand deals. But having a good support system and compartmentalizing your day, so you don’t get overwhelmed (is crucial).”

We’ve seen a lot of change in college sports, and athletes now have more agency than ever before. But with agency comes more responsibilities, and no one knows that better than Dunne, who has arguably become the face of NIL in college sports.

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LSU gymnastics adds All-American transfer from Florida

Jay Clark continued his transfer portal success this week, adding Savannah Schoenherr from the Gators.

Tigers gymnastics coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag] proved his worth as a recruiter again this week with the addition of a former All-American.

[autotag]Savannah Schoenherr[/autotag], who spent the last several years with the Florida Gators, will transfer to LSU.

Originally from Athens, Georgia, Schoenherr was a freshman All-SEC selection in 2019. Her vault performance that year earned her Second Team All-American honors.

Schoenherr hasn’t competed since 2022 and missed all of 2023 with a foot injury.

Competing in the All-Around at one of the SEC’s premier programs in Florida, she brings a veteran presence to a team already returning a lot.

Schoenherr wasn’t LSU’s only recent portal addition. [autotag]Jillian Hoffman[/autotag] is also slated to join the Tigers after transferring from powerhouse Utah.

LSU faced plenty of adversity last year with injuries to key contributors. Despite that, the Tigers marched all the way to a national title appearance.

Next year, LSU should be healthier and more experienced. It has the chance to be one of Clark’s best teams.

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LSU gymnastics announces return of 4 seniors in 2024

The Tigers will return Kiya Johnson, Kai Rivers, Alyona Shchennikova and Cammy Hall next season.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – The LSU Gymnastics program and head coach Jay Clark announced the return of seniors Kiya Johnson, Kai Rivers, Alyona Shchennikova and Cammy Hall to the squad in 2024.

Johnson, Rivers and Shchennikova will compete for their fifth year next season and return experienced routines for the Tigers. Hall enters her sixth year after transferring from Utah in 2023 and is set to make her debut in the PMAC in 2024.

“Having these seniors back is another chance for them and for this team to achieve their ultimate goals. We have all learned a great deal this year about what it takes to be a championship program,” said head coach Jay Clark. “Whether we face adversity or none at all, the same mindset must exist and I’m glad they want to be here at LSU for another year to exhibit that same climbing mindset. We are blessed to be at a place where our players don’t want to leave and others want to be here.”

Johnson, a nine-time All-American, suffered an achilles injury in the Tigers second meet of the season that prevented her from competing in 2023. Despite her injury, she remained a vital piece as a leader and mentor in the team’s journey to the national championship.

In her return to the competition floor, the Dallas native brings a wealth of experience to the LSU lineups. As one of the top all-around competitors in the nation, Johnson has been a huge part of the Tigers success over the last three years and owns 40 career wins across all four events and the all-around.

A key beam performer, Rivers will make her return to the lineup after rupturing her achilles prior to the squad’s podium competition at the Raising Cane’s River Center in March. The Detroit, Michigan, native appeared on beam in nine competitions for the Tigers this year and posted season high’s against Auburn and Florida with her scores of 9.900. After multiple injury setbacks in her career, Rivers continues to persevere and will return healthy next season.

A native of Evergreen, Colorado, Shchennikova is a strong all-around competitor for the Tigers as she was consistent week after week. This year, she appeared in the all-around in 11 meets and posted a career high 39.525 against Auburn. The senior posted season highs of 9.925 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.875 on beam and earned a new career high 9.975 on floor.

Shchennikova will use the momentum from this season to elevate her into her final season with the Tigers.

After transferring to LSU in the fall, Hall did not appear in competition this season due to a pre-season achilles injury. The Gainesville, Virginia, native trains the vault and floor events and is set to make her PMAC debut next season. Prior to LSU, she spent four years at Utah, where she earned two individual titles on vault and owns a career high of 9.95 in the event.

LSU will not lose any routines from this season as they continue their march to a national championship title. The return of these veteran routines, combined with the routines of Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan, Elena Arenas and many others, puts the Tigers in a position for success in 2024.

Fans can follow the Tigers on the team’s social media channels @LSUgym on Instagram and Twitter and www.Facebook.com/lsugym.

Photo Gallery: A look back at Derrian Gobourne’s time at Auburn

“The Queen” had a memorable five-year career on the Plains. Here’s a look back at some of her key moments.

The 2023 season for Auburn Gymnastics was truly an “end of an era” type of season.

Since 2019, Auburn Gymnastics has competed in three NCAA Regionals, and one NCAA National meet. One constant in Auburn’s incredible run has been [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag].

Gobourne arrived on Auburn’s campus in 2019 and has been a staple in the all-around lineup over the last five seasons. She has been a member of the All-SEC team in all five seasons that she has competed for Auburn and has won a national championship, doing so on vault in 2019.

Several other awards that Gobourne earned during her time at Auburn include: WCGA All-America (2020-23), NCAA All-American (2019, 2022), SEC Specialist of the Year (2023), and SEC Co-Specialist of the Year (2019).

Gobourne concluded her collegiate career in Forth Worth, Texas in the 2023 NCAA Championships, competing in the individual floor event. Gobourne’s final performance earned her a 9.9125.

“I was just grateful at the end,” Gobourne said after competing. “Grateful that I had a great career and that I was able to end it like that at nationals.”

RELATED: A look back at Suni Lee’s Auburn career

Re-live the exciting career of Derrian Gobourne by checking out some of the best photos from her time at Auburn:

6 best leotards from the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship

Who was the best-dressed at the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship?

The University of Oklahoma Sooners pulled away in the last rotation of the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship to grab their 6th NCAA national championship in program history. Each team throughout the competition dazzled with big skills, perfect execution, and unparalleled sportsmanship.

However, there was another eye-catching aspect of the competition: the leotards. From blinged-out bodices to faux mesh cutouts, the athletes did not come to look understated. They wanted to stand out just like their high-flying skills and did not disappoint.

Previously, we ranked the best leotards from the practice sessions, but there is something special about competition leotards. They are on a whole other level.

Here are the best leotards from the entire competition.

Oklahoma takes home the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics title

Sooners cement themselves as gymnastics royalty with 6th national title in 9 years

The 2023 National women’s gymnastics championships ended with a fierce finals competition. The University of Oklahoma Sooners pulled away in the last rotation to grab their 6th NCAA national championship in program history. They have won six of the last nine championships.

The competition level was beyond impressive, but the Sooners walked away and successfully defended their national title. The Sooners had a final score of 198.3875. Florida took second with 198.2375, with Utah and LSU at third and fourth respectively.

Oklahoma led the entire meet, but not by much. Utah surged from behind in the third rotation with big bar routines while Trinity Thomas, from Florida, stuck a big vault and scored a perfect 10.00. Thomas tied the NCAA all-time record for most perfect 10’s with 28.

The big scores just weren’t quite enough to catch up with Oklahoma, but the parity in women’s gymnastics is apparent.

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How to watch LSU gymnastics at the NCAA championships on Saturday

The Tigers are looking for their first national title on Saturday.

The Tigers have advanced to the NCAA championships for the ninth time, and on Saturday, LSU will try to earn its first national championship in program history inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Coach Jay Clark’s team is joined by Florida, who also advanced out of the Tigers’ semifinal, as well as Oklahoma and Utah, which advanced out of the other. LSU will begin on bars while Oklahoma starts on vault, Florida starts on beam and Utah on floor.

“The message stays the same. My challenge to them is to stay true to who they’ve been all season,” Clark said in a release. “I want to go out there and just do our 24 routines. We know we’re not the favorites, but we’re going to go out there and compete hard. We’ve proven that’s what we do. This year has been incredibly rewarding with such a special group, and I just want them to enjoy it.”

This is the second time LSU has advanced to the final round since it moved to the “Four on the Floor” format in 2019 after it made the championship in that season. The Tigers ultimately finished second behind UCLA.

Here’s what you need to know to watch as LSU looks for its second national championship in as many weeks.

How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, April 15
  • Location: Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas
  • Time: 3 p.m. CT
  • TV: ABC
  • App: Watch ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

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What to know before LSU gymnastics competes for national title

Here are a few things to know before the NCAA championships.

For the ninth time in program history, LSU gymnastics is competing for a national title.

LSU scored a 197.145 in the semis and advanced along with Florida in Session 1. From Session 2, Utah and Oklahoma advanced to the NCAA Championship.

This was a year with plenty of ups and downs for LSU. The team was never completely healthy and was streaky. Yet, in spite of that, it will get to play for it all on Saturday.

LSU is led by head coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag], who took over for legend [autotag]D.D. Breaux[/autotag] in 2020.

Here are the storylines to watch as LSU competes on the sport’s biggest stage.

How to Watch: Florida gymnastics in NCAA Championship Finals

Want to follow this afternoon’s Gators gymnastics finals action? Here’s what you need to know.

The second-ranked Florida gymnastics team gets set to compete in the 2023 NCAA Championship Finals held inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, April 15, and if you are looking to follow the action you have come to the right place.

The Gators join the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners along with the No. 5 Utah Utes and No. 6 LSU Tigers as the four final teams remaining in the tournament. Florida earned its way into the last leg of the championships with a second-place finish in the semifinals last Thursday behind fellow SEC school LSU.

Take a look below at what you need to know to follow Saturday’s finals action as the Gators seek another gymnastics national championship.