2024 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships: LSU wins first title in program history
FORT WORTH, Texas – The 2024 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships concluded Saturday with LSU winning its first national title on the back of their highest beam rotation in program history – a 49.7625.
“I seriously can’t even put it into words,” senior Haleigh Bryant said of the moment. “This is something I’ve dreamed about since I seriously committed in the eighth grade to come to this program.”
Just like in the semifinals, the Fighting Tigers were the only team to put up a score in the 198s, finishing with a 198.225. California was second with a 197.850, Utah was third with a 197.800, and Florida was fourth with a 197.4375.
Jay Clark said it best when reflecting on the meet in LSU’s post-meet presser: “It could have gone any of four ways out there today – it really could’ve. I think as much as I feel for what happened to Oklahoma in the semifinals, I think it made for a championship that became so packed with emotion because every team out there believed they could do it. And it was just tremendous.”
Going into the final rotation, the top 3 were separated by 0.150, with Utah leading, followed by LSU and Cal.
Florida seemed to be out of it and did, ultimately, finish fourth, but they were the only team to not have a major error in the final rotation, putting up a 49.475 on floor. Cal’s Mya Lauzon made a mistake in her bars set, and Utah and LSU had falls from Camie Winger on vault and Savannah Schoenherr on beam, respectively.
While all three of those low scores were dropped, it certainly made things interesting until the very end.
LSU’s beam rotation, save Schoenherr’s uncharacteristic mistake, was simply outstanding. Four 9.95s from Sierra Ballard, Kiya Johnson, Bryant, and Aleah Finnegan, and the freshman, Konnor McClain, put up a 9.9625 for her stunningly precise set that sees nearly every skill finish in relevé.
Finnegan was last up and had to hit to win. She did just that as Clark looked on, chewing his sixth paper cup of the rotation.
“If you watch me in between every beam set, I have a little ritual: I go over, get another cup of water, drink it, and then I chew on the empty cup during the routine, and then go get another cup of water,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of pacing that goes on; I’m a little bit of a pacer.”
After Finnegan got the job done, Clark looked for his predecessor, D-D Breaux, in the crowd.
“She gave me an opportunity to join her when I needed one, and she had worked 35 years on building this program before I got here and then treated me like a partner rather than assistant once I came on board… She was a big part of this program, the facility we have, in the 43 years that she put in there and the battles that she fought, whether it was Title IX or anything else,” Clark said of his former boss. “I just felt it was important that when this program won its first national title, that it’d be hers as well.”
Prior to Saturday, LSU was often being referred to as the best program that hadn’t won a title yet, but no more. A proverbial dream team came together this season, including adding freshmen like the former U.S. champion McClain and Amari Drayton and transfers like Schoenherr, that stacked the lineups with depth to spare. And, of course, you can’t forget about stars like the new NCAA all-around champion Bryant and floor champion Finnegan, whose next stop is the Paris Olympics to represent the Philippines on the sport’s biggest stage.
As the offseason begins, there are some questions and certainties.
The questions:
- Will Bryant return for a fifth year? (It seems unlikely, but the option is there.)
- Will anyone on LSU’s title-winning staff be poached by other programs? (It would be shocking if they weren’t at least pursued.)
The certainties:
- Oklahoma will be back with a vengeance.
- LSU will be ready for the battle.
“I feel really good about the team we having coming back next year,” Clark said with confidence. “[The underclassmen’s] role will continue to increase… I think they’re tremendous. I feel incredibly optimistic about what we have coming back and the freshman class coming in. I’m excited.”
For now, the Tigers can be content having completed the climb that began 48 years ago with the first LSU gymnastics team. It took nearly half a century, but every one of those athletes, coaches, and support staff played a part in getting this team to the top.
Conrad Anker once said, “The summit is what drives us, but the climb itself is what matters.”
The Tigers are bringing the ‘ship home to Baton Rouge.
Keep reading for a play-by-play of how the final unfolded.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:54 p.m.
The LSU Tigers also earned their highest beam score in program history with a 49.7625.
- Konnor McClain: 9.9625
- Sierra Ballard: 9.9500
- Haleigh Bryant: 9.9500
- Aleah Finnegan: 9.9500
- Kiya Johnson: 9.9500
Sat. April 20 @ 4:49 p.m.
Final standings for the 2024 Nationals:
1st Place: LSU – 198.2250
2nd Place: Cal – 197.8500
3rd Place: Utah – 197.8000
4th Place: Florida – 197.4375
Sat. April 20 @ 4:45 p.m.
The LSU Tigers becomes your 2024 National Champions with a 198.2250!! It’s their first national title in program history!!
Sat. April 20 @ 4:43 p.m.
Haleigh Bryant and Aleah Finnegan close out LSU’s final rotation with two 9.9500s!
Sat. April 20 @ 4:40 p.m.
Gabby Perea with a great bar set for Cal earns a 9.9125.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:36 p.m.
Konnor McClain scores a big 9.9625 and Kiya Johnson follows it up with a 9.9500.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:36 p.m.
A HUGE double pike to close out Anya Pilgrim’s floor routine for Florida. Scores a 9.8625.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:34 p.m.
Andi Li has a solid routine on bars for Cal. 9.8875.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:30 p.m.
Savannah Schoenherr falls on beam. LSU will look to drop her 9.3875.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:30 p.m.
Sierra Ballard with a HUGE 9.9500 to start the Tigers off on beam.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:28 p.m.
Rough starts for Cal and Utah in the final rotation. Mya Lauzon struggles through bars but pulls out a 9.475, and Utah will be looking to drop Camie Winger’s 9.2875.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:20 p.m.
Where the teams head for the final rotation:
Vault: Utah
Bars: Cal
Beam: LSU
Floor: Florida
Sat. April 20 @ 4:20 p.m.
Standings after Rotation 3:
LSU: 148.5000
Utah: 148.4625
Cal: 148.3500
Florida: 147.9625
Sat. April 20 @ 4:19 p.m.
Utah has a great floor rotation pulls ahead of LSU with one rotation left.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:18 p.m.
Haleigh Bryant closes out LSU’s bars rotation. Not the best landing on the dismount has to take a step but fights for it. 9.8750.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:13 p.m.
Florida’s Leanne Wong is off on her front step out on beam. 9.375 the team will look to drop.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:12 p.m.
Konnor McClain has a BIG bars set for the Tigers. Huge releases and solid landing on her dismount. 9.900.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:03 p.m.
Mya Lauzon with a big Yurchenko 1.5, little bobble on the landing but earns a 9.9500 for her team on vault!
Sat. April 20 @ 4:03 p.m.
Utah is looking good on floor. Makenna Smith started them off with a 9.9 and Ella Zirbes follows with a 9.9125
Sat. April 20 @ 4:03 p.m.
Kyen Mayhew has a strong vault with a slight hop on the landing for Cal, doesn’t seem to have let her fall on floor impact her. She scores a 9.9.
Sat. April 20 @ 4:01 p.m.
Alexis Jeffrey starts LSU off strong on bars fights for the stick earns a 9.9.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:53 p.m.
Standings after Rotation 2:
LSU: 99.0125
Utah: 98.9125
Cal: 98.8500
Florida: 98.7250
Sat. April 20 @ 3:53 p.m.
Where the teams head for rotation 3:
Vault: Cal
Bars: LSU
Beam: Florida
Floor: Utah
Sat. April 20 @ 3:50 p.m.
Leanne Wong with a perfectly stuck double layout to close out Florida’s bars rotation. 9.9500.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:47 p.m.
Mya Lauzon with clean lines, solid passes and beautiful artistry on floor for Cal. 9.9125
Sat. April 20 @ 3:45 p.m.
Haleigh Bryant has a solid vault earns a 9.9500 to close out LSU’s vault rotation.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:42 p.m.
Vault scores have been fairly low today. Bryant is up next for LSU. We’ll see what she can do.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:42 p.m.
Cal’s Kyen Mayhew sits on her final floor pass the team will look to drop the 9.2000 score.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:35 p.m.
Florida’s Victoria Nguyen closes out a gorgeous bars routine with a stuck double layout dismount. 9.8750.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:33 p.m.
KJ Johnson gets her groove back on vault despite the mishap on floor. Sticks it and earns a 9.8 to start LSU off in rotation two.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:27 p.m.
Where the teams head for rotation 2:
Vault: LSU
Bars: Florida
Beam: Utah
Floor: Cal
Sat. April 20 @ 3:27 p.m.
Standings after Rotation 1:
LSU: 49.6125
Cal: 49.4750
Utah: 49.4375
Florida: 49.2500
Sat. April 20 @ 3:23 p.m.
Kiya Johnson closes out LSU with a 9.9250
Sat. April 20 @ 3:23 p.m.
Gabby Perea with a less-than-perfect beam set, but Cal will drop the 9.4125. Still, the senior was outstanding, throwing in a standing tuck to standing tuck combo as well as a standing full.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:19 p.m.
A solid beam routine from Mya Lauzon for Cal. Some small bobbles on her series landing and turns but great stuck landing. 9.900.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:13 p.m.
Florida’s Danie Ferris earns the Gators their first 9.9+ score of the day with a 9.9125.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:13 p.m.
LSU’s KJ Johnson sits on her second floor pass earns a 9.2875.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:05 p.m.
Cal’s Maddie Williams has a superb beam performance. Her series, jumps and leaps all stuck solid. Small hop on the landing. 9.8625.
Sat. April 20 @ 3:05 p.m.
Utah’s Makenna Smith starts the Utes off strong with a solid bars routine and a stuck landing. 9.8500.
Sat. April 20 @ 2:30 p.m.
Welcome inside Dickies Arena for the Four on the Floor team final at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships! Teams have warmed up and will be marching in soon.
Read our recap of semifinal competition here:
See the full field, schedule, and how to watch here:
