LSU has lost some vital routines since last season, losses that may make the squad more vulnerable to losing its grip on the #2 spot to the likes of Florida and company than it was in 2017. The Tigers are going to need a couple new bars and beam options and at least one new big score on vault and floor to mitigate the no-Gnat situation.
| LSU 2018 – Returning routines | |
| VAULT Edney – 9.910 Hambrick – 9.905 Harrold – 9.890 Finnegan – 9.855 Priessman – 9.855 Kelley – 9.825 Cannamela – 9.820 |
BARS Priessman – 9.925 Edney – 9.900 Hambrick – 9.885 Finnegan – 9.880 Harrold – 9.855 |
| BEAM Finnegan – 9.945 Hambrick – 9.900 Macadaeg – 9.900 Edney – 9.875 Li – 9.755 Priessman – 9.525 |
FLOOR Hambrick – 9.930 Kelley – 9.925 Edney – 9.870 Finnegan – 9.866 Harrold – 9.850 Priessman – 9.685 Kirby – 9.625 |
Still, the hope of increased contributions from some returning gymnasts like Priessman and Harrold, as well as a large freshman class of seven, has LSU optimistic about its chances of keeping pace with its previous form.
Christina Desiderio
The star of LSU’s newest flock is Desiderio, the Parkettes elite who turned senior in 2016 just in time to hoist herself into the Olympic-year camp group, proceeding to place 12th overall at Olympic Trials. Desiderio was originally slated to begin next season, but LSU had an open scholarship spot for this year, and Desiderio was able to make it work. She’s the baby of the class, having only recently turned 17.
Getting Desiderio to arrive this year is important for LSU because she’s the power gymnast of this class, the one best poised to provide a new 9.9 on floor to replace what has been lost.
Floor has always been Desiderio’s best event, a big-power piece with a double double and a ready-to-be-kept-for-NCAA double layout.
Lost among the big tumbling is that Desiderio can also hit leaps and split positions on floor exceptionally well. She’s doing difficult elements and hitting 180 on them. So far in LSU’s preseason intrasquad reports, we’ve only really heard about Desiderio on beam, but she will be a key to the floor lineup for years to come.
Beam is, however, the other major strength for Desiderio, where she is quite an aggressive and confident gymnast. That’s what stands out the most. She is not a timid beamer. With strong acrobatic elements and more-than-passable NCAA dance skills, she seems like a given for the beam lineup as well.
Desiderio competed a DTY for a number of years as a junior elite as well as a senior elite. It was never her best skill, especially as the years went on, but she’s powerful enough that I could see her providing a 1.5 in college. As the only one among the freshies who has competed a 10.0 start before, there will be some expectation that she can still do that. Continue reading 2018 Freshmen – LSU
