There’s something about competing in New Orleans that brings out the best in the LSU Tigers.
Five years to the day that the Tigers won their last SEC championship in New Orleans, wearing a reimagined version of the same leotard, the Tigers won their fifth conference title in front of a predominantly purple and gold fanbase.
“It means an awful lot,” Clark said post-meet. “This is a great group. I’m very proud of how they have gone about their business all year long. To come in here and do it in front of our fans is pretty special.”
Despite the scores, the championship was what Clark called a “meat grinder” from beginning to end. The first rotation found LSU and Alabama tied with 49.475s. The Crimson Tide started on floor and ended with four straight scores of 9.900 or higher while LSU ended its vault rotation with Kiya Johnson and Haleigh Bryant scoring 9.925 and 9.975, respectively.
The second rotation saw sophomore Ashley Cowan score a 9.950, tying her with Missouri’s Mara Titarsolej for the SEC bars title. It was something that Clark said made him proud. “It takes everybody…I was hard on [Cowan] as a freshman, and I told her after, ‘Now you’re a killer.’”
Heading into beam, LSU saw Konnor McClain secure the SEC beam title…
