NO. 8 LSU GYMNASTS NOTCH 195.900, PLACE FOURTH AT SECS

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The eighth-ranked Tiger gymnasts posted a 195.900 to finish fourth at the Southeastern Conference Championships on Saturday at the BJCC in front of 7,607.

"It wasn't our best score, but we were consistent," LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. "We had a few slip-ups here and there, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. I couldn't have asked most of these girls to compete better than they did tonight."

The top-ranked Georgia Gym Dogs captured their 15th overall and third straight SEC title with a 197.275. Fifth-ranked Alabama took second place with a 196.975 followed by third-ranked Florida in third with a 196.275.

Behind the Tigers, Auburn (194.975), Arkansas (194.650) and Kentucky (191.150) round out the meet's competitors.

April Burkholder highlighted the night for the Tigers by winning the SEC title on beam with her meet-high 9.925. That award marked the first SEC title for LSU on any event since Amy McClosky received the same honor in 1998.

Burkholder was also named to the first-team All-SEC for her performance on the beam. She is just the second gymnast in LSU history to earn all-conference honors each of her four seasons, joining Jennifer Wood who did so from 1993-96.

Georgia's Kelsey Ericksen won the all-around with a 39.625, followed closely by Alabama's Ashley Miles with a 39.600. LSU's all-arounders, Kelly Phelan and Burkholder, finished with marks of 39.275 and 39.200, respectively.

For the first time ever, a conference championship was held on a raised podium style as in the national championships.

The Tigers competed on beam in the first rotation of competition, posting a team mark of 48.875. Each beam worker stayed on the apparatus and earned a score of 9.650 or better. Burkholder anchored the lineup with a season-high 9.925 followed by Terin Martinjak's 9.775. Burkholder won the SEC title with her beam performance.

The team score was enough to place LSU in second after one rotation. Georgia led after notching a 49.325 on bars in their first event.

The Tigers next sat out with a bye, headed to the third rotation in fourth place overall and third place of the one-event competitors behind Alabama and Florida. Georgia held on to its lead with a 98.525 as the only team to have completed two events.

LSU moved to the floor, where as a team the Tigers notched a 49.100. Phelan led all LSU scorers with a 9.875 trailed by Emily Ellis and Martinjak with identical marks 9.825.

They moved into second place overall as both Alabama and Florida sat out with byes on that rotation. Georgia, also on a bye, maintained its lead.

The Tigers had another bye following the floor exercise, moving back into fourth after Alabama and Florida competed in their second events.

The team recorded a 48.900 on vault in the following rotation, led by Phelan's 9.850. Butler's 9.800 was next of LSU scorers.

After sitting out with their final bye, the Tigers moved to bars for their final event of the night. The team recorded a 49.025 behind Lisa Rennie's 9.850, which led all LSU competitors. Phelan, Butler and Ellis all posted identical 9.800s.

Those marks gave LSU at 195.900 for the night, placing them fourth overall in the competition.

"Barring one on floor, we didn't have any serious mistakes from any of our competitors," Breaux said. "I was pleased with our consistency, and we just have to build on that headed to Regionals."

The Tigers will compete next in the Central Regionals, which they host in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on April 7.

2006 SEC AWARDS

SEC Gymnast of the Year – Julie Dwyer, Auburn

SEC Freshman of the Year – Courtney Kupets, Georgia

SEC Student-Athlete of the Year – Nicole Barnett, Auburn

SEC Coach of the Year – Rhonda Feahn, Florida

TEAM RESULTS

1. Georgia – 197.275 (VT – 49.150, UB – 49.325, BB – 49.200, FX – 49.600)

2. Alabama -  196.975 (VT – 48.975, UB – 49.325, BB – 49.175, FX – 49.500)

3. Florida – 196.275 (VT – 48.725, UB – 49.250, BB – 49.025, FX – 49.275)

4. LSU – 195.900  (VT – 48.900, UB – 49.025 , BB – 48.875, FX - 49.100)

5. Auburn - 194.975 (VT – 48.600, UB – 48.600, BB – 48.725, FX – 49.050)

6. Arkansas – 194.650 (VT – 48.750, UB – 47.925, BB – 48.900, FX – 49.075)

7. Kentucky – 191.150 (VT – 47.650, UB – 47.525, BB – 48.000, FX – 47.975)

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (Winner plus all LSU scores.)

All-Around – 1, Kelsey Ericksen, UGA, 39.625. t8, Kelly Phelan, 39.275. 11, April Burkholder, 39.200.

Vault – 1, Kelsey Ericksen, UGA, 9.925. Kelly Phelan, 9.850. Nicki Butler, 9.800. Emily Ellis, 9.775. Terin Martinjak, 9.775. April Burkholder, 9.700. Teri Gibson, 9.675.

Bars – t1, Melanie Banville, ALA, 9.900. t1, Kelsey Ericksen, 9.900. t1, Courtney Kupets, 9.900. Lisa Rennie, 9.850. Nicki Butler, 9.800. Emily Ellis, 9.800. Kelly Phelan, 9.800. April Burkholder, 9.775. Kelly Lea, 9.725.

Beam – 1, April Burkholder, 9.925. Terin Martinjak, 9.775. Kelly Phelan, 9.750. Lisa Rennie, 9.725. Christina Suhr, 9.700. Nicki Butler, 9.650.

Floor – t1, Ashley Miles, ALA, 9.950. t1, Brittany Magee, ALA, 9.950. t1, Kelsey Ericksen, UGA, 9.950. Kelly Phelan, 9.875. Emily Ellis, 9.825. Terin Martinjak, 9.825. April Burkholder, 9.800. Terin Martinjak, 9.825. Kelly Lea, 9.775. Lauren Klein, 9.175.