LSU women鈥檚 gymnastics team continues to persevere in 2022
BATON ROUGE, La. (BVM) 鈥� Louisiana State University (LSU) is known for its powerhouse of a women鈥檚 gymnastic team. But with a season full of injuries, the SEC power will aim to get a steady rhythm before entering the SEC championship in a few weeks.听听
One of the athletes to suffer an injury this season was Alyona Shchennikova. A junior at LSU, Shchennikova sustained a severe knee injury. In a with head coach Jay Clark, he mentioned that Shchennikova has had an MRI, but the results have not been given yet.听听
鈥淕etting her back for our post-season run is paramount to us having some success,鈥� Clark said.
听听Along with Shchennikova, Haleigh Bryant and Kiya Johnson are some fellow lady Tigers that have been out from injuries. Johnson has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, and Bryant has overcome issues with a partially torn plantar fascia.聽
Johnson, who was ranked No. 1 in 2021 in the floor exercise, went on to win the title at the 2021 SEC championship meet. There鈥檚 no doubt that this injury has been a tough setback for Johnson, as she has been a front runner for the team for some time now.
On the other hand, Bryant has been dealing with an injury that has prevented her from all, but one gymnastics meet the entire competition season. While it may be a complex concept to endure, letting the Achilles tear entirely is the only way for Bryant to start the healing process effectively.
In a post-competition with Johnson and Bryant, Bryant said she鈥檚 getting better and has even changed her workout routine at the gym. She mentioned that the changes have benefited both her and the coaching staff. She also stated that everything is 鈥済oing well, and she鈥檚 a lot better than where [she] was a while ago.鈥澨�
Both talked about the willingness of every team member to step in in the case that someone gets hurt and is unable to compete. They both agreed on how prepared every member is and are determined to give 100% if another team member cannot. It鈥檚 鈥渁mazing to be on such an amazing team,鈥� said Bryant.
The support and uplifting atmosphere of the LSU gymnastics team is like no other. Regardless of the multiple injuries that have plagued the team this season, there are always other members willing to pick up more events so the team can continue to strive for success.听听聽
In the same post-competition press conference with LSU Gymnastics Head Coach Jay Clark, he discusses the injuries of the girls and how it has affected the team as a whole.听听
Discussing the possibilities of Johnson competing this season and helping the team get a higher road score, Clark said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to sacrifice someone鈥檚 health to go get a road score, but I also realize that we need a good positive road experience.鈥澨�
He continued by saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if that means it finally tore, and she鈥檚 okay.聽 She didn鈥檛 seem to have too much swelling, and her foot responded well to everything we were doing, so she either fooled me and is not telling me the truth, or we鈥檝e kind of turned a corner, and she really seemed to be in a much better place.鈥澨�
Clark seemed optimistic about the future of both Johnson and Bryant for the rest of the competition season despite the obstacles placed on them earlier this year.听听
鈥淚n general, I think you can always expect from here on out to see Kiya and Haleigh playing a large role in whatever competition that we have,鈥� stated Clark.听听
As more injuries become apparent throughout the team, growing concerns of college athletes, specifically gymnasts, are pushing themselves too hard and have caused injuries that could affect the entire season and college career.听听听听听听聽
There is still plenty of time for the Tigers to make a comeback this season with competitions throughout the months of both March and April. Some of the more difficult matches will be the SEC, the NCAA Regional and the semifinals.聽
It will be an exciting couple of weeks to see how the Tigers finish off the season. We can stay hopeful and expect Bryant, Johnson and Shchennikova, among others, to be back in the competitions and bring the extra fire needed for the team to succeed.
