HR84 Enrolled

ENROLLED 2019 Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 84 BY REPRESENTATIVE FOIL A RESOLUTION To commend the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers gymnastics team on an outstanding 2019 season. WHEREAS, on the strength of superb coaching from Louisiana State University (LSU) gymnastics Head Coach D-D Breaux, who achieved her eight hundredth career win in the 2019 season and earned a ninth award as Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coach of the Year, the Lady Tigers reached their first ever National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) "Four on the Floor", the term applied to the four teams that reach the national gymnastics finals in the NCAA; and WHEREAS, the Four on the Floor appearance for the LSU gymnastics squad was the culmination of a sensational season in which the athletes won a fourth, and third consecutive, SEC championship for the university; LSU's gymnasts combined to earn twenty-two All-America honors in the 2019 season; and WHEREAS, senior Sarah Finnegan was voted by the nation's coaches as the most outstanding senior gymnast in the country and was named the 2019 recipient of the American Athletic Incorporated Award, known in gymnastics circles as the AAI Award; Sarah's contributions have been paramount to the successes of the Lady Tigers in her four years at LSU; she was the first gymnast in LSU history to win an uneven bars NCAA championship; she completed the 2018 season ranked as the Number 1 bars performer in the nation, was the anchor of a lineup that finished first in the country, and won the title of 2018 SEC Gymnast of the Year; in 2019, Sarah competed in the all-around event of every meet of the season and won eleven of twelve all-around titles; and WHEREAS, seniors Julianna Cannamela, Sarah Finnegan, McKenna Kelley, and Lexie Priessman combined to earn one hundred twenty-six event wins, five SEC Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 84 ENROLLED championships, two NCAA event championships, eight SEC championships, eight perfect scores, and finished as NCAA national runners-up three times; and WHEREAS, in the Tigers' first Four on the Floor, Sarah finished first in the all- around with the highest score for an LSU gymnast in school history, 39.7625; LSU finished as runners-up in the national championship finals with a score of 197.8250, outscored by first-place Oklahoma by little more than half a point; and WHEREAS, the student athletes performed at the highest level of excellence throughout the season, and each of these talented Lady Tigers deserves recognition for her vital contributions to the winning effort: seniors, Julianna Cannamela, Sarah Finnegan, McKenna Kelley, and Lexie Priessman; juniors, Kennedi Edney, Ruby Harrold, and Ashlyn Kirby; sophomores, Reagan Campbell, Bridget Dean, Christina Desiderio, Sami Durante, Sarah Edwards, and Olivia Gunter; and freshmen, Rebecca D'Antonio and Bailey Ferrer; and WHEREAS, Coach Breaux and her coaching staff of Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Jay Clark, Ashleigh Gnat, and Bob Moore, and Katie Copeland, director of operations, have instilled an ethic of winning in these student athletes and have demonstrated leadership and motivational skills that have led to success both on and off the floor, and it is fitting to herald the accomplishments of the 2019 Louisiana State University Lady Tigers gymnastics team. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers gymnastics team for a spectacular season; does hereby record for posterity the outstanding achievements and heights reached by individual performers and the team as a whole; and does hereby recognize the pride and honor these gymnasts have brought to the university and to each member's home community. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Coach D-D Breaux. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 2 of 2.

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