Sarah Finnegan
JUNIOR • AA • 2L • lee's summit, mo. • heritage classical christian academy • Gage
Tremendous athlete with outstanding skills on all four events … Poised to continue playing a big role in the team’s success after earning three All-America honors and All-SEC honors as a freshman … Ranked as one of the nation’s best gymnasts on bars and beam in 2016.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2017)
One of the most consistent performers on the team who competed in the all-around in all four postseason meets … Ended with six beam titles for the fifth-most in a single season in school history … Earned four All-America honors at the NCAA Championships with first team recognition on bars, floor and all-around and second team recognition on beam … Became the first NCAA Bars Champion in school history when she totaled a 9.95 at the NCAA Semifinal II … Finished as the national runner-up on floor after a 9.95 in the semifinal and finished fourth in the nation in the all-around with a score of 39.5875 … Shattered her previous career high in the all-around and tied the highest by any gymnast in school history with a 39.625 at the NCAA Super … In the Super Six, also set a career high on beam with a 9.975 to finish second overall and totaled scores of 9.9 on bars and 9.9125 on floor … Captured the bars title and was the all-around champion at the NCAA Lincoln Regional ... Competed in the all-around at SEC Championship and posted a score of 9.875 in the leadoff of vault, 9.90 on beam and 9.90 on floor ... Finished with a 9.925 on beam for second place against New Hampshire... Posted a career-high score of 9.925 in the fourth spot of the floor lineup against Florida... Matched her then career high of 9.95 on beam at Auburn GymQuarters and against George Washington and Iowa with a score of 9.95 ... Her score on beam was enough for the title in the tri meet ... Captured the beam title with a 9.95 against Missouri... Competed in the all-around against Texas Woman’s and finished first with a score of 39.300 ... Captured the bars and beam titles with a pair of 9.925s against the Pioneers ... Made just her fourth appearance in the all-around at Alabama and finished with a career-high score of 39.525 ... Won the beam title with a score of 9.925 and matched her career high on floor with a 9.90 ... Added scores of 9.85 on both vault and bars against the Crimson Tide ... Secured the beam title against Georgia with an outstanding score of 9.95... Added the bars title against the Bulldogs with a 9.90 ... Won two individual titles in the same meet for the second time in her career against UGA ... Named the SEC Specialist of the Week after her opening performance.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2016)
Earned three All-America honors with regular-season distinction on bars and beam and a first-team honor at nationals by scoring a 9.90 on bars at the NCAA Semifinal I (4/15) … Recorded All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman honors after she scored a 9.925 to place second on beam at the SEC Championship (3/19) … Finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally on beam and No. 11 on bars … Captured seven individual titles with four on beam and three on bars … Won beam titles with a 9.925 vs. Oklahoma (1/9), 9.90 vs. Kentucky (1/22), 9.925 vs. Arkansas (2/5) and 9.90 at Texas Woman’s (3/12) … Bars titles came with a 9.95 against NC State at the Lady Luck Invitational (1/14), a 9.925 vs. Alabama (3/4) and a 9.95 at Texas Woman’s … Competed on bars and beam in all 14 meets, competed on vault in 10 meets and saw action on floor in three meets … Appeared in the all-around at the Metroplex Challenge (1/30), vs. Arkansas and at Georgia (2/13) … Posted career highs of 9.925 on vault, 9.95 on bars (twice), 9.925 on beam (four times), 9.90 on floor and 38.975 in the all-around … Her 9.925 on vault came at Texas Woman’s, and her 9.90 on floor was at the Metroplex Challenge … Named SEC Freshman of the Week three times after stellar performances against Oklahoma, at Florida (2/26) and at Texas Woman’s … Became the first gymnast in school history to post a 9.95 on bars in the first road meet of her career (at Lady Luck) ... Her 9.925 vs. Oklahoma is the highest score in an LSU gymnast’s first career beam routine in school history ... Averaged a 9.840 on vault, 9.732 on bars, 9.834 on beam, 9.692 on floor and 38.825 in the all-around … Tallied 18 scores of 9.90 or higher with eight on bars, seven on beam, two on vault and one on floor … Recorded 31 scores of 9.825 or better with 12 on beam, 10 on bars, seven on vault and two on floor … Member of the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
CLUB/HIGH SCHOOL
Trained as a senior international elite competitor at Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) under coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan Fong … Served as an alternate for the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic team, known as the “Fierce Five,” that won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London … Missed the entire 2013 club season after suffering an injury but returned to health in 2014 while competing for St. Louis Gymnastics Centre … Established herself as one of the nation’s premier gymnasts prior to her injury … Finished fifth on beam and sixth on bars, floor and the all-around at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012 … Placed second on beam, fourth on floor and sixth in the all-around at the 2012 Visa (now P&G) Championships … Earned second place on floor and third on beam at the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic … Graduated from Heritage Classical Christian Academy.
PERSONAL
Born Nov. 14, 1996 … Daughter of Don and Linabelle Finnegan … Her father Don was an All-American wrestler at Iowa State … Has three sisters, Hannah, Jennah and Aleah … Her sister Hannah was a gymnast and is now a student coach for Missouri … Majoring in kinesiology.
FINNEGAN’S CAREER INDIVIDUAL TITLES
Bars: 3
Beam: 4
Total: 7
“Sarah Finnegan is one of the most polished and complete gymnasts that we have ever had at our program. Her basics and foundation that have been laid out through her training as a young gymnast have been remarkable to work with. She is very focused, determined and committed to do her very best.”
• 2017 First-Team All-American (UB, FX, AA)
• 2017 Second-Team All-American (BB)
• 2017 NCAA Lincoln All-Around Champion
• 2017 First-Team Regular Season All-American (BB)
• 2017 SEC Specialist of the Week (vs. Georgia)
• 2016 First-Team All-American (UB)
• 2016 First-Team Regular Season All-American (BB)
• 2016 Second-Team Regular Season All-American (UB)
• 2016 All-SEC
• 2016 SEC All-Freshman
• 2016 SEC Freshman of the Week (vs. Oklahoma, at Florida, at Texas Woman’s)
• 2016 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
finnegan’S CAREER HIGHS
Vault: 9.925 (3-12-16 at Texas Woman’s)
Bars: 9.950 (three times; Last: 4-14-17 at NCAA Semifinal II; First: 1-14-16 vs. NC State at Lady Luck Invite)
Beam: 9.975 (4-15-17 at NCAA Super Six)
Floor: 9.950 (4-14-17 at NCAA Semifinal II)
All-Around: 39.625 (4-15-17 at NCAA Super Six)
INDIVIDUAL TITLES
Bars: 7
Beam: 9
All-Around: 2
Total: 18
lsugym INSTAGRAM
