LSU Gymnasts Show Support for Injured Rival

College gymnastics is a very supportive community. While the competition is tough, it’s one of the classiest sports I have ever covered with regard to sportsmanship amongst rivals.

Last night after Arkansas had already clinched advancing to the next round of the NCAA gymnastics championships, a heartbreaking moment occurred. Up until the final few minutes of the competition, it was a celebratory atmosphere in University Park. Penn State did a wonderful job hosting and it was a good time for all until the final student athlete in the final rotation started her floor exercise routine to close out the night for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Frankie Price has overcome many injuries in her career. She’s been described as a team leader on and off the mat. When she attempted to land after her first big flip, it appeared that her legs gave out and all fans and participants were left in a stunned silence.

Everything got a little bit more real at the moment of Frankie’s injury. You saw all of the LSU’s gymnasts become emotional watching one of their rivals go down in pain. When Arkansas surprisingly beat LSU at their meet in January, Frankie was a huge part of the upset victory.

After last night’s meet, the head coach of Arkansas Jordyn Wieber said, “My heart just breaks for her. She’s just been the heart and soul of our team all year, such a great leader. Lower body injury so we’re gonna get her checked out and see [her prognosis].”

The LSU Tigers will take on Arkansas, Michigan State and Kentucky on Saturday. The top two teams will advance to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth.