The SEC is known for having the top gymnastics teams in the NCAA, and with that comes some of the top individual gymnasts. Now that the NCAA Championships will only include eight teams instead of 12, some teams that are used to contending and advancing to NCAAs will end up sending only individual gymnasts to the national postseason. Therefore individual competition may be more competitive than ever before, especially in the ultra-competitive SEC.

Now that first official practices are underway at many schools, we’re continuing our series on the new additions to NCAA gymnastics team rosters, highlighting the LSU Tigers today. 

For the third installment in our series on the most difficulty in the 2018 NCAA Super Six, we're taking a look at floor exercise. Floor scores are calculated similarly to bars and beam scores: Gymnasts start from a 9.5 and add in difficulty value and connection value in order to get to a 10.0 start value. Gymnasts can add difficulty by performing "E" skills (worth 0.20) and "D" skills (worth 0.10). 

In NCAA gymnastics, execution is paramount to an athlete’s success on the floor, thanks in large part to the use of the 10.0 system. Gymnasts strive for perfection and look to minimize form deductions as much as possible, and difficulty often takes a back seat as a result.

Lexie Priessman has been a standout for LSU this season, especially on the uneven bars where she is currently ranked seventh in the country. The junior has competed in the fifth spot on bars in all 14 meets this season, scoring a 9.875 or better 12 times. She’s narrowly missed earning her first career 10.0 after earning three 9.975s. 

In a battle between the top two teams in the Pac-12, it came down to the final rotation. UCLA had the edge early on vault and maintained the lead through the second rotation after some uncharacteristic mistakes from both squads. But Utah cut down the lead in the third rotation, bolstered by MyKayla Skinner’s 9.975 on floor exercise to tie the meet, and earned the win in the final rotation 197.550 to 197.425.

The start of the 2018 NCAA season is right around the corner, with teams and fans eagerly awaiting the first matchups of the year. The first official week of competition begins right after New Year's Day, kicking off on Friday, January 5.