​Innovative LSU gymnast leaves unique mark on gymnastics

BATON ROUGE, La. -- As the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship gets set to begin on Friday, all eyes will be on LSU senior Lloimincia Hall. She's the number one gymnast in the country for floor routine, with seven perfect 10s over her college career. But Hall has achieved success in a way different than most gymnasts.

She has flipped the traditional floor routine on its head. At 4 foot 11 inches, she's amassed four SEC championships and won 31 floor titles, all to the tunes of soul, gospel, funk, and R&B.

"The judges, that's kind of what they're looking for. Someone to break out of the shell and not be the traditional floor routine," said Hall.

Hall does it so well her routines have gone viral, drawing more than a million views on YouTube. After performing to a song by Earth, Wind, and Fire, the Grammy award-winning band sent her a tweet to congratulate her.

Fans have taken notice and cheered on the team in record numbers.

"Lloimincia Hall goes out on the floor and brings the house down," said coach D-D Breaux.

For nearly four decades Breaux has coached LSU gymnasts, including six national champions.

"She has taken her performance to the maximum level," said Breaux. "She's taken it to the entertainment level, the athletic level, the pleasing sport level, she does it like nobody else does it."

Hall embraces the fact that she doesn't look like a classic, thin graceful gymnast.

"I'm not the typical thing," said Hall. "So what? Let's have some fun."

Her fun and reach extend beyond her college to Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where she teaches praise dance. Kayla Buckley, 8, is one of her students.

"She is a great gymnast," said Kayla. "And like, when I see her I believe I can do anything that she does."

"I'm doing something right," said Hall. "I feel like that's what I was sent here to do."

In:
• Gymnastics
• Louisiana State University