LSU Gymnastics Blog

Vol. 1, Issue 12
April 15, 2009

The LSU Tigers’ trip to the NCAA National Gymnastics Championships in Lincoln, Neb., couldn’t have been smoother on Tuesday afternoon.  The charter jet was “wheels up” from Baton Rouge at 3:05 p.m.  Just before 5:00 p.m., LSU touched down in the Capital of Cornhusker-land.

After settling in to the Embassy Suites team hotel, many of the Tigers took in a movie at the nearby Grand Theatre, while others hit restaurants and shopping.  Head Coach D-D Breaux, with assistants Bob Moore and Philip Ogletree, led a contingent to nearby Misty’s Steakhouse – one of the most renowned steakhouses in America.  I recommend the ribeye.  It was good – very, very good.

A team breakfast at 8:00 a.m. started the Tigers’ Wednesday.  And, as I write this update, LSU is completing its practice inside the Bob Devaney Center on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Lincoln.  This is the second time the Devaney Center has hosted the national championships for women’s gymnastics.  In 2003, UCLA won their fourth of five national titles.

This evening, LSU will have a team dinner and an early bed time because it’s off to the arena at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning.  Open stretch begins at 10:45 a.m., then warm-ups followed by the competition at 1:00 p.m.

Tigers Sport New T’s At Nationals Practice Session

Custom designed practice T-shirts have been a staple of Nationals practice day for a number of years.  This year is no different.  The Tigers stole the show as they arrived in the Devaney Center sporting an all-black T-shirt with the word “WITNESS” across the front in white letters.  On the back are the last names of each gymnast and the Eye of the Tiger.

Seedings & Pairing For The National Championships

Here are the seedings and pairings for the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.  Five teams from the Southeastern Conference make up the final 12 schools competing for a berth in the Super Six – and ultimately a national championship.  Three SEC teams (LSU, Florida, Georgia) are in Thursday afternoon’s session while two (Arkansas, Alabama) compete in the evening.

SESSION 1 – 1 p.m. Central Time Thursday

#1 seed Georgia 394.955 NQS
#4 seed LSU  393.635 NQS
#5 seed Florida 393.490 NQS
#8 seed Oklahoma 393.065 NQS
#9 seed Stanford 393.025 NQS
#12 seed Penn State 392.040 NQS

SESSION 2 – 7 p.m. CT Thursday

#2 seed Utah  394.865 NQS
#3 seed Alabama 393.925 NQS
#6 seed Oregon St. 393.320 NQS
#7 seed UCLA  393.205 NQS
#10 seed Arkansas 392.740 NQS
#11 seed Illinois 392.715 NQS

The top three scoring teams from each session advance to the Super Six on Friday evening.

Can The Tigers Score Big?

Well, in the words of a famous American politician “You betcha!”  Eight of the final 12 teams competing for the National Championship have scored better than 197.000 this season.  Of the eight, only four have scored 197.400 or better.  Those teams: Georgia, Utah, Oregon State, and...LSU.

Top Guns Remain 3, 4 In Nation

Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson enter the NCAA Championships as the third and fourth ranked all-arounders nationally.  LSU is one of two teams in the NCAA Championships with two gymnasts ranked in the all around Top 10.  Utah is the other team.

With No Home Team, Ticket Sales Sluggish

According to local media reports, fewer than 2,000 tickets have been sold for the championships in Lincoln – a low number no doubt a reflection on the lack of a “home” team.  Host Nebraska finished third in their regional two weeks ago and failed to make the final 12.

To put that in perspective, the lowest cumulative attendance (all four sessions combined) of all-time for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships is 21,269.  That occurred in 1989 when Georgia hosted nationals for the first time.

Nationals Old Hat For Some, New Fit For Others

The NCAA began sanctioning women’s gymnastics in 1982.  Since that year, one team has made EVERY national championship – Utah.  That’s 28 years in a row for the Utes.  By contrast, Illinois is making their first-ever appearance on the big stage.  Here are the number of times each of this year’s final 12 have made it to the championship:

Utah  28 times
Alabama 27
Florida 27
Georgia 26
UCLA  25
LSU  21
Oregon St. 19
Penn St. 16
Stanford 10
Oklahoma 9
Arkansas 3
Illinois 1st time ever

Thursday’s Probable LSU Regional Lineup

Rotation 1 - Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Sabrina Franceschelli
Samantha Engle
Summer Hubbard
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Staci Schwitkis- alternate

Rotation 2 - Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson or Sam Engle
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Gloria Johnson or Sam Engle - alternate

Rotation 3 - Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Ashley Lee – alternate

Rotation 4 - Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Sabrina Franceschelli

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

At the conclusion of today’s practice, the Tigers appear confident, loose, and ready to compete.  With the specter of never making the Super Six a thing of the past, LSU should have little reason for distractions.

This afternoon, one Tiger gymnast told me that if each of her teammates hits her routines tomorrow, there is no reason why LSU should not advance into Friday’s Super Six for the second time in school history.  The Tigers are that talented.  And I agree.

Specifically, here’s what I will be watching for on Thursday:

• The Tigers start on beam and that means ACK does too.  Does she break her string of falls on the apparatus?  I believe she does – and then runs the table on the all-around.
• Who takes the third spot on floor?  It’s a critical decision.  Will it be an ailing Gloria Johnson who gutted out a 9.80 at regionals?  Or will Sam Engle make a return to the floor lineup?  Engle has not competed on floor since early February.  However, she looked spectacular in practice today and that has thrown her into contention for a spot in the lineup.
• Do the normally rock-solid starting three in the beam, floor, vault, and bars lineups remain so under the hot white spotlight of national competition?  Kayla Rogers, Staci Schwitkis, and Gloria Johnson have been terrific all season in the lead-off positions.

Many have emailed and bugged me for my Super Six predictions so here goes.  From Session 1, I like LSU, Georgia and Stanford.  From Session 2, I like Utah, Alabama, and UCLA.  I think it shapes up to be the most competitive Super Six in recent memory with three teams from east of the Mississippi River facing off against three teams from west of the Big Muddy.

Normally, I would say “Until Next Week” in this spot on the blog.  But, there is no next week.  The time is now.  The moment has arrived.  Let’s see if someone new can win the National Championship.  This could be the year.

 

Vol. 1, Issue 11
April 3, 2009

The Road to the Super Six got off to a bumpy start for the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers.  Thursday was to be travel day to Columbus, Ohio, site of the 2009 NCAA Central Regional.  However, inclement weather and a mechanical failure on one of the Tigers’ flights out of Baton Rouge caused the entire trip to be scrubbed for the day.

Thanks to quick calls by D-D Breaux and with solid support from the LSU Athletic Department, a charter flight was arranged for the Tigers for Friday morning – direct from Baton Rouge to Columbus.

The only down side to arriving Friday is that it is mandatory practice day in St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University.  LSU was originally scheduled to practice at 1:00 p.m. Central Time – just two hours after landing.  But Thursday evening D-D petitioned the NCAA to move the practice time to later in the day.  Thankfully, the request was granted.

Now, with all the travel woes behind them, the Tigers can focus squarely on the task at hand – winning the regional and advancing to the NCAA Championships two weeks from now.

25 Years Straight- A Historical Achievement

The NCAA began sanctioning Women’s Gymnastics in 1982.  With the #1 seed to this year’s Central Regional, LSU has reached the “playoffs” of gymnastics an incredible 28 of 29 years.  The 2009 berth marks 25 straight years the Tigers have advanced to a regional.

According to staff historian and LSU gymnastics SID Jake Terry, here’s how the Tigers have finished:

First place – 5 times
Second place – 12 times
Third place – 8 times

That means LSU has earned a trip to the NCAA Championships (by finishing first or second in a regional) 17 times in 28 years – truly a remarkable accomplishment.

ACK #1 In LSU History

The floor exercise has proven a girl’s best friend – Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, that is.  Her floor performance at the SEC Championships was great enough to earn her second conference title in as many years.  In so doing, the senior from Manchester, Conn., secured her 110th career individual title – putting her atop the LSU record book.  For her career, ACK has 26 floor titles, 34 vault, 18 bars, 10 beam, and 25 all-around.  The previous school record was held by April Burkholder who, from 2003-2006, collected 109 titles.

Susan Jackson ’09 SEC Beam Champion

Junior Susan Jackson earned the SEC balance beam championship with a 9.90 in Nashville.  Jackson earned First-Team All-SEC for the second year in a row.  Courtney Kupets of Georgia and Casey Jo Magee of Arkansas shared the title with Jackson, both with identical 9.90 scores.  For Jackson it was her sixth career beam title and 26th overall.  That mark is good enough for second among current Tigers.

2009 Central Regional Competition

By finishing the regular season ranked fifth nationally, LSU received one of six No. 1 seeds in NCAA Regionals.  For opponents, the Tigers have drawn No. 2 seed Oregon State (ranked eighth nationally), No. 3 seed Ohio State (ranked 17th), No. 4 seed Kent State (ranked 22nd), No. 5 seed Kentucky (ranked 24th), and No. 6 seed Michigan State (ranked 26th).

The Beavers of Oregon State are a tremendous team and hail from a resurgent Pac-10 Conference.  Their top score of the 2009 regular season was 197.500 – a tenth better than LSU’s top team score of the season.  Beam and floor are the Beavers strong suits – ranking fifth and 10th nationally, respectively.  Two gymnasts to watch for in the black and orange are Mandi Rodriquez (No. 7 nationally in the all-around) and freshman Leslie Mak (No. 4 nationally on bars).

The host team, Ohio State Buckeyes, have a season-high team score of 196.475 and finished fifth in the Big Ten.  Watch for a solid effort on the uneven bars – the Buckeyes rank 16th nationally at 49.000.

The Kent State Golden Flashes could be the sleeper team of this regional.  More hot than cold of late, KSU has scored 196.750 this season.  The Flashes are best on floor exercise where they rank 14th with a RQS of 49.175.

Mo Mitchell’s Kentucky GymKats are a familiar SEC team for the LSU Tigers.  The two cats tangled in Lexington this season with the Tigers posting one of their highest road scores of the season.  UK has one of the country’s best freshman in Whitney Rose, who was named SEC Freshman of the Year.  She averages 39.100 in the all-around.

Michigan State makes two Big Ten teams in this year’s Central Regional.  The Spartans are coming off a disappointing sixth-place finish in the conference championships two weeks ago.  They do have one of the country’s best beam performers in Kelsey Morley.  She ranks third in the nation on the event at 9.915 RQS.  Watch for Morley to advance to the NCAA Championships as an individual event specialist.

Do some of these teams look familiar to Tiger fans?  They should.  Ohio State, Kent State, and Kentucky all competed with LSU in last season’s NCAA Central Regional in the Maravich Center on the LSU campus.  It was a great night for the Tigers as LSU scored a school-record regional score of 197.625.

National Rankings

Here are the final regular season point standings.  The Top 18 teams received seedings of 1-3 in the six regionals being hosted around the country.  Eleven of LSU’s opponents finished the season ranked in the Top 25.

Ranking Team (LSU opponents bold) RQS Avg. Ranking Trend
1 Georgia 197.255 0
2 Utah 197.190 0
3 Alabama 196.925 +2
4 Stanford 196.825 -1
5 LSU 196.760 -1
6 Florida 196.715 0
7 UCLA 196.580 0
8 Oregon State 196.520 +1
9 Oklahoma 196.465 +1
10 Arkansas 196.440 +1
11 Auburn 196.390 -3
12 Penn State 196.240 +3
13 Nebraska 196.095 0
14 Illinois 196.015 +2
15 Missouri 196.005 -2
16 Michigan 195.985 -2
17 Ohio State 195.735 +1
18 Minnesota 195.710 -1
19 Boise State 195.590 +4
20 Denver 195.430 NR
21 West Virginia 195.390 -1
22 Kent State 195.335 +2
23 Iowa State 195.070 +2
24 Kentucky 195.295 0
25 Arizona 195.280 -6

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into the NCAA Regionals:

Bars (49.335), 4th in nation
Vault (49.295), 5th in nation
Beam (49.105), 9th in nation
Floor (49.180), 12th in nation

ACK and Susan Jackson 3-4 In Nation

LSU’s “Top Guns” have risen to the occasion of late.  Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson finished the regular season ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the all-around nationally.  LSU is one of two No. 1 regional seeds that has two gymnasts inside the Top 10 in the all-around (Utah).

Here’s how they stack up in individual events:

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 1st in nation on floor (9.945 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 4th in nation on vault (9.930 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 5th in nation on bars (9.910 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 12th in nation on vault (9.900 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 14th in nation on bars (9.885 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 16th in nation on beam (9.880 RQS)
Summer Hubbard, 25th in nation on beam (9.870 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 3rd in nation in all-around (39.515 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 4th in nation in all-around (39.505 RQS)

Saturday’s Probable LSU Regional Lineup

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Ashley Lee – alternate

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Lauren Klein – alternate

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Sabrina Franceschelli
Samantha Engle
Summer Hubbard
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Susan Jackson
Staci Schwitkis- alternate

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Sabrina Franceschelli
Summer Hubbard
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Kirstie Viens – alternate

All Around
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

No doubt about it, the Tigers are hungry.  The SEC Championships were a bit of a “downer” for LSU – not for the order of finish, necessarily – but for the overall team score.  Bars and beam were a bit disappointing for the Tigers, and had a hand in the resulting 196.550 team score.  LSU trailed only Alabama heading into the final competitive rotation in Nashville, yet finished in fourth place.

But that was then, and this is the post-season.  It’s time for this year’s Tigers to turn it on and reach their full potential.

Here’s what I will be looking for in Saturday’s Regional meet:

• Will ACK stay on beam?  She’s fallen three weeks in a row.  If she stays on, look for her to dominate this NCAA Regional meet.
• Look for Susan Jackson to score big on vault.  This is her time of year and she has some making up to do.  Only four times this season has the defending NCAA vault champion scored 9.90 or better.  It’s time to close the deal and defend her title.
• Watch for a resurgent Sabrina Franceschelli.  She returned to the all-around lineup two meets ago and has, for the most part, excelled.  Look for a 39.200+ from her on Saturday.
• How will the younger Tigers react to the tough travels and long two days that it took to reach Columbus?  Will they focus or fold?  LSU cannot afford to have any gymnast fold under pressure.

The heat is on!  A repeat regional title and return to the NCAA Championships is on the line.  I look for the Tigers to hit 196.750 and punch their ticket to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Our airtime from the St. John Center is 5 p.m. Central Time Saturday evening.  Join us live – and free – in the Geaux Zone at LSUsports.net.

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike

Talkin’ 10’s with Mike Smith
Vol. 1, Issue 10

March 10, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: Susan Jackson Named SEC Gymnast of the Week!

For the first time in her career, LSU junior gymnast Susan Jackson has been named the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week for her all-around effort of 39.700 on Saturday.  Jackson won three event titles and the all-around to give her 12 for the season.  Way to geaux, Susan!

Now Back To Regular Programming

Weeks from now when the final chapter is written about the 2009 LSU Gymnastics season, followers of the program will more likely than not point to the month of February as the defining time of the season.

A huge home score (for that point in the season) versus Florida opened the month – and propelled the Tigers to a historic victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa the next week.  Then, when some said a letdown was in order, the Tigers answered with a 197.400 at home against Illinois-Chicago and North Carolina the following week.  LSU closed the book on February with a gritty win against a strong Arkansas team, despite not necessarily hitting on all cylinders.

Four meets and four wins for LSU during the 28-day span have defined the Tigers as a tough-minded, strong-willed bunch.  From the early moments of the Cancun Classic until now, talent has never been the issue.  But the mental aspect of the competition had been, until now.

The 2005 LSU gymnastics squad set the standards for wins in-a-row and wins in-a-season.  But that team, for all its talent, couldn’t seem to master the art of the mental aspect.  Those Tigers missed the Super Six by 0.075.

The 2009 Tigers seem different.  They’re a complex bunch to be sure.  But, with February behind them, they have shown the ability to reach down and summon the will to win when called upon.  That could be a real difference-maker in the chase for a championship.

Etta James Memorial Meet A Huge Success

“Pink meets” have been all the rage in women’s gymnastics.  It’s a great thing – and a natural fit – for gym teams to embrace the fight for a cure for cancer.  And the pink meets that I have attended have been well done.  But, there’s no comparison to the spectacle that LSU produces.

What made this year’s event unique was having it on a Saturday night.  This opened up the gymnastics experience to Tiger fans that might normally not be able to attend a Friday meet.  More than 6,000 fans helped raise over $50,000 for Foundation56.  This surpassed last year’s total by over $20,000.

No detail was overlooked by the host committee.  Success was made possible only by the dozens of volunteers who donated countless hours to making sure the meet came off without a hitch.  Specifically, the LSU Athletic Department (including A.D. Joe Alleva and his lovely wife Annie), Bradie James (and his gang of NFL players who attended and supported the pre-meet auction), the Bengal Belles, Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, and Head Coach D-D Breaux were the driving forces behind the second annual event.

Here’s to a great Etta James Memorial Meet in 2010!

LSU vs. North Carolina State Recap

Amidst the electric pink atmosphere of the PMAC, a very good gymnastics meet took place on Saturday evening.  NC State, representing the EAGL Conference, came in with high hopes of reaching the NCAA gymnastics “tournament” field of 36 teams.  The Wolfpack scored a season-high 195.725 against the Tigers – a road score that helped them to a number 35 ranking this week.  So, goal achieved for NC State.

LSU had every reason to let down this week and just take in the atmosphere.  In addition to the pink meet, it was also Senior Night – with LSU honoring manager Tina Suhr along with gymnasts Lauren Klein and Ashleigh Clare-Kearney.  But the Tigers showed focus and poise in notching the second highest score of the season, 197.150.

Three Big Stories Emerge From NC State Meet

First, Junior Susan Jackson had the best all-around meet of her LSU career, hitting 39.700 in all four events.  This is a new career high for the Spring, Texas native.  She scored no lower than 9.90 (vault), and hit 9.925 on bars (season high), 9.95 on beam (career high), and 9.925 on floor (season high).  The 39.700 score is tied for ninth best in school history.

Second, senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney got the PMAC rocking in Rotation 1 with a perfect 10.0 on vault.  It was an amazing effort that seemed as effortless as it was flawless.  Her finishing routine on floor received a standing ovation from over 6,100 fans in attendance.  For not a slight step out on her first tumbling pass, the floor routine would have notched a perfect 10.0 as well.  The 10.0 on vault was just the second in the NCAA this season.  UCLA’s super freshman Vanessa Zamarippa has the other.

Third, the protective boot ACK placed on her ankle immediately after her floor routine did not go unnoticed by the fans.  The injury didn’t happen during that routine, rather a week earlier.  ACK awoke the day after the Arkansas meet with a high ankle sprain – unaware that she had suffered any injury in the meet.  The LSU training staff worked all last week in order to get her ready for the final home meet of her career – making the perfect 10 she scored an even more remarkable achievement.

ACK Out For Centenary Meet

Out of an abundance of caution, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney will be held out of the final regular season gymnastics meet this week at Centenary College in Shreveport.  With SEC’s, NCAA regionals, and a possible berth in the NCAA Championships ahead, it seems like the smart thing for the LSU coaches to do.  Hey, maybe I can get her to join the radio broadcast with me?  (hint, hint ACK!)

National Rankings

Saturday’s score of 197.150 replaced a much lower team score from a week earlier, thus the Tigers jumped dramatically in the national point standings this week, as predicted.  The upcoming road score at Centenary will replace (hopefully) the lowest of the road scores currently counting toward the LSU regional qualifying score.  That score is the 195.300 that the Tigers scored in Auburn back in January.

Here’s how the Top 25 panned out this week.  Note that the teams finishing in the Top 18 at regular season’s end receive automatic berths in a NCAA regional.  Nine of LSU’s opponents this season are ranked in this week’s Top 25.

Ranking Team (LSU opponents bold) RQS Avg. Ranking Trend
1 Georgia 197.210 0
2 Utah 196.985 0
3 Stanford 196.825 0
4 Alabama 196.720 +1
5 Florida 196.530 -1
6 LSU 196.490 +5
7 UCLA 196.430 -1
8 Auburn 196.390 0
9 Oregon State 196.370 0
10 Oklahoma 196.365 -3
11 Arkansas 196.290 -1
12 Nebraska 195.830 0
13 Missouri 195.665 0
14 Michigan 195.595 0
15 Penn State 195.560 +4
16 Illinois-Champaign 195.485 -1
17 Minnesota 195.370 +1
18 Ohio State 195.310 -1
19 Arizona 195.140 -3
20 West Virginia 195.105 0
21 Iowa State 195.070 0
22 Kent State 194.960 +2
23 Boise State 194.810 +6
24 Kentucky 194.785 0
25 Iowa 194.720 -2
 
ACK One Away From History

The school record for individual titles belongs to April Burkholder.  The 2006 NCAA Beam Champion recorded 109 titles (23 vault, 9 bars, 25 beam, 27 floor, 25 all-around) as a Tiger.

Here’s a listing of the number of individual event titles won by current Tigers.

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, senior
108 total titles
(34 vault, 17 bars, 10 beam, 25 floor, 22 all-around)

Susan Jackson, junior
22 total titles
(5 vault, 5 bars, 5 beam, 4 floor, 3 all-around)

Summer Hubbard, junior
8 total titles
(5 bars, 3 beam)

Lauren Klein, senior
8 total titles
(7 floor, 1 vault)

Staci Schwitkis, sophomore
4 total titles
(4 bars)

Sabrina Franceschelli, junior
3 total titles
(2 bars, 1 floor)

Samantha Engle, sophomore
1 beam title

Gloria Johnson, freshman
1 vault title

Kayla Rogers, junior
1 floor title

LSU Gymnastics Meets Facebook

Signup as a supporter of LSU Gymnastics on Facebook!  You can help the Tigers achieve the most supporters of any gym team in the NCAA.  Visit www.facebook.com and search LSU Gymnastics!

Friday’s Meet

Going to Shreveport is always a fun trip.  The Tigers will depart Baton Rouge around lunchtime and take the 3 ½ hour drive north.  For the first time ever, we will be able to broadcast the meet from Centenary – thanks to the folks at their facility, called The Gold Dome.  Our airtime will be 7 p.m. CDT in The Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net.

High scores for the Tigers have been a staple of LSU/Centenary meets.  The school record book is dotted with season highs, career highs and perfect 10s over the years when these teams have gotten together.

Centenary is a member of the Midwest Independent Conference for gymnastics.  The Ladies will be the third team from this conference that LSU has competed against in 2009.  Other teams on LSU schedule include Southeast Missouri State and Illinois-Chicago.  The Red Hawks of SEMO lead that conference and The Flames of UIC are second.

Centenary is led by all-arounder Courtney Hawkins who enters Friday’s meet with a season-high in the all-around of 38.925.  As a team, The Ladies best event is bars where their season high score is a respectable 48.975.

Friday’s Probable LSU Lineup

Vault
Ashley Lee
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson

Uneven Bars
Lauren Klein
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Samantha Engle
Summer Hubbard
Sabrina Franceschelli
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Sabrina Franceschelli
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson

All Around
Susan Jackson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for Friday against Centenary:

• Expect many of the LSU reserves to see a ton of action on Friday night in Shreveport.  How do they react to their time in the spotlight?
• How do the LSU coaches balance the need for a solid road score (see previous story about this) versus the need to rest key gymnasts?  The most critical part of the season lies immediately ahead, but a Top 6 finish nationally in the regular season secures a #1 seed for the Tigers in the postseason.
• Does Lauren Klein re-enter the bars lineup and/or return to the floor exercise for the first time this season?
• Does Susan Jackson rest or go for another big set of scores?
• How does ACK perform in her radio debut?  I suspect it will be as good, if not better, than her 10.0 vault from last week.
• It’s the final regular season meet for LSU and, for the first time, we will broadcast it live for you from Centenary.  Our airtime from Shreveport will be 7:00 p.m. Central.  Don’t miss a second of the action!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

 

Vol. 1, Issue 9
Feb. 27, 2009

Up until 11 p.m. last Friday, the LSU Tigers held the highest gymnastics team score in the nation at 197.400. Ten times the Tigers set new or matched existing career highs on various events – a rare occurrence in collegiate gymnastics.  Then, approximately 2,000 miles to the west, Utah put on a clinic of its own – scoring 197.525 in a sold-out home arena.  So goes the weekly battle among the nation’s elite programs.

To be sure, the Tigers home meet against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago was a thing of beauty.  Fittingly, LSU took the opportunity to finally break through on the floor exercise.  The first four Tigers on the floor broke their career highs on the event, helping the Purple and Gold to a season high 49.475 – which stands as the high score nationally going into week nine of the season.

But it was the Tigers’ uneven bars team that set the tone for the night with a 49.500 – the highest team score on the event in six years.  In short, LSU rocked the PMAC in the height of Mardi Gras season.

Staci Sticks It, Glo Glows

San Diego sophomore Staci Schwitkis continues to shine.  In just her second shot at all-around, she had her best meet as a Tiger.  Staci set career-highs on beam (9.825) and floor (9.85) while tallying scores of 9.80 on vault and 9.875 on bars.  That adds up to a 39.350 in the all-around.

Staci’s continued improvement in the practice gym and on the competition floor has given the LSU coaching staff the added confidence to place her in a key position on the team – that of third all-arounder – behind ACK and Susan Jackson.  To compete in the NCAA’s, LSU will need the added depth that Schwitkis brings to each event.  Watch her carefully on Friday night for another strong performance.

Freshman Gloria Johnson’s strong three-event outing was recognized by the SEC as the best for a freshman last week.  Johnson was honored with her second Freshman of the Week award in a row.  Glo, as she is known by her teammates, has truly come on strong in the last three weeks.  Like Schwitkis, she could be a young difference maker in the stretch run of the season.

National Rankings

LSU was the biggest mover in the country this week (see the blog from earlier this week for an exact explanation how this came to be).  The Tigers jumped four spots in the national point standing to check in at sixth.  Here’s how it stacks up in the point standings after eight weeks of competition along with how many spots each team has moved up or down in the rankings since last week.

Ranking Team (LSU opponents bold) RQS Avg. Ranking Trend
1 Georgia 197.015 +1
2 Utah 196.885 -1
3 Stanford 196.590 +1
4 UCLA 196.340 -1
5 Auburn 196.260 0
6 LSU 196.250 +4
7 Florida 196.220 -1
8 Oregon State 196.215 +1
9 Arkansas 196.210 -2
10 Oklahoma 196.105 +1
11 Alabama 196.010 -3
12 Nebraska 195.465 0
13 Missouri 195.430 0
14 Michigan 195.345 +1
15 Illinois-Champaign 195.215 -1
16 Arizona 194.930 +3
17 Penn State 194.900 0
18 Minnesota 194.755 1st week w/RQS
19 Ohio State 194.725 -3
20 West Virginia 194.630 -2
21 Iowa 194.525 +2
22 Iowa State 194.500 +1
23 Michigan State 194.410 -1
24 Washington 194.330 0
25 Maryland 194.325 0

Klein Still Recuperating

Senior Lauren Klein, mainstay in last season’s lineups, continues the long road back from a tough ankle injury suffered in the opening meet of this season.  She has exhibitioned bars in the last few meets, but she continues to improve on the stamina and strength needed to return to the floor lineup.  Though the rest of the Tigers have admirably stepped up to cover for her loss, Klein’s floor adds a “wow” factor that will be sorely missed come tournament time if she cannot return.

LSU Gymnastics Meets Facebook

Sign up as a supporter of LSU Gymnastics on Facebook!  You can help the Tigers achieve the most supporters of any gym team in the NCAA.  Visit www.facebook.com and search LSU Gymnastics!

More LSU On Gymnastike.com

The new gymnastics-oriented website Gymnastike.com visited the PMAC last Friday and has quality interviews and meet action on its Web site.  Visit www.gymnastike.com to learn more about what’s happening in the world of gymnastics today!

Friday’s Meet

First and foremost, let me say this.  GET YOUR TICKETS for this one!  I realize that you may be saying “this is Arkansas” and not Georgia, Alabama or Florida.  But realize that Arkansas has established a very strong program in a very short amount of time and has beaten the likes of Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama this season.

The vast majority of scoring for the Razorbacks comes from the quartet of Casey Jo Magee, Jaime Pisani, Michelle Stout and Sarah Nagashima.  Each competes in the all-around and each has the capability of scoring 9.90 or better on every event. 

Friday’s Probable LSU Lineup

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Ashley Lee – alternate/exhibition

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Lauren Klein – alternate/exhibition

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Sabrina Franceschelli
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Samantha Engle – alternate/exhibition

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Susan Jackson
Staci Schwitkis

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Arkansas:

• I know I said this last week, but the Tigers must keep the momentum that has built up and down the lineup.  With this team, it seems that there’s no middle ground – either LSU is very, very good or not so much.  Too much is riding on anything less than their best performance against a super Arkansas team. 
• Arkansas freshman Jaime Pisani scored large last week at home against Georgia in the all-around.  Can she repeat the performance on the road and pace the Razorbacks to their first-ever victory over LSU?
• The 2, 3 and 4 spots in the Tiger lineup to continue scoring high.  197’s are made in these spots in the lineups.
• What kind of crowd shows up? Will it be a Mardi Gras type crowd from a week ago?  Or the raucous type crowd from the Florida meet?  You know, in football it’s said that the home team gets a three-point advantage in picking the games.  In gymnastics, I believe the home mat advantage can be three-tenths throughout the meet.
• The highest home score of the year!  (WOW, I pegged this one last week!)  But back to reality, I expect this meet to be in the high-196 range for both squads.  The team that sticks the most landings, hits the most handstands, and sparkles most on floor will win with a very high score.  Sounds simple.  But that’s what it boils down to this time of year.  I like the Tigers to go 16-0 against Pig Sooie in a close one.

It’s the final regular season SEC meet for LSU and it’s a BIG one!  Please make every effort to come out and enjoy it.  These are two terrific teams and we expect nothing short of an SEC battle that you’ve come to expect from LSU/Georgia, Alabama and/or Florida over the years.  It’ll be that good folks.

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

Vol. 1, Issue 8
Feb. 20, 2009

The LSU Tigers gymnastics team is on the move – and at the right time of the season!  After back-to-back impressive victories against Florida and Alabama, LSU steps out of SEC action tonight with a tri-meet against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago inside the Maravich Center.

The Tigers were able to defeat the Gators and Crimson Tide with a true team effort that has been weeks in the making.  This week’s point standings – both individual and team standings – reflect that effort.  LSU is now getting point production from the middle of the lineup, something that plagued the Tigers in meets at Iowa and Auburn, for example.

Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson continue to pace the team. However, the emergence of consistent routines from sophomore Staci Schwitkis, freshman Gloria Johnson, and sophomore Sam Engle have been a welcome sight for head coach D-D Breaux.  These gymnasts played the key role in scoring a season high team score in the past two weeks – and the two big SEC wins that go with it.

National Rankings

This week, the national rankings changed format as is the custom at this point in the gymnastics season.  Instead of averaging all meets and counting that average toward the ranking, now the Regional Qualifying Score (or RQS) is used for the remainder of the season.

The RQS is comprised of the team’s top 6 scores to date, 3 of which must be road scores.  The highest of these six scores is dropped and remaining 5 are averaged together to reveal the RQS.

This week, LSU’s RQS is 195.761, which is good enough for tenth in the nation.  The Tigers are one-tenth of a point from ninth-place Oregon State.

Utah, Georgia, UCLA, Stanford, and Auburn are the Top 5 this week.  Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Oregon State, LSU are the next five inside the Top 10.
 
By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 7:
Vault (49.240), 4th in nation (RQS increased, dropped one spot in rankings)
Bars (48.985), 8th in nation (RQS increased, up six spots in rankings)
Beam (48.915), 9th in nation (up six spots from last week, 15 spots in last three weeks)
Floor (48.865), 15th in nation (RQS increased slightly, up three spots in rankings)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in nation on floor (9.895 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 3rd in nation on vault (9.910 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 6th in nation on bars (9.865 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 11th in nation on vault (9.875 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 12th in nation on beam (9.835 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 16th in nation on bars (9.840 RQS)
Staci Schwitkis, 20th in nation on vault (9.840 RQS)
Samantha Engle, 23rd in nation on bars (9.825 RQS)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 4th in nation in all-around (39.390 RQS)
Susan Jackson, 5th in nation in all-around (39.370 RQS)

Tonight’s Meet

The Tigers welcome the Tar Heels of North Carolina and the Flames of Illinois-Chicago to the Maravich Center tonight.  This is the start of a three meet home stand – the longest stretch of the season for LSU.  This is the perfect time for LSU to continue the momentum of the last two weeks into what is now the heart of the season.

LSU met Carolina in the first meet of this season at the Cancun Classic.  The Tar Heels scored 190.325 in that meet, but have steadily improved.  UNC is ranked in the top 25 in two events – 24th on bars and 25th on beam.  Junior Christine Nguyen is the team leader with season highs on vault (9.875), beam (9.90), floor (9.925) and the all-around (39.250).  Junior Kara Wright leads the Tar Heels on bars with a 9.875 high score.

For the University of Illinois-Chicago, junior DeAvera Todd is the team leader in three events – vault (9.90), beam (9.875), and floor (9.80).  Freshman Andrea Skala has the top all-around score for the Flames of 39.000.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Line-Up

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Ashley Lee – alternate/exhibition

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Lauren Klein – alternate/exhibition

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Sabrina Franceschelli
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Samantha Engle – alternate/exhibition

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Staci Schwitkis

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago:

• Keeping the momentum that has built up and down the lineup.  As a team, the Tigers are performing the best all season right now.  This must continue toward the post-season.
• Staci Schwitkis in the important number four spot in the beam lineup.  Can she help keep the Tigers rolling on this event where they’ve improved 15 spots in the rankings in the last three weeks?
• Senior Lauren Klein continuing her long trek back from a season-opening ankle injury.  Watch for her on bars again this evening.
• After reaching 100 titles, does ACK have a letdown meet or is she priming for the stretch run?  We’ll have a look at that tonight.
• The highest home score of the year!  LSU needs a new home season high score to help increase the Tigers’ RQS. 
• Any score above 196.800 will allow the current home high (vs. Florida) to count toward the RQS.  The higher the RQS, the better the post-season seeding for LSU.

It’s a big night on campus and across the Baton Rouge area. But the hottest action will be in the Maravich Center at 7 p.m. when our 10th-ranked Gym Tigers take to the floor!  Come on out and see us!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

Vol. 1, Issue 7
Feb. 13, 2009

The new attitude that surrounded the LSU gymnastics team last week was a breath of fresh air for the Tigers.  After a great week of training in the gym, LSU came out strong against the Florida Gators on Friday evening and posted a season high 196.800 team score in what became a runaway win.  Ashleigh Clare-Kearney once again led the way for the Tigers.  The senior posted a personal season high in the all-around competition with a 39.625 – after battling bronchitis in the days leading up to the meet, no less.

For her efforts, ACK was awarded SEC Gymnast of the Week honors.  This is the sixth time in her career she has received the award and first this season.

But the real difference maker in the meet was the crowd in the Maravich Center.  The roar of the Tiger pride in the final rotation was especially motivational to the team.  The volume reached its peak when ACK stuck a 9.975 on the floor exercise to slam the door on any Gator comeback.

The PMAC is a special building.  But it’s the people inside wearing the colors of champions that make it a truly special venue.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers (195.617) held steady at No. 11 in the national point standings this week.  And for the second consecutive week, Utah (196.730) claimed the top spot with UCLA remaining second (196.480) after the Bruins cancelled their meet at Stanford.  Georgia (196.475) held at third followed by Stanford at fourth.  Alabama moved up four spots this week and checks in at No. 5, while Auburn, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida and Oregon State round out the top 10.
 
By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 7:
Vault (49.221), third in nation (average decreased slightly, ranking remains same)
Floor (48.767), 18th in nation (average decreased slightly, ranking remains same)
Bars (48.908), 13th in nation (average increased, ranking remains same)
Beam (48.721), 15th in nation (up one spot from last week, nine spots in last two weeks)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, third in nation on vault (9.912 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, sixth in nation on floor (9.883 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, sixth in nation on bars (9.875 avg.)
Susan Jackson, eighth in nation on vault (9.887 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, ninth in nation in all-around (39.625 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 14th in nation in all-around (39.271 avg.)

Tonight’s Meet

Like LSU, Alabama posted its season-high score last week at home against a good Denver team. With the 197.025 team score, the Tide rose from ninth to fifth in the standings.  Alabama accomplished this without the services of their senior leader Brittany Magee.  Magee tore her ACL in practice on January 28.

Junior Ricki Lebegern has stepped up for the Tide.  She is ranked 12th nationally in the all-around and posted her season high of 39.425 last week as well.

Balance beam is the Crimson Tide’s strongest event by far.  They are ranked No. 1 in the nation on the event and, interestingly enough, are led by true freshmen Ashley Priess and Geralen Stack-Eaton.  They rank 10th and 11th, respectively, on the event nationally.  Juniors Kassi Price and Ricki Lebegern join the freshmen in the top 20 nationally on the beam, ranking 13 and 20, respectively.

Alabama expects another tremendous crowd in Coleman Coliseum tonight.  Just as the LSU crowd helped the Tigers last week, expect the Tide to feed off the houndstooth-clad crazies. All in all, expect an over-the-top gymnastics experience on the Capstone tonight.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Line-Up

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Lauren Klein – alternate/exhibition

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Staci Schwitkis or Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Alabama:

• The Tigers regained their focus last week.  Can they keep it?
• A hot start for LSU.  Bars and vault are two strong events for the Tigers.  Can we go into beam with a team point lead?
• Will LSU react positively or negatively to the carnival-like atmosphere in the arena?
• ACK inching ever-so-close to 100 career titles, a feat that will put her in the stratosphere of collegiate gymnasts.
• The highest road score of the year to help in the national point standings.  So far, that honor goes to the Kentucky meet (196.575).  The Tigers from last week can better this mark.

Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 7:30 pm Central Time.  Join Jewell, Tina and myself on the broadcast from Tuscaloosa!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

Vol. 1, Issue 6
Feb. 6, 2009

There was good news and bad news for the LSU Tigers gymnastics team in the wake of last week’s meet at Auburn.

First, the not-so-good news.  By their own admission, members of the LSU team described their performance against the SEC rival as “terrible.”  Though the meet was close at the midway point, LSU scored a lackluster 49.150 on vault in rotation 2 – not the kind of score we’ve come to expect from one of the nation’s top vaulting groups.

It was a slippery slope from that point.  Rotation 3 took LSU to the floor exercise and the wheels, literally, came off the Tigers’ bandwagon.  The team counted a fall towards a season-low 48.225 team score on the event.  Instead of performing with championship confidence, the Tigers seemed to slide into protectionist mode – just trying not to make a mistake (which violates a cardinal rule of gymnastics).

Now for the good news!  The LSU beam and bars teams posted their second-highest team scores of the season (48.900 and 49.025, respectively) at Auburn.  Because of these scores, the Tigers slid only one notch, to No. 11, in the national point standings heading into tonight’s meet against No. 8 Florida.

Tonight’s meet marks the start of the second half of the 2009 gymnastics season. Six regular season meets remain on the schedule and four of them are in the Maravich Center. Now is the time for the LSU Tigers to make their move.

What will it take?  LSU must summon the enthusiasm from the Cancun meet, the intensity of the Georgia meet and hit the scores of the Kentucky meet.  This is a VERY capable team that has championship potential.  The Tigers must roll it all together into one complete package.  Tonight would be a great time to do it.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers (195.380) dropped one spot to #11 in the national point standings this week.  For the first time this season, an SEC team is not at No. 1.  Utah (196.700) claimed the top spot this week with UCLA second (196.480).  Georgia and Arkansas are tied at third with identical 196.320 averages.  The Auburn Tigers reached their highest ranking ever this week, fifth.  Florida and Alabama check in at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, in the rankings this week.
 
By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 6 – the half-way point – of the season:
Vault (49.235), third in the nation (average decreased slightly, slipped one spot from last week)
Floor (48.735), 18th in the nation (average decreased slightly, slipped spots from last week)
Bars (48.605), 13th in the nation (up 1 spot from last week, 5 spots in last two weeks)
Beam (48.605), 16th in the nation (up 1 spot from last week, 8 spots in last two weeks)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, No. 1 in the nation on vault (9.920 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 8th in the nation on vault (9.885 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 8th in the nation on bars (9.870 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 12th in the nation in the all-around (39.285 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 19th in the nation in the all-around (39.235 avg.)

Tonight’s Meet

Just like LSU, the Florida Gators gymnastics team is full of question marks headed into tonight’s meet in the Maravich Center.  Three weeks ago, the Gainesville Gators were atop the point standings and looked to be locked-in.  However, the last two weeks the Gators have scored less than 196.000, which has dropped them seven spots in the points rankings.

Two weeks ago the Gators were upset by emerging power Arkansas.  In that meet, the Gators fell three times on balance beam – astonishing in that Florida had not counted a fall on beam since early last season.  Last week, the Gators struggled again on beam against Kentucky but were strong enough on bars and vault to slam the door on the Gym Kats.

Florida is led by Melanie Sinclair and Corey Hartung – two gymnasts to watch closely tonight.  Why?  Sinclair is coming off a perfect 10 on bars last week – her third of her career.  She’s red hot on the event and leads the Gators to a No. 1 national ranking this week on bars.  She’s No. 6 in the all-around.

Hartung, a senior, is the heart and soul of the Gators team.  She’s a three-time All-American on beam and won the beam title last week.  Perhaps a sign that Florida is turning things around on that apparatus.

All-American Amanda Castillo continues to be missed from Florida’s vault and floor lineups due to injury.  Normally an amazing beam worker, Castillo has fallen on the event three straight weeks after opening the season with a 9.90 against Oklahoma.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Lineup

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All-Around
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Florida:

• For the Tigers to rekindle the enthusiasm of the Cancun meet, the intensity of the Georgia meet and the scores of the Kentucky meet.
• Tonight’s first rotation!  It should be as good as it gets as the No. 1 bars team goes against the No. 3 vault team.  No better way to get a gym meet started!
• The balance beam for both teams.  Could be where the meet is decided - with LSU having an advantage due to its consistency the last three weeks on the event.
• Will ACK add to her 95 career event titles – inching even closer to the century mark?  Would be sweet to see her do it in front of a large home crowd.
• Sophomore Sam Engle for LSU.  Has battled minor injuries and will be called upon to be a rock in three events for the Tigers tonight.  She could be a difference maker.
• For LSU to hit 196.000 or better as a team score tonight.  This is only the second home meet of the season – and LSU could use a high score before the ranking criteria are changed in two weeks.

Video of tonight’s meet is available to members of the Geaux Zone beginning at 7 p.m.  But please buy a ticket and come out to the Maravich Center to see this meet.  It’s gonna be a great one!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

Vol. 1, Issue 5
Jan. 29, 2009

Normally, I would spend this space on the blog reviewing last week’s gymnastics meet, which was at Kentucky.  But tonight’s meet at Auburn marks a pivotal point of the 2009 season, so I thought we should dive right in to this week’s edition of “Talkin’ 10’s” and explain why.

First, Auburn is a good team having a terrific season.  They have solid senior leadership and have been consistent up and down the line-ups.  These Tigers are among the nation’s top 10 in each event, and they expect another great crowd in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum tonight.

Second, LSU is in need of a top-to-bottom super meet.  Tiger fans have seen flashes of brilliance at times – but now is the time for each gymnast in the vault, bars, beam and floor line-ups to step it up to championship caliber.

Third, now is the time because it just doesn’t get any easier from here.  Florida, Alabama and Arkansas – each in the top 10 – await LSU.  Though wins and losses aren’t the measuring sticks in collegiate gymnastics, the Tigers must prove they can notch solid scores from week to week in order to move up in the rankings.

Let’s take a look inside the numbers.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers moved back into the top 10 in the national scoring rankings this week.  LSU comes in at No. 10, about a half-point behind ninth-ranked Alabama.  Georgia reclaimed the top spot, Florida fell to fifth, Auburn held at No. 6, and Arkansas is No. 8.  To advance higher in the next week’s rankings, the Tigers need to crack 196.000 tonight versus Auburn.
 
By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 5 of the season:
Vault (49.256), 2nd in the nation (average decreased slightly but ranking remains same as last week)
Floor (48.862), 10th in the nation (increased average but fell one spot in rankings from last week)
Bars (48.750), 14th in the nation (up four spots from last week)
Beam (48.531), 17th in the nation (up seven spots from last week)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in the nation in vault (9.919 avg. which is a scant seven one-thousandths of a point from No. 1)
Susan Jackson, 8th in the nation on vault (9.887 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 7th in the nation on bars (9.881 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 15th in the nation in all-around (39.321 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 24th in the nation in all-around (39.169 avg.)

Sabrina Is Back

Junior Sabrina Franceschelli returns to the Tigers line-up tonight after a bout with the flu.  Look for her to compete in at least three events against Auburn as she works to re-establish her stamina.

Tonight’s Meet

Auburn is ranked No. 6 in the nation for a reason.  They have hit serious scores when it counts – 196.250 at Florida, 196.375 at Illinois-Chicago and 196.275 against Iowa State, for example.  Auburn lost to arch-rival Alabama by the smallest margin possible, .025, nearly snapping a years-long losing streak to the Tide.

Two seniors – Lindsey Puckett and A.J. Mills – lead Auburn in every sense of the word.  In the national rankings, Mills is No. 3 on floor, No. 10 on bars and No. 14 on floor.  Meanwhile, Puckett has been the picture of consistency and is ranked No. 10 in the all-around (39.325).  She is also No. 5 on vault and No. 9 on floor.

Puckett heads into tonight’s meet on the heels of a career night last Friday against Iowa State.  A 9.975 on balance beam led the way to her 39.525 all-around score.

Compare The Pre-Meet Quotes

LSU Head Coach D-D Breaux: “I expect us to compete with intensity. I expect us to approach this meet like we approached our competition against Georgia and at Kentucky.  I expect that based on the scores we are seeing and the consistency that Auburn is turning in, this will be a tough competition.  They (Auburn) are a very much-improved team and have done a great job recruiting because they are getting a lot of scores from freshmen but also getting some good upper-class leadership.  At the same time, if our best kids give us their best scores and the rest of the line-up builds to the end, we are a very competitive team. If our best team shows up, Auburn will have their hands full.”

Auburn Head Coach Jeff Thompson: "We want to continue to be consistent and do what we do week in and week out, regardless of what our opponent is doing," head gymnastics coach Jeff Thompson said. "From our perspective, it doesn't matter who we’re competing against. It's great for our fans that we're home again and it's great for our gymnasts to be home. We're looking for a big crowd on Friday and it should be an exciting meet.  They (LSU) have, with Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and Susan Jackson, two of the highest-ranked returning gymnasts on their team.  I think that our seniors scores will hold up with their scores, it's how our underclassmen do compared to theirs."

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Auburn:

• The business-like approach that the Tigers employed at Kentucky to continue at Auburn.
• Continued improvement in the bars and beam line-ups, coming off last week’s season highs on both events.
• The Tigers vault team to approach, if not exceed, its season high of 49.425.  This could propel the Tigers through tonight’s meet.
• LSU’s first three performers on each event against Auburn’s first three.  This could be where the meet is won.
• The Tiger tandem of ACK and Susan Jackson to seal the deal with breakout performances for 2009.

Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 7 p.m.  Don’t forget to listen in for all the great action from the plains of Eastern Alabama tonight!

GEAUX TIGERS – LSU that is!

Mike 

 

Vol. 1, Issue 4
Jan. 23, 2009

A record home opening crowd watched a terrific SEC gymnastics meet inside the PMAC last Friday night.  The LSU Tigers posted season highs on floor, beam and bars toward a season-high team score of 195.950 while the Georgia GymDogs posted a season-high 196.850 in its first road meet of the season.

Olympian and NCAA All-American for Georgia Courtney Kupets made her final PMAC appearance by sweeping three individual titles and the all-around while tying for the vault title.  Also making her final PMAC appearance was Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan.  Yoculan will retire at the end of this season after 26 years.

For the Tigers, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney tied Kupets for the vault title (9.95) – her 90th career individual title.

The 4,369 fans in attendance last Friday made for the largest opening night crowd in LSU Gymnastics history.  The PMAC is an extraordinary arena – and with that many Tiger fans inside, it made for a memorable night.  The Tigers will need that many fans and then some for the next home meet, Feb. 6, against Florida.  It’s entirely possible that the Gators could come into Baton Rouge as the No. 1-ranked team in America.

Georgia Superlatives

• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney for a very nice vault and subsequent score of 9.95.
• Sophomore Sam Engle for solid floor and bars routines – two 9.80 scores.
• Junior Susan Jackson for a steady 39.300 all-around score, good for third place against the GymDogs.
• Junior Summer Hubbard for a 9.80 on bars after struggling the first two weeks of the season – way to rebound!
• Junior Kayla Rogers for tying a team-high 9.85 on floor.

Is Bluegrass Green In The Wintertime?
The answer is no.  In fact, the bluegrass of Kentucky looks a bit Tiger gold this colder time of year.  LSU is in Lexington to take on the Wildcats in another SEC showdown tonight at Memorial Coliseum.  The Tigers had an uneventful trip into the Bluegrass State yesterday, toured around downtown Lexington during the evening, and started meet day with a breakfast this morning in the team hotel that adjoins historic Rupp Arena.

Around 3 p.m. Central Time, LSU will load up for the short bus ride over to the arena.  There’s a chance of snow tonight after the meet.

Missing Sabrina
Junior Sabrina Franceschelli has remained behind in Baton Rouge after coming down with the flu this week.  She is crushed not be with the team and her all-around will be missed this week.  Look for sophomore Staci Schwitkis to fill in tonight in Kentucky – her first all-around nod as a Tiger.

Also, look for sophomore Paige Cipolloni and freshman Ashley Lee to warm-up on vault tonight.  It will be a meet-time decision by the coaching staff as to which Tiger enters the six person line-up.

National Rankings
The Tigers jumped three spots to No. 11 in the national scoring rankings this week – just 18 one-thousandths of a point out of the top 10.  Any score above 195.000 tonight versus Kentucky will increase the Tigers’ average, giving them a shot to climb back into the top 10.

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week four of the season:
Vault (49.283), 2nd in nation
Floor (48.792), 9th in nation
Bars (48.567), 18th in nation
Beam (48.367), 24th in nation

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in nation in vault (9.925 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 8th in nation on vault (9.892 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9th in nation on bars (9.867 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 20th in nation in all-around (39.108 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 23rd in nation in all-around (39.100 avg.)

Tonight’s Meet
LSU takes on a very capable Kentucky squad this evening at 6 p.m. Central Time.  The Cats are 1-1 on the season having scored 191.000 in their victory and 194.075 in the one defeat to Alabama last week in Tuscaloosa.  In particular, watch for junior Hillary Ferguson to score well in the all-around.  She’s capable of 39.300 or better.  Ferguson is ranked 13th on the Floor Exercise nationally this week.

Also watch for senior Natalie Rubenstein who is a strong bars worker for Kentucky, having scored 9.85 in both meets.  That’s good enough for a No. 14 ranking nationally on the event.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, tonight’s meet is not being held in Rupp Arena.  Kentucky gymnastics’ home arena is Memorial Coliseum, which is on campus.  Rupp Arena is in downtown Lexington where a monster truck show is on tap tonight.

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers
Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Kentucky:

• The much anticipated return of senior Lauren Klein to the line-up.  She’ll go tonight on bars.
• Staci Schwitkis in the all-around.  Is she just filling in, or will she emerge as a weekly contender for a spot in all four events?
• The first 9.90 or better on bars for a Tiger this season.
• The vault team to throw another high score – keeping pace with Utah as the nation’s best vault team.
• A business-like approach to the meet, whereby the Tigers go six-for-six on each event and head home with a solid road score.

Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 6 p.m. CST.  Don’t forget to listen in for all the great action from Lexington, Kentucky!

GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

 

Vol. 1, Issue 3
Jan. 15, 2009

What a difference a week can make!  The Tigers traded in the warm sands of Cancun for the snowy expanse of Iowa and came back a winner – sort of.

While LSU won the meet in Iowa City with a team score of 194.175 over Southeast Missouri State (191.675) and host Iowa (191.375), the Tigers looked lackluster in doing it.  Three falls on beam, two on bars and a fall on floor overshadowed one of the more impressive early-season vault scores the Tigers have had in a number of years (49.425). In fact, the Tigers’ team vault score is second highest in the nation so far this season (Utah).

The Tigers will need a complete change of focus and determination on Friday as the defending National Champion Georgia GymDogs come to the Maravich Center as LSU opens the 2009 home campaign.

D-D Said It

“We’re gonna fix what is broken,” was D-D’s mantra after the Iowa meet.  It was one hard week of practice.  Enough said.

Movin’ On Up
With two more event titles (bars/floor) in Iowa to her credit, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney stands at 89 individual titles for her career.

“Stonewall” Jackson Takes Stand in Iowa
Junior Susan Jackson paced LSU in the tri-meet at Iowa.  She won vault with a 9.95 effort – with only a very slight step on the landing keeping her from being perfect.  She also tallied scores of 9.825 on bars (second place) and 9.800 on beam (second place) to go along with a 9.775 on floor.  Her all-around score of 39.350 won the meet and ranks among the top 10 in all-around scores nationally at this early point in the season.

Iowa Superlatives
The Tigers’ vault team proved to be the lone bright spot on an otherwise cold and snowy night.  Kudos to the following for helping to post a 49.425 score:

Susan Jackson  9.95
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney  9.925
Staci Schwitkis  9.875
Kayla Rogers  9.850
Gloria Johnson  9.825

Another superlative goes out to Sam Engle, the Tigers’ super sophomore from Plano, Texas.  Sam scored the first event title of her career at Iowa in winning the beam with a score of 9.825.

This Friday’s Meet
It just doesn’t get much better than this in collegiate gymnastics.  LSU versus Georgia to open the 2009 home schedule for the Tigers.  I really hope you’ve gotten your tickets for this one.  It features two bitter rivals and two returning national champions and is not to be missed!

Georgia returns former Olympian Courtney Kupets to the line-up after a season-ending Achilles injury a year ago.  She’s picked up right where she left off – leading the nation in all-around average after week one.  The GymDogs also feature returning beam national champion Grace Taylor and 12-time All-American Tiffany Tolnay.

It will be “Beat Georgia Night” in the Maravich Center.  The first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive 2009 schedule magnets.  It will be a student point night and the first 200 students will receive a free 2009 gymnastics T-shirt.  Right before I announce the final team and individual scores, we will have a special performance from gymnastics sensation “Russian Bar.”

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers
Here are a few things I will be looking for in this week’s meet against Georgia:

• A completely different team to show up than the one we saw in Iowa. The Tigers must look more like the LSU team that last faced Georgia in the Super Six if they are to win Friday night.
• ACK to stay sharp in competition with an Olympian in the house.
• Susan Jackson to step up her floor to complement her other performances.
• Sabrina Franceschelli to bounce back in the all-around after a meet to forget in Iowa.
• Bars All-American Summer Hubbard to perform like one for the first time this season.  She’s the key to the Tigers’ success on bars.
• A HUGE LSU CROWD to help the Tigers defeat Georgia in the Maravich Center for the just the third time in the last 21 years.

To the Purple and Gold Nation, we need you Friday night!

GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike 

Vol. 1, Issue 2
Jan. 8, 2009

The Seashores of Old Mexico proved friendly territory for the LSU Gymnastics team last week as the Tigers turned in a solid opening performance in the Cancun Classic.  LSU outpaced Boise State, Michigan and North Carolina by scoring 194.900 to bring home the Big Sombrero and Mayan King trophy.

LSU opened on beam and scored 48.625 – by all accounts a score that did not represent the skills demonstrated by the Tigers.  Early low scoring by the judging corps raised more than a few eyebrows in the Hilton ballroom.  At least four-tenths were left on the table by the judges as LSU should have broken 49 for the event.

Floor was next and, well, it was an adventure to say the least.  The floor exercise equipment was well below standards and nearly forced LSU to count a fall.  The mat’s sub-floor caved in on a critical tumbling pass during warm-ups, was repaired, then caved again during sophomore Sam Engle’s performance.  Junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney nearly fell into the same hole in the floor but was able to save her routine.  The Tigers persevered and tallied a 48.575 team score.

A rally mounted when LSU moved to vault.  Several strong performances helped the Tigers to a meet-high 49.200 team score.  Four of six Tigers scored 9.8 or better – practically sealing the meet at that point in time.

LSU finished up in Cancun on the uneven bars.  The Tigers first three performances were terrific, but junior Susan Jackson suffered a fall during her routine and junior Summer Hubbard, the Tigers anchor on bars, missed her mount to force LSU to count a fall for the first time on the young season.  The 48.500 score was the final team total for LSU on bars.

D-D Said It
Overall, Head Coach D-D Breaux counted the Cancun meet as a successful one.  As in last year’s performance South of the Border, she praised the efforts of her younger Tigers, including freshman Gloria Johnson.  Johnson hit both her routines, scoring 9.675 on beam and 9.825 on vault.

D-D noted that the Cancun trip had three purposes.  First, take care of business and win the meet.  Second, develop the line-up in each event.  And third, have fun and bond as a team.  You can put a checkmark by all three.

ACK – Spell it R.O.C.K.

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney should take her initials ACK (which double as a nickname) and spell it ROCK.  After all, that’s what she is in the gym.  With three new event titles (floor, vault, bars) and the all-around title in Cancun, ACK now has 87 career individual titles to her credit.

Here’s the breakdown:
Vault   29
Bars   13
Beam   9
Floor   18
All-Around  18

Staying healthy and focused for the remainder of the season could mean 100+ titles for her career.  That’s truly amazing.

Cancun Superlatives

• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney for winning the all-around, floor, bars and vault titles
• ACK for avoiding injury while trying to save herself from the Cancun crater (a.k.a. the hole in the floor exercise)
• The Tiger vault team for picking up the slack while missing two teammates due to injury
• Gloria Johnson for starting her collegiate career with strong efforts on beam and vault
• Sabrina Franceschelli for placing second in the all-around with a score of 38.775.
• Staci Schwitkis for a strong third place vault of 9.85 which should’ve been higher
• Staci Schwitkis for learning how to peel shrimp while in Mexico
• D-D Breaux, Bob Moore and Philip Ogletree for a wonderful coaching job preparing the Tigers to start the season

Injury Report
Senior Lauren Klein suffered a significant ankle injury during Thursday’s practice session in Cancun.  The Tigers miss her floor and vault routines very much.  Let’s hope she can get back in the line-up.  Sophomore Nicole Lyons remains out of action due to off-season foot surgery.

This Friday’s Meet
The scenery changes dramatically for the LSU Tigers as it’s off to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes and Southeast Missouri State at Carver- Hawkeye Arena.  Our airtime will be 7 p.m. in the Geaux Zone for the meet, and I certainly hope you will join us.

Iowa returns 12 letterwinners from last year’s team which advanced to the NCAA Regionals.  Head Coach Larissa Libby was named Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year and returns one of the top all-around gymnasts in the country in Jenifer Simbhudas.

Simbhudas returns for her first meet since a freak accident on the uneven bars at regionals cost her a bid to the national meet as an all-around competitor.  If she returns to form, Simbhudas and her Hawkeyes can score in the mid to upper 195 range as a team.

LSU should do well in this meet.  Two straight weeks on the road and the bitter cold of Iowa aside, the Tigers are a focused bunch to start the season and it should show in the land of snow.

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for this week at Iowa:

• Sabrina Franceschelli continuing her rise in the LSU line-up.  She took second in the all-around in Cancun.  Will her consistency continue?
• Kayla Rogers leading off the vault and floor line-ups.  Her solid lead-off scores helped the Tigers tremendously.  Does she remain in this spot and does success continue?
• Susan Jackson to absolutely kill the bars in Iowa.  She was most unhappy about slipping off the Mexican uneven bars and is out for revenge.
• ACK versus Iowa’s Simbhudas in the all-around.  Two terrific athletes in their element.  This will be fun to watch.

A Fun Weekend Ahead
After returning from Iowa on Saturday afternoon, the Tiger gymnasts will join Mike the Tiger’s Kids Club for an autograph session on Sunday afternoon. The session takes place at the women’s basketball game in the PMAC at 2 p.m.

The Tigers will then play host to an old-fashioned birthday party for Selia Jindal, daughter of Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, at the gymnastics center.

Don’t forget to tune in to the Geaux Zone at 7 p.m. Friday evening to catch all the action live from historic Carver-Hawkeye Arena from the campus of the University of Iowa!

Have a great week!

Mike 

 

Cancun Classic Scores | Recap

Team Scores (final, unofficial)
1. LSU 194.900
2. Boise State - 193.700
3. Michigan - 192.700
4. North Carolina - 190.325 

LSU Beam
1. Sabrina Franceschelli – 9.600
2. Gloria Johnson – 9.675
3. Summer Hubbard – 9.575
4. Samantha Engle – 9.775
5. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney – 9.775
6. Susan Jackson – 9.800
Beam Total – 48.625

LSU Floor Exercise
1. Kayla Rogers – 9.700
2. Summer Hubbard – 9.600
3. Sabrina Franceschelli – 9.700
4. Samantha Engle – 9.200
5. Susan Jackson – 9.775
6. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney – 9.800
Floor Total – 48.575

LSU Vault
1. Kayla Rogers – 9.750
2. Sabrina Franceschelli – 9.725
3. Gloria Johnson – 9.825
4. Staci Schwitkis – 9.850
5. Susan Jackson – 9.875
6. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney – 9.900
Vault Total – 49.200

LSU Uneven Bars
1. Staci Schwitkis – 9.775
2. Sabrina Franceschelli – 9.750
3. Samantha Engle – 9.800
4. Susan Jackson – 9.200
5. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney – 9.875
6. Summer Hubbard – 9.300
Bars Total – 48.500

 

Blog Vol. 1, Issue 1

Jan. 1, 2009

Happy New Year and welcome, Tiger fans, to the first edition of Talkin’ 10’s – the official blog for LSU Gymnastics! It’s been my honor to serve as the “Voice of the Tigers” during home meets inside the Maravich Center for the past 12 seasons. I’ve had the additional pleasure of serving as part of the most knowledgeable gymnastics Internet broadcast team for road meets over the past three years.

In fact, Tiger fans around the globe should be proud to know that the LSU Athletics Department pioneered streaming audio and video through LSUsports.net. Now, we venture into the blogosphere to keep you up to date on the very latest from your nationally-renowned LSU Tigers gymnastics team!

Over the next four months, I invite you to check back right here for a weekly inside peek at what you can expect from the Tigers. I promise to keep it quick and informative. I welcome your questions via email (click here) as I will choose one each week to answer right here.

Without further ado, let’s get this season started!

What’s Old Is New Again

As in 2008, the Tigers begin the 2009 season Friday in Cancun, Mexico, at the Cancun Classic – one of the more prestigious early-season meets anywhere. I believe last year’s team used an extremely positive victory in the Cancun meet as a launching pad for what became a Super Six season. Last year’s freshman group competed like true veterans – nailing routine after routine in Cancun. This not only raised their confidence level but also took pressure off the small core of capable leaders who were able to raise their game another notch. Freshmen from a year ago are now sophomores and will be counted on more than ever to provide depth in each event. More on the upperclassmen in a bit.

Some quick facts on the 2009 LSU Gymnastics Tigers:

• Ten of the 12 Tigers on this year’s squad made the trip to Cancun last year.
• Lost only one senior from a year ago and has only two seniors on this year’s team.
• Returning are three First Team All-Americans including the NCAA National Vault Champion and the SEC Gymnast of the Year.
• Added one freshman to the 2009 team to compliment four sophomores and five juniors.
• Begin this campaign ranked seventh nationally.
• All seven of the SEC’s gymnastics teams are ranked in the pre-season Top 25.
• LSU once again has one of the most difficult schedules in the nation.
• Of the Tigers’ 11 regular season meets this season, eight of them will feature teams ranked in the pre-season Top 25 – including four in the Top 10.

All Eyes On ACK

Fourth-year junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney (ACK) leads LSU into the 2009 season as, well, the leader in every sense of the word. She clearly holds the attention and respect of her teammates and why not? She’s only the reigning SEC Co-Gymnast of the Year, SEC All-Around Champion and hit three perfect 10’s last season.

If ACK can find a way to raise her performance to an even higher level to suit an ever-finicky judging corps, she has a legitimate opportunity to end the season as an NCAA champion in more than one event. With her work ethic, concentration and her ability to step up under pressure, I certainly wouldn’t bet against her.

An Unlikely Champion? Don’t Think So.

There are some who were pleasantly surprised that junior Susan Jackson claimed the NCAA Vault title last season. But as the saying goes, those “in the know” saw it coming a mile away. In addition to a tremendous personality, Susan oozes talent – pure and simple. She has the perfect blend of strength, power and finesse in a sport that demands all three. She captivated the audience and the judges at nationals in Athens, Ga., last April with a one-and-a-half as the second of two required vaults. Wow.

This season, Susan will once again join with ACK in the LSU All-Around line-up to form one of the best one-two (or is it 1A-1B) punches in collegiate gymnastics today.

Injury Report

Only one Tiger is out of competition to begin the season. Sophomore Nicole Lyons had two off-season foot surgeries and continues to wear a cast. An outside shot exists for her to resume workouts by the end of this season. Nikki’s consistent bars and vault scores were a mainstay in both line-ups last season and will be missed heading into 2009. Others, including freshman Gloria Johnson, sophomore Sam Engle and senior Lauren Klein will be expected to step up in her absence.

This Friday’s Meet

The Cancun Classic features eight collegiate teams split into two groups of four. LSU is grouped with North Carolina, Boise State and Michigan. (I wonder if Boise’s floor exercise carpet matches its football field?)

Anyhow, this is a nice match-up for the Tigers. Both Michigan and Boise State won their respective conference titles a year ago and return most of their gymnasts. Michigan advanced to the NCAA Championships in Athens, finishing just outside the Super Six in eighth position. North Carolina has never beaten LSU in gymnastics (0-3), but the Tar Heels return eight letterwinners from a team that advanced to the NCAA gymnastics “tournament” a year ago.

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Starting a new season means there will be a lot to watch for on Friday. Here are a few things I will be looking for:

• Do ACK and Susan Jackson pick up where they left off a season ago? We’ll know by the halfway point of the meet.
• Freshman Gloria Johnson on vault. Can she take some cues from last year’s freshmen group that competed so well south of the border?
• The return of senior Lauren Klein to the line-up. Injuries have plagued her from a year ago, but she may have the most all-around gymnastics talent on the team – one that needs her in the line-up.
• Who helps to round out the vault and bars line-ups? It will be interesting to see who steps up.

It should be an exciting season of LSU Gymnastics. I’m thrilled to be along for the ride and look forward to calling all the action from Cancun on Friday beginning at 1:45 p.m. in the Geaux Zone here on LSUsports.net.

Happy New Year!

Mike