BATON ROUGE- The LSU gymnastics team will open the 2000 season on Saturday ranked in the top 10 in the nation, as the Tigers are tied with Florida in the ninth spot in the preseason NCAA Coaches’ Poll released on Tuesday.
It marks the second poll that has placed the Tigers as a preseason top 10 squad, as Sports Illustrated for Women ranked LSU seventh in its NCAA gymnastics season preview.
Defending national champion Georgia holds the top spot in the NCAA Coaches’ Poll followed by Alabama, UCLA, Michigan and Utah to round out the top five. Nebraska, Arizona State, Penn State, LSU and Florida round out the top 10.
The Tigers have finished ninth in the nation each of the past two seasons, but return seven seniors and four All-Americans for the 2000 season, as they will attempt to advance to the elite NCAA “Super Six” field for the first time in school history.
The Tigers open the 2000 season on the road at Michigan State on Saturday with a four-way meet that includes No. 12 Oregon State and No. 20 Ohio State.
Following their trip to East Lansing, the Tigers return home on Jan. 14 for a showdown with SEC rival Kentucky before heading to Athens, Ga., for a meeting with top-ranked Georgia on Jan. 23.