BATON ROUGE- The LSU gymnastics team returns to action Friday night as Southeastern Conference rival Auburn comes to the Maravich Assembly Center for a 7 p.m. showdown. The meet will mark the final home appearance for LSU’s highly successful seven seniors who will be honored in a pre-meet ceremony.
“This is an important, important meet for us,” said LSU head coach D-D Breaux. “We’re approaching it as if it is our biggest meet of the season because it’s our last tune-up before the postseason begins.”
LSU (11-3 overall, 2-2 SEC) has owned Auburn throughout the course of their rivalry, holding a 29-5 regular season record against the visitors from Alabama.
The Tigers haven’t dropped a regular season decision to Auburn since 1993. Last year the Tigers opened the season with a convincing 194.150-191.750 victory at Auburn.
Friday evening’s meet will be the final home appearance for LSU’s highly decorated senior class, a class that includes three All-Americans and five Academic All-Americans.
Colleen Barger, Abbey Burns, Kim Descalopoulis, Kerry Descalopoulis, Stephanie Hyett, Kellye Smith and Stacey Wegener complete LSU’s will be honored in a pre-meet ceremony. This senior class can be the first in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships four consecutive years.
“This has been an outstanding group,” added Breaux. “Athletically and academically, LSU is a better place for having had these young ladies be here for four years.”
The meet marks the return of longtime LSU assistant Jeff Thompson, who left the Tigers last May to accept the head coaching position at Auburn. His team enters Friday evening’s meet with a 1-7 record overall, 0-4 in SEC competition.
Following the Auburn meet, LSU sets its sites on the postseason. The Tigers head to the SEC Championships in Gainesville on March 18 before heading to NCAA Regionals on April 1.