2001 LSU Gymnastics Preview
Skeptics will point out that the LSU gymnastics team lost seven critical members from a squad that finished ninth in the nation a year ago. Optimists will realize that the 2001 LSU Tigers have a tremendous incoming class to compliment a wealth of returning talent. While some of the names and faces may change, the goals remain the same — to be competitive in the Southeastern Conference and fight for a spot in the Super Six.
LSU head coach D-D Breaux enters her 24th season as the mastermind of the LSU gymnastics program with the same unbridled passion for success as her very first year. While there are some uncertainties ahead in the 2001 season as a new generation of LSU gymnasts step to the forefront, one thing is certain — the team will compete every single week with an intensity matched only by its coach.
“We’ve got a good nucleus of experienced returning gymnasts and they seem to have meshed well with our newcomers,” said Breaux. “We have some people that have been hampered with some minor injuries leading up to the season and we have some people that are in the best shape of their lives. It will take some time for this team to come together and we may go through some growing pains but I think we will also be at our best at the critical stages of the season and will begin to peak come SECs and NCAAs.”
LSU returns nine members of last year’s squad that finished second in the SEC and ninth in the nation. With eight newcomers this team could be very similar to the 1997 squad that introduced seven of the more memorable gymnasts to LSU, the very same seven that graduated last year. All that group did was go to the NCAA Championships four consecutive years, a first in LSU history, and post 53 regular season victories in their time in purple and gold.
Now begins the challenge for Breaux. To redefine and sculpt another winner at LSU.
The Returning Squad
Heading the list of returnees for the 2001 Tiger squad are All-American juniors Shanyn MacEachern and Beth Boudreaux. MacEachern earned her second All-American honor in as many years in 2000, finishing eighth in the vault at the NCAA Championships. She is the Tigers’ top all-around threat and finished third at the SEC Championships in the event.
Boudreaux earned the first All-American honor of her career last season, finishing seventh on beam at the NCAA Championships. Boudreaux provides the Tigers with three solid events and will be critical in their bar, beam and floor lineups this season.
Nicki Arnstad returns for her junior season after making a tremendous breakthrough in 2000. Arnstad put the Tigers in the NCAA Championships by winning the floor routine at the NCAA Region III meet in Tucson, Ariz., coming up with a 9.95 when the Tigers needed a 9.80 to advance. She put the Tigers in a second place tie with Georgia at the SEC Championships coming up with a 9.90 on floor two weeks earlier. Arnstad gives the Tigers depth on both the floor and vault.
Another Tiger that took tremendous strides during the 2000 season is Marina Degteva, who will look to give the Tigers three strong events this season — vault, bars and floor. Degteva was selected prior to the 2001 season as co-captain along with Sharene Mamby, who will look to make a successful return to the Tigers’ bar and floor lineups after sitting out the 2000 season with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.
“We’ve got tremendous leadership with our captains in Marina and Sharene, and a lot more experience coming back than people give us credit for,” said Breaux. “We’ve got a solid corps of returnees coming back that I feel confident will step up accordingly.”
Brooke Cazeaux and Rebecca Lightsey return for their sophomore seasons after encouraging debuts in 2000. Cazeaux gives the Tigers depth in three events, demonstrating and ability to compete on bars, beam and floor, while Lightsey has proven 9.90 ability on beam.
Tricia Corbello gives the Tigers a solid threat on bars, while Adrienne Couret makes her return to the Tiger vault and bars lineup after missing a majority of the 2000 season with a knee injury.
The Newcomers
LSU welcomes eight newcomers to its lineup in 2001, six of whom possess all-around potential. Florida native Lindsay Beddow joins Texas native Deidre Johnson, Georgia native Ashley Hopson and Virginia native Kristin Uranksy along with Louisiana natives Chelsea Richard and Jessica Thompson as newcomers with all-around potential.
Wisconsin native Amanda Mueller gives the Tigers a solid threat on beam, while Baton Rouge native Amanda Vierck will compete for a spot in the beam and floor lineups.
The Schedule
After facing an extremely challenging schedule that included competing against the top three teams in the nation in consecutive weeks, while bumping off back-to-back No. 1s a year ago, the Tigers’ 2001 schedule offers little reprieve.
“From top to bottom we have another challenging schedule,” said Breaux. “Competing in the Southeastern Conference is a tough place to start, then when you throw in some of the difficult non-conference opponents we face, we’ll be well tested heading into the SEC Championships and NCAAs.”
Unlike previous years, the Tigers jump right in league action, opening the 2001 season with a difficult road test at SEC rival Kentucky before returning to Baton Rouge for their home opener with perennial power Georgia on Jan. 19.
The Tigers’ road schedule will be a demanding one in 2001, as the Tigers travel to a hostile environment at Alabama and also travel to Lincoln to face a Nebraska team it saw at both the NCAA Region III meet and NCAA Championships last year.
In addition to their traditional showdown with Georgia, the Tigers host SEC power Florida in the “Tiger Attack” on Feb. 16 while also welcoming tough non-conference opponents such as Michigan State, Denver and New Hampshire to the PMAC in 2001.
After a road meet at Auburn to close out the regular season, the Tigers head to the SEC Championships in Birmingham, Ala. From there the Tigers will head to NCAA regional action at one of the six regional locations –Gainesville, Fla., Tuscaloosa, Ala., Ann-Arbor, Mich., Lincoln, Neb., Salt Lake City, Utah or Los Angeles, Calif.
Should the Tigers qualify, the NCAA Championships will be held in Athens, Ga., from April 19-21.