LEXINGTON, Ky. — LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux was cautiously optimistic heading into the Tigers’ 2001 season opener at Kentucky Friday night, not quite sure what to expect with a significant turnover on her roster.
What she saw on Friday night surpassed all expectations, as the Tigers came up with their 11th consecutive victory over Kentucky, 194.000-193.000 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington in the season opener for both squads.
The point total was the second highest ever by LSU in a season opener, while also improving to 41-3 all-time against Kentucky.
“11 out of our 24 performances tonight were completely new and we certainly didn’t look like a team that had never competed together,” said Breaux. “Our newcomers stepped up big time and our veterans picked up where they left off last year. Overall, it was a great way to open.”
LSU nailed its beam rotation to close out what had been a very tight competition, recording a 48.750 behind a 9.825 from junior Nicki Arnstad and a 9.775 from Dutchtown, La., native Beth Boudreaux who had a tremendous three-event evening.
The Tigers opened the competition with a respectable showing on bars, scoring a 48.725, a significant improvement over last season when they struggled in their opener at Michigan State and went 47.800.
Freshman Amanda Mueller got the Tigers started with a 9.7 in the first performance of her career.
The Tigers finished strong in the event, as Boudreaux recorded a 9.825, while Marina Degteva went 9.80 and Sharene Mamby, in her first outing since the 1999 season, tied the knot on a solid rotation with a 9.775. Boudreaux won the event, her seventh bars title of her career.
The Tigers’ fortunes changed on vault in the second rotation, however. Adrienne Couret registered a 9.7, but the Tigers were forced to count a fall and struggled on the event, scoring only a 47.825. After two rotations the Tigers trailed 96.725-96.550.
The momentum of the meet swung in LSU’s favor in the third rotation. LSU put together a strong floor rotation with the GymKats nearly imploded on the beam, having to count two falls. Only a 9.85 by Mindy Smith in the sixth and final spot salvaged a 47.600 for Kentucky.
At the same time, the Tigers took advantage of one of their strengths, capping a 48.700 rotation when Arnstad came up big in the sixth spot with a 9.875 to win the event, the highest mark recorded by a Tiger in any event on the evening. Arnstad’s performance capped a rotation that saw Degteva and Boudreaux come up with indentical 9.775s.
“Nicki, Beth and Marina looked like they started tonight just where they left off a year ago,” added Breaux. “They were critical tonight.”
After three rotations the Tigers held a 145.250-144.325 lead before distancing themselves on beam.
LSU returns to action on Friday when they host No. 2 Georgia in their 2001 home opener. The meet will be broadcast by ESPN on a tape-delayed basis. The two teams finished tied for second at the SEC Championships a year ago.