By Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net
(3/22/01)
LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux is happy right now. Her team posted a season-high score of 196.950 just in the Tigers’ last outing versus Michigan and New Hampshire, extending its winning streak to seven-straight. Junior standout Nicki Arnstad won the All-Around title with a 39.375 while taking first-place in both the beam and the floor exercise.
And, as the 21st ranked team in the country, the Tigers are sure to make it to an NCAA Regional for the 17th consecutive season.
Despite all of those impressive accomplishments, Breaux said she still believes her team lacks the consistency it needs to make it all the way to the NCAA Championships. Breaux said hopefully that consistency will be found when the Tigers head to Birmingham, Ala. this weekend to compete in the SEC Championships.
“I think our last three outings have been our best performances of the season,” she said. “But we were late getting started and we’ve had several athletes miss time because of injury. Because of that, we haven’t really been able to put an edge on them and we’ve lost some consistency because we haven’t had a steady line-up.”
LSU finished tied for second in last season’s SEC meet with Georgia, losing to Alabama by less than .4 points.
This season, a rash of injuries has plagued the Tiger squad. In addition to Arnstad’s surgery to repair a torn knee ligament, the Tigers have dealt with Shanyn MacEachern’s off-season shoulder surgery and a wrist injury to junior Marina Degteva.
MacEachern was supposed to be LSU’s main threat on the vault this season after earning All-American honors and an eighth-place vault finish at last year’s NCAA Championships, but has had her progress slowed by the injury.
Breaux said the injuries have given some underclassmen chances to move into the line-up.
“Not having Shanyn (MacEachern) where we need her to be in an important event like the vault has slowed us some,” Breaux said. “The vault has been the event making a big difference for a lot of teams this year and our vaulting is not where it needs to be. But it’s an opportunity for someone else to step up.”
Breaux said her team has showed the ability to overcome these setbacks by winning conference meets at Kentucky, in Baton Rouge against Florida and in Auburn, Ala. LSU lost conference meets to perennial powers Georgia and Alabama. LSU’s proven ability to win on the road this season should be a factor in this weekend’s meet, Breaux said.
“We’re not intimidated by having to go to Alabama or having to compete on the road,” she said. “The important thing is making sure we are focused and consistent. We have done well in the past at SEC Championships because we’ve been focused and ready to compete.”
Hopefully, Breaux said, her team will show the kind of consistency needed to earn a regional title and a trip to the NCAA Championships. She expects the Tigers to return to Alabama on April 7, to compete for that regional crown.