BATON ROUGE — The LSU gymnastics team will take on some of the top talent in the country in 2005 as seven teams that finished among the top-25 a year ago highlight the upcoming schedule, released by head coach D-D Breaux Saturday.
The Tigers kick off the season Jan. 7 with a trip to Michigan State. They then return to Baton Rouge to open both the SEC and home schedules against Super Six participant Florida, Jan. 14.
“We go right out of the frying pan into the fryer,” said Breaux. “Facing Florida that early in the season will press us to be at peak performance very early.”
The competition doesn’t get any easier as the Tigers hit the road for a meet with No. 3 Alabama a week later.
LSU then begins a three-week home stand Jan. 28 that includes dual meets with Michigan State, Arkansas and defending SEC champion Georgia.
The Tigers will then go on the road for its first of two weekends that feature a pair of dual meets in a three day span. LSU will travel to Kentucky on Feb. 18 and bounce back with a meet at Ohio State on Feb. 20.
“We’ve never scheduled two meets in a weekend before, but I’m hoping it will prepare this team for what they should have to do in the postseason,” said Breaux. “I believe in this team and I have to get them ready for what I believe they are capable of achieving.”
LSU will then stay on the road for a match up with No. 19 Auburn, before returning to the friendly confines of the Maravich Center for a quad meet with Illinois, New Hampshire and Western Michigan on March 4.
The Tigers close out the regular season with trips to Oklahoma and Texas Woman’s before a final home meet against in-state foe Centenary, March 18.
The postseason begins a week later with the SEC Championships in Duluth, Ga., which will serve as a final tune-up for the NCAA Regional Championships on April 9. The season concludes April 21-23 at the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala.
The Tigers, who have already begun preparations for the upcoming year, will officially kick off the season Friday, Oct. 22 with the annual Team Reception and awards banquet at 6:30 p.m. in the PMAC.