After a 2004 season that was filled with countless individual accolades, an NCAA Central Regional team title and the program’s best finish at the national championships in over 10 years, one might think the LSU gymnastics team would be ready to rest on its laurels. That couldn’t be any further from the truth for head coach D-D Breaux and the 17 athletes that comprise her 2005 team.
The Tigers finished less than three tenths of a point shy of the Super Six team finals and nothing short of securing a spot in this year’s championship round will quench the team’s thirst for success this season. “Did that seventh-place finish make this team hungry? You bet it did,” said Breaux. “I think this team left the championships extremely hungry and I think that has translated into us seeing a greater effort in the process this year. I am seeing the team realize that it is what we do today that is going to make us a championship team later on.” LSU will have plenty of talent to draw from this season as it returns 13 letterwinners from a year ago, a group that includes the reigning NCAA Central Region and SEC Gymnast of the Year, three All-Americans and two All-SEC performers.
Seniors
Leading the pack of decorated athletes is a four-member senior class that includes All-Americans Annie Gagnon and Lauren Companioni . Gagnon was recognized as an All-American on the vault in 2004 after earning the distinction on the bars as a sophomore. She will train just three events this season–the vault, bars and beam–as she is still hampered by a foot injury that kept her relegated to the uneven bars through the first seven meets last year. “Annie has been very consistent and done some beautiful gymnastics this fall,” said Breaux. “She really understands the process this year and has made a great effort to increase her difficulty on both the beam and bars.”
Companioni was an All-America selection on the floor as a freshman and looks to earn that status again as a senior. “Lauren is exciting, fun to watch and the crowd loves her,” said Breaux. “She has made tremendous strides on vault and her beam looks solid. If we can get her performance level to where it needs to be she should be in two or three events this season.” Rounding out the senior class are Jade Jenkins and Katherine Hilton . Jenkins contributed on the vault, beam and floor a year ago and is again expected to add depth in those events. Hilton has been a bar specialist for the Tigers the last two seasons and should once again contribute on that event.
Juniors
Headlining the six-member junior class is the current NCAA Central Region and SEC Gymnast of the Year, April Burkholder . The anchor of the 2004 Tiger squad, Burkholder was the NCAA runner-up in the all-around and earned All-America status on the vault, beam, floor and in the all-around. “April is a phenomenal athlete,” said Breaux. “I think the thing last year that was so remarkable about her was her consistency week in and week out.”
Burkholder hit an astounding 53 of her 53 competitive routines in 2004 and will again be looked at to anchor the squad in the all-around. Terin Martinjak and Rikki L’Heureux will also be counted on heavily after solid and consistent efforts a year ago. Martinjak was been a mainstay in the Tigers’ beam and floor lineups each of the last two seasons and should again be a top performer in those two events.
“You can’t beat Terin’s consistency on beam,” said Breaux. “We are trying to increase her difficulty on floor, but I won’t sacrifice any of her consistency for her difficulty.”
One of the most dependable athletes in the Tigers’ vault and bars lineups a year ago, L’Heureux scored 9.750 or better on 18 of her 20 competitive routines in 2004. The Wakulla, Fla., native is coming off post-season shoulder surgery, but will again be looked to as a serious contender on those two events.
Wrapping up the junior class are Lindsey Thompson, Megan Durning and Kelly Lea . Thompson matured into one of the Tigers’ top performers on the vault last season. She is once again training the all-around and should add depth in the other three events this season.
Durning sat out most of last season while recovering from a dislocated hip, but contributed needed consistency on the beam when called upon. “Megan is always there. You know she’ll hit and you know she’ll be ready to go,” said Breaux. “She’s a great team person, a great competitor and you can’t deny the contribution that she makes.”
Lea trains the all-around and saw limited action on the bars and floor last season. “I’m beginning to see the stuff out of Kelly that I saw when I recruited her,” said Breaux. “She’s in there everyday training every event. She is trying to increase her difficulty and she knows her role on this team. If someone lets up she’ll be the person that’s going to get in there.”
Sophomores
Contributing over a third of LSU’s competitive routines a year ago, the sophomore class should once again make a significant impact on the Tigers’ lineup in 2005.
“Last year I think the sophomores made a bigger impact in the lineup than even they thought they would,” said Breaux.
Kelly Phelan, Lisa Rennie and Nicki Butler were all consistently in at least three events last season and will look to do the same and more come January.
Phelan saw all-around action five times as a freshman and could be a mainstay in all four events this year.
Rennie was remarkably consistent on the bars, beam and floor during her first season and looks to add vault to her repertoire as a sophomore. Butler was a standout in the vault lineup, winning five meet titles and earning a national ranking on the event during her inaugural campaign. She should again be a key performer for the Tigers on the event, as well as on the bars and floor.
Freshmen
LSU will welcome four freshmen to the team this season in Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, Emily Ellis, Kristen Julian and Melissa Wason . Clare-Kearney comes to Baton Rouge from Manchester, Conn., where she won five Level 10 state all-around titles and three regional crowns. “Ashleigh is probably physically the strongest athlete I have had on my team since Sandra Smith,” said Breaux. “I think she is going to make some major contributions. We just need to clean up her form and prepare her to compete week in and week out.”
Ellis hails from Fayette, Ala., and along with Clare-Kearney, is expected to make an immediate contribution on the vault, as well as the other three events. “Emily has a lot of difficulty in her routines and is a perfectionist. Everything she does, she does extremely well,” said Breaux.
Wason, a five-time regional qualifier and national championships competitor as a junior, comes to LSU from Winter Park, Fla. She is expected to add depth on beam and floor. Hailing from Mandeville, Julian is the lone Louisiana native of the 2005 freshmen class. A strong tumbler and consistent competitor on the beam she should add depth in those events this season.