BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach D-D Breaux will go for her 500th career victory Friday night as her 15th-ranked Tiger gymnastics team opens up the 2007 SEC schedule against No. 14 Arkansas at 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
“That’s quite a milestone,” said Breaux on her pending accomplishment, “I have done a lot of things and accomplished a lot of things, but this represents everything and everybody along the way. This goes back to the Jeanie Beadles, and all the athletes that were on my very first team, all the way up the line.”
Breaux, who is in her 30th season at the helm of the Tiger program, has racked up an impressive 499 victories in her tenure, a total that ranks as the fifth most among active NCAA coaches.
Breaux’s 500th win will have to come against some of the nation’s top talent in Arkansas. The Gym’Backs, despite owning just a 1-6 record on the season, are coming off a narrow 196.100-196.075 loss to two-time defending SEC and NCAA champions, Georgia.
“I think that gives them a positive edge over us right now,” said Breaux. “We are going to have to kick it up a notch to beat a team like Arkansas who is coming in here with a hot hand.”
Despite the hot hand, history lies on the Tigers’ side as LSU is a perfect 10-0 against Arkansas all time, a record that includes a 1-0 mark this season.
The two teams went head-to-head at the season-opening Super Six Challenge in Fayetteville, Ark. The Tigers outscored the Gym’Backs, 194.975-192.800, in that meeting.
The Tigers (4-3, 0-0 SEC) have been inconsistent in their first three meets and are still in search of the lineup that will give them solid performances week in and week out.
“We are still trying to find the best lineup and our best gymnastics,” said Breaux. “I am focused on the process and getting this team ready and tough and I think we are doing that.
“I really am pleased with every aspect of this team, we just need to develop our consistency,” added Breaux. “We have held competitions in the gym during every practice this week in an effort to get them more prepared. Our lineups will likely reflect those that have proved that they can hit in practice under those pressure situations.”
Two that have been impressive both in competition and the practice gym are junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and senior Nicki Butler. The duo finished 2-3 in the all-around last week against Illinois and are ranked in the top-10 nationally on the vault. Both are once again expected to be major contributors in the lineup Friday.
Following the Arkansas meet, LSU will close out its three-meet home stand on Friday, Feb. 2, when it welcomes Georgia to the PMAC for a dual meet at 7 p.m.