CANCUN, Mexico — The preseason seventh-ranked LSU gymnastics team will open the season for the second straight year in Cancun, Mexico, as the Tigers will take part in the Cancun Classic Friday at the Hilton Golf and Spa Resort.
The appearance will mark the fourth time in program history that LSU has competed outside the United States as the Tigers took part in the Cancun Classic last year as well as competing in the Bahamas in 1996 and 2003.
“We are trying to develop some consistency and self-confidence,” said D-D Breaux, who is entering her 32nd year as head coach. “We are trying to overcome Christmas holidays and jump right into the season, so it’s very important that we establish a rhythm. We had a good warm-up and did some really nice gymnastics today, and tomorrow we have to do the same thing ? just come in, relax and compete hard.”
LSU will look to perform at a high level as 10 of the 12 Tigers took part in the Cancun Classic last season. In the 2008 opener, LSU posted the highest opening-meet score in school history with a 195.725 as the Tigers topped Denver, Minnesota and Texas Women’s in the victory.
This season LSU will face even stiffer competition as eighth-ranked Michigan, 19th-ranked Boise State and North Carolina round out the quad meet.
The Wolverines return 12 letterwinners off a squad that finished 24-1 in dual meet action and swept Big Ten competition en route to a berth in the NCAA Championships where they finished just outside the Super Six in eighth place.
Boise State returns 11 letterwinners from a team that won the Western Athletic Conference title and features sophomore Hannah Redmon who captured WAC Gymnast of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors a season ago and was also named First-Team All-WAC on vault, bars, floor and all-around.
The Tar Heels enter the meet just outside the Top 25 at No. 28 in the preseason coaches poll. North Carolina returns eight letterwinners from a squad that advanced to the NCAA Regional Championships last season. This will also mark the first of two meetings this season between LSU and UNC as the two teams will meet in Baton Rouge on Feb. 20. The two teams also faced each other last season in a quad meet hosted by North Carolina State. LSU beat the Tar Heels, 196.500-193.500.
LSU will count on its top two returnees ? senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson ? in order to pull out the victory. Clare-Kearney was named the 2008 SEC Co-Gymnast of the Year after winning the SEC Floor Exercise and All-Around Championship. Clare-Kearney also earned All-America honors on the floor and uneven bars and ranked No. 2 in the national all-around rankings with a 39.570 regional qualifying score last season. Jackson won the 2008 NCAA Vault National Championship last season and picked up four All-America honors ? all-around, vault, beam and floor.
The Tigers will also count on junior Summer Hubbard who was an All-American last season on bars as well as senior Lauren Klein and a cast of two other juniors, five sophomores and one freshman to push the Tigers to victory.
Action from the Hilton Resort will begin at 1:45 p.m. CST, and fans can listen to the meet online for free in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
Following the Cancun Classic LSU will stay on the road as the Tigers will head to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Southeast Missouri at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.