BATON ROUGE — The 14th-ranked LSU gymnastics team will put its 5-0 record on the line as it hosts four-time defending national champion Georgia in a pivotal showdown Friday at 7 p.m. that marks the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference and home opener in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The meet has been designated “Beat Georgia Night” and is also a Student Point Meet for all LSU students. The first 1,000 fans at the meet will receive a 2009 LSU schedule magnet and the first 200 students will receive a 2009 LSU gymnastics Geaux Zone t-shirt. Finally, after the meet there will be a performance by the world famous circus act Russian Bar.
This meet marks the first dual meet of the season for LSU as the Tigers won the first session of the Cancun Classic over Michigan, Boise State and North Carolina, and LSU defeated Iowa and Southeast Missouri State in a tri-meet Jan. 9. Georgia enters the meet ranked No. 8 in the nation and 1-0 after defeating West Virginia, 195.425-194.075, in Athens, Ga.
“I am expecting that we will turn in a much more consistent and dynamic performance than we have seen,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “Hopefully the level of competition that we will have in this meet will bring out better performances from all of our kids.”
The GymDogs are led by senior Courtney Kupets who leads the nation in the all-around with a 39.450 and is also ranked first on the floor (9.950) and bars (9.975). Kupets posted those scores in the meet against West Virginia. Georgia is also led by senior Tiffany Tolnay who is a 12-time All-American as well as junior Grace Taylor who won the NCAA Balance Beam Championship and is a five-time All-American.
LSU has been led this season by senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson who have each captured an all-around title this season. Clare-Kearney has won six individual titles this season, including two at Iowa last weekend with a 9.850 on bars and a 9.875 on floor. Jackson won the all-around with a 39.350 and captured vault with a 9.950.
As a team the Tigers have excelled this season on the vault with a 49.312 average that ranks second in the nation. LSU tied Utah with the nation’s highest vault score in a meet with a 49.425 in Iowa last week.
LSU will look to break a string of losses to Georgia as the Tigers trail the GymDogs in the all-time series, 55-15-2.
The meet will be broadcast by FOX Sports Net on tape delay basis. The broadcast will air Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.
“Having a large, pro-Tigers crowd would be a great advantage because that is what we face at Georgia. We would love to see a big crowd because it makes all the difference in the world,” Breaux said.
Tickets are still available for the home opener. Adult tickets are only $5 while youth tickets are $3, and tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 225-578-2184, online at www.LSUsports.net or in person at the LSU Ticket Office.
After the meet against Georgia, the Tigers will hit the road again to take on Kentucky Jan. 23 in Lexington, Ky. at 6 p.m. CST.