BATON ROUGE — Coming off back-to-back NCAA Super Six appearances the LSU gymnastics team officially began its quest for a third-straight trip by opening up fall practice Tuesday at the Carl Maddox Field House.
Head coach D-D Breaux and assistants Bob Moore and Philip Ogletree welcomed 13 gymnasts, including eight returning letterwinners, for a two-hour workout and practice session to open the 2010 season.
“We feel in the wake of graduating a couple seniors it is exciting to have a young, enthusiastic, wide-eyed freshmen class,” Breaux said. “We have five freshmen, and we are anticipating one more joining us at Christmas. We have had a tremendous preseason, and what has been key to our success has been the enthusiasm of our upper classmen. We’ve had great leadership and good mentoring.”
The gymnasts formed small workout groups and spread out to each event so that coaches could raise the intensity of the work on each apparatus.
Breaux helped coach all four events but focused her efforts with the gymnasts on beam and floor.
The 2009 Central Region Assistant Coach of Year, Moore coached the team on vault.
Moore led former Tiger Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and senior Susan Jackson to a one-two finish, respectively, on vault at the NCAA Event Finals in April ? the first time two LSU gymnasts finished first and second in an event final. It also marked only the fourth time in NCAA history that a pair of gymnasts from one team finished first and second on vault at the individual championships.
Ogletree, a two-time Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year, worked with the gymnasts on bars.
“The first thing we prepare ourselves for are a series of intrasquads, and that is how we measure ourselves and our progress as we prepare to open the season in January,” Breaux said.
LSU’s first intrasquad meet will be held Oct. 16.
LSU will open the 2010 season Jan. 8 against Maryland in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
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