BATON ROUGE – Coming off a 195.050 performance at Florida, the 12th-ranked LSU gymnastics team will attempt to regain momentum as the Tigers play host to No. 1 Alabama Friday at 7 p.m. CT in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The first 1,000 fans at the meet will receive an Ashleigh Clare-Kearney bobble head doll voucher. Beginning at the next home meet on Feb. 12 against Texas Woman’s, fans can turn in their voucher to receive an Ashleigh Clare-Kearney bobble head doll.
The meet will also serve as a student point meet, and the first 200 LSU students will receive an LSU Geaux Zone t-shirt. There will also be a student handstand contest at the meet, and the winner will receive $100 in Tiger Cash.
Entering the meet against Florida a week ago, LSU (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) had posted a higher team score in each ensuing meet, including a season-best 195.650 in a victory over Auburn.
Even though the Tigers hit on nearly every routine against the Gators, LSU was unable to build on its season-high score, and that is something head coach D-D Breaux said must change.
“We need to see some improvement in our routines like sticking landings like we do in practice,” Breaux said. “We have had a spirited week of practice and the girls have been really focused on their gymnastics, so we need to bring that enthusiasm and confidence to the meet.”
The meet will mark the first time LSU has faced the nation’s No. 1 team in a dual meet since Feb. 23, 2007, when the Tigers competed against Florida in the Maravich Center.
Fans will also see a duel between the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked all-around gymnasts. LSU All-American senior Susan Jackson has been ranked No. 1 in the all-around rankings for three straight weeks, and Alabama All-American senior Morgan Dennis is ranked second. Jackson averages a 39.487 all-around total while Dennis averages a 39.383. The two have also tallied the nation’s top two all-around scores as Dennis posted a 39.675 against Arkansas on Feb. 22 while Jackson earned a 39.625 at the Lady Luck Invitational on Jan. 15.
Jackson will also attempt to tie an LSU record for consecutive all-around titles to open a season. Former Tiger All-American Sandra Smith won five straight all-around crowns to open her freshman season in 1980, and an all-around victory for Jackson against Alabama would tie Smith. Jackson’s current four-meet streak is tied for second with Jeanie Beadle, who accomplished the feat her sophomore season in 1978.
LSU’s four All-American seniors will once again lead the Tigers against the Crimson Tide. Sabrina Franceschelli and Summer Hubbard have both scored a 39.100 all-around total this season, and Kayla Rogers averages a 9.80 on vault and a 9.75 on floor in the leadoff spot in both events.
Competing with a minor injury against Florida, junior Samantha Engle managed to score an outstanding 9.825 on floor and a season-best 9.775 on beam, and she will be back to full heath against Alabama.
The Tigers will also count on the services of sophomores Ashley Lee and Gloria Johnson as well as freshmen Janelle Garcia and Shelby Prunty.
“We need to be able to relax in our performance under pressure and be able to do those things that are going to get us 9.8’s across the board,” Breaux said. “When we can start doing that, this team will establish itself as one of the premier teams in the country.”
Alabama (5-0, 3-0) is led by senior all-arounders Dennis and Ricki Lebegern as well as sophomore standout Ashley Priess, who ranks seventh nationally in the all-around.
The Crimson Tide rank in the top five nationally in all four events, sitting at No. 1 on vault and beam, No. 3 on bars and No. 5 on floor.
The meet will be televised by CSS on a tape-delay basis and will air in the Baton Rouge area on Cox Sports Television on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. CT.
Fans can watch the meet live online and check out live stats at LSUsports.net, and fans can receive in-meet updates and LSU notes by following LSUgym on twitter.com/lsugym.