BATON ROUGE – The 11th-ranked LSU gymnastics team will look to carry over the momentum from its season-high 196.475 score against Alabama when the Tigers play host to Texas Woman’s at 7 p.m. Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Friday’s meet is Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez Night as LSU gymnastics celebrates Mardi Gras. Season ticket holders and fans who received a voucher at the last meet can pick up their free Ashleigh Clare-Kearney bobble head doll. Fans can pick up the doll at the Tiger Fan Zone in the upper concourse near portal C at the Maravich Center.
The bobble head dolls will be distributed at all remaining home meets, or fans can pick up the dolls at the LSU Athletics Administration Building beginning Monday. For more information, please contact the LSU Athletics Marketing and Promotions office by e-mailing promotions@lsu.edu.
LSU (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) will step away from conference competition when the Tigers face the Pioneers, but LSU will look to continue building its season average.
“We feel the performance against Alabama was definitely a step in the right direction, but against Texas Woman’s we have to establish more consistency with some qualities – polish, presentation and self-confidence – that we need to see,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “It’s the emotion of the big skill that separates the really good teams from the others, and we feel like we are a really good team.”
A week ago against Alabama, LSU scored 49-plus on all four events for the first time this season and produced 17 scores of 9.775 or better out of the 24 routines.
All-American senior Susan Jackson won her fifth-straight all-around title, and with an all-around crown against Texas Woman’s she will break the school record for consecutive titles to open a season.
Senior Sabrina Franceschelli tallied her third all-around score of 39.000 or higher against Alabama, and senior Summer Hubbard scored a career-high 9.80 on vault while senior Kayla Rogers led off floor with a 9.875 to pace the Tigers.
Sophomore Gloria Johnson had her best meet of the season with a 9.90 on vault and a 9.80 on beam while junior Samantha Engle also contributed solid scores with a 9.85 on bars, 9.825 on beam and a 9.775 on floor.
The Tigers will also look for contributions from sophomore Ashley Lee and freshman Shelby Prunty.
Texas Woman’s (6-5, 3-0 Midwest Independent) is riding high after winning a quad-meet at home last week against Air Force, Centenary and Northern Illinois with a 193.125 score. The Pioneers are led by sophomore Rashonda Cannie who produced a career-high 39.025 all-around mark last week.
Live video and stats will be available on LSUsports.net, and fans can also receive live updates on the meet at twitter.com/lsugym.