BATON ROUGE – The 10th-ranked LSU gymnastics team will look to defend its perfect 5-0 home record and build upon last meet’s season-high 196.925 total when the Tigers play host to Iowa on Senior Night Friday at 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU (6-4-1) will honor its four All-American seniors against the Hawkeyes as Sabrina Franceschelli, Summer Hubbard, Susan Jackson and Kayla Rogers will compete for the final time in the Maravich Center.
The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive 2010 LSU gymnastics trading cards, and an autograph session with the team will follow the meet.
“What we need to do as a team is continue to improve on the little things in our gymnastics that will make our scores go from the 9.8 to the 9.825 or from the 9.9 to the 9.925,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “It is Senior Night and autograph night, and we would love to see a great crowd to salute our All-American seniors against a great opponent.”
LSU is coming off a season-best 196.925 score in an upset victory over No. 8 Oregon State, and several Tigers scored season and career highs to lead LSU to the win.
Hubbard hit her stride last week as she recorded scores of 9.925 on bars, 9.85 on beam and 9.825 on floor against the Beavers.
For the second-straight week Samantha Engle shattered her career high on beam with a 9.925 to win the event title against Oregon State, and sophomore Ashley Lee tallied a 9.85 on vault and a 9.825 on floor.
Freshman Ericka Garcia earned season-high 9.875’s on vault and bars to pace LSU.
Jackson, the nation’s top-ranked all-arounder, continued her outstanding gymnastics with a 39.650 all-around total to win her eighth all-around crown.
Iowa (7-9) enters the meet coming off its season-high score as well. Last week, the Hawkeyes posted a 195.300 in a home win over No. 21 Southern Utah.
Iowa is led by junior all-arounder Rebecca Simbhudas who holds a 39.085 RQS and leads the team on vault (9.835), beam (9.790) and floor (9.815).
Houry Gebeshian leads the team on bars with a 9.830 RQS, and Iowa ranks 24th on bars as a team with a 48.760.
LSU is 8-1 all time against Iowa, including a 3-0 record at home. The Tigers last faced Iowa at home in 2008 when LSU won, 195.550-191.525.
The meet serves as Alumni Weekend for LSU gymnastics, and it is only fitting that Iowa head coach Larissa Libby brings her Hawkeyes into Baton Rouge Friday because Libby was a standout at LSU from 1992-95.
Live stats will be available on LSUsports.net, and fans can also follow the meet and received updates and notes by following @LSUgym on twitter.