BATON ROUGE – The 24th-ranked LSU gymnastics team will put its 10-meet home win streak on the line when the Tigers play host to the top-ranked Florida Gators at 7 p.m. CT Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Friday is a Student Point Meet as well as the Gold Meet, and fans are encouraged to wear gold in support of the Tigers. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive an Ashleigh Clare-Kearney bobble head doll, and the two-time national champion and former LSU gymnast will sign autographs after the meet. A student hand stand contest is also scheduled for the meet.
LSU enters the meet 0-2 overall and 0-1 in Southeastern Conference competition after falling at Auburn last week, but the Tigers have not lost at home since the 2009 season opener against Georgia.
Florida is 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC after defeating Kentucky last week, and the Gators bring the No. 1 ranking into the meet with a season average score of 196.850.
The last time a No. 1-ranked team marched into the Maravich Center was one year ago on Feb. 5, 2010 when LSU upset the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 196.475-196.050 in front of a great crowd in the Maravich Center.
“It’s important our fans come and support this young team with the same kind of enthusiasm they have supported our national champions and the kids through the years,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “There is some anticipation as we look forward to the home opener, and the team is ready to be at home.
“They know it will be an uphill battle, and the message we have given our kids is to stay in the process and carry the LSU flag uphill and at the end of the season plant the flag at the top, which will be a berth in the NCAA Championships. That’s our goal.”
LSU is coming off a 194.475 performance at Auburn – more than one point higher than the 193.350 in the season opener – and the Tigers earned a higher score without the services of senior All-American Samantha Engle as well as junior Gloria Johnson.
Engle, who suffered a sprained ankle before the Auburn meet, might return to the bars lineup against the Gators, but coach Breaux believes it is doubtful Engle will be back in her normal three lineups on bars, beam and floor. Johnson underwent season-ending foot surgery last week and will redshirt this year.
With Engle potentially sidelined again, LSU will rely on its eight freshmen, three sophomores and one junior to lead the way.
Against Auburn, junior Ashley Lee and freshmen Maliah Mathis and Sarie Morrison shared the vault title with identical 9.825 scores, and Morrison captured her second career title with a 9.80 on bars.
“We have begun the process of creating a team culture that is a real positive energy every time we go into the gym, so I have to believe in this young team,” Breaux said.
Several freshmen have seen action in the lineups with Kaleigh Dickson, Mckenzie Fox, Sarah Zoldos, Mathis and Morrison all contributing. Sophomores Shelby Prunty, Ericka Garcia and Janelle Garcia are expected to compete as well, along with Lee.
Last season LSU lost twice to the Gators with a 196.725-195.050 setback in Gainesville and a 197.050-195.750 outcome at the SEC Championship.
Even though Florida leads the series 56-29, LSU knocked off the Gators the last time Florida was in Baton Rouge, a 196.800-195.825 LSU victory on Feb. 6, 2009.
Fox Sports Net (FSN) will broadcast the meet on a tape-delay basis, and the meet will first air on Jan. 29 at 9 p.m.
Live stats will be available on www.LSUsports.net/livestats, and fans can receive live score updates on www.Facebook.com/lsugym and www.Twitter.com/lsugym.