BATON ROUGE – The LSU gymnastics team will take on fifth-ranked Georgia in the Fourth Annual Etta James Memorial Meet Friday at 7 p.m. CT in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Etta James Meet serves as the “Pink Meet” to raise money for Foundation 56, an organization created by former LSU player and current Dallas Cowboy linebacker Bradie James to fight breast cancer in the Baton Rouge area.
Tickets to the meet are only $1, and fans will receive a Foundation 56 t-shirt with every donation of $10 at the meet. The meet also serves as a Student Point Meet for LSU students.
Prior to the meet there will be a Super Tiger Fan Kids Zone in front of the Maravich Center from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Inflatable rides will be available for kids of all ages.
Inside the Maravich Center, the Tigers are focused on the task at hand against the Gym Dogs.
“I am excited about our team,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “They have a great attitude and work hard every day in practice to improve on the little things on each event. Georgia is a great team that is ranked in the top five, and we are going to give them everything we have.
“It is going to be a great meet for a great cause, and I hope to see fans pour into the arena to show their support for the fight against breast cancer.”
LSU (2-6, 0-3 Southeastern Conference) is in search of its first 196 score of the season as well as its first SEC win of the year.
If not for a 47.775 performance on bars last week against Arkansas, the Tigers were on their way to a 196 because they scored a 49.0 or higher on vault, beam and floor.
Freshman Sarie Morrison continued her great gymnastics by winning a second-straight all-around title with a 39.350, and she also tied junior Ashley Lee for the vault title with a 9.90.
Freshman Maliah Mathis has earned back-to-back floor titles as she posted a 9.90 against Arkansas, and the San Antonio, Texas native also captured her first beam title with a career-high 9.85 versus the Razorbacks.
Besides the three who won event titles last week, LSU will rely on solid scores from senior Samantha Engle, sophomores Ericka Garcia, Janelle Garcia and Shelby Prunty, and freshmen Kaleigh Dickson and Sarah Zoldos to give the Tigers a season-high team total.
Georgia (6-3, 2-2) is coming off a 196.600 in a loss at home to No. 1 Florida, but the Gym Dogs scored a 49.0 or higher on all four events for the first time this season.
The Tigers will have their work cut out for them because LSU has not defeated Georgia in Baton Rouge since Feb. 11, 2005.
This meet concludes a three-week home stand as the Tigers travel to Kentucky to face the Wildcats at 6 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 25.