BATON ROUGE – The LSU gymnastics team earned the highest preseason ranking in school history as the Tigers checked in at No. 3 in the GymInfo coaches’ preseason poll released Monday.
LSU received 689 points and two first-place votes to rank third behind Florida and Oklahoma. The Gators earned 756 points and 19 first-place votes, and the Sooners had 746 points and eight first-place votes. Alabama and UCLA rounded out the Top 5 at fourth and fifth, respectively.
No. 3 is the highest preseason ranking in LSU history, surpassing last year’s No. 5 ranking. It is also the 18th consecutive season LSU is ranked in the Top 15 in the preseason poll.
LSU enters the 2015 season with 11 letterwinners and seven All-Americans returning from last year’s squad that registered the highest finish in school history with a third-place result in the NCAA Super Six.
All-Americans Rheagan Courville, Sydney Ewing, Ashleigh Gnat, Lloimincia Hall, Jessie Jordan, Jessica Savona and Randii Wyrick lead the way for the Tigers who are looking to score a trip to the Super Six for the third-straight season and fifth time in the last eight seasons.
LSU will face a tough schedule in 2015 as the Tigers square off against nine opponents ranked in the preseason Top 25, including home meets against SEC rivals No. 1 Florida and No. 7 Georgia. LSU will also see No. 17 Minnesota inside the Maravich Center.
Season tickets are available at $25 for adults and $15 for youth ages 3-12. Visit www.LSUtix.net or call the LSU Ticket Office at 225-578-2184 to purchase season tickets.
No. 3 LSU will give fans a preview of things to come at Gymnastics 101, a showcase exhibition meet on Wednesday. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT inside the Maravich Center, and admission is free.
The Tigers will perform routines in front of judges, and the coaches will provide live commentary on the skills and routines to give fans insight into the team throughout the event.
After Gymnastics 101, LSU will gear up for the season opener against Iowa on Jan. 9 inside the Maravich Center. The meet will begin at 7:30 p.m.
For all the latest information on LSU gymnastics, visit www.LSUsports.net/gymnastics. Fans can connect with the team on social media: www.Facebook.com/lsugym, @LSUgym on Twitter, @LSU_gym on Instagram and www.YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.
2015 GymInfo Gymnastics Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank, Team, Points (First-Place Votes)
1. Florida 756 (19)
2. Oklahoma 746 (8)
3. LSU 689 (2)
4. Alabama 669
5. UCLA 618 (1)
6. Utah 604 (1)
7. Georgia 596
8. Michigan 540
9. Nebraska 531
10. Stanford 525
11. Oregon State 413
12. Auburn 364
13. Arkansas 348
14. California 326
15. Illinois 299
16. Penn State 297
17. Minnesota 225
18. Ohio State 197
19. Boise State 195
20. Denver 188
21. Arizona 178
22. Kentucky 172
23. Central Michigan 117
24. Washington 80
25. Iowa State 60
Others receiving votes:
Kent State, Arizona State, Maryland, BYU, Southern Utah, West Virginia, North Carolina State, Utah State, Rutgers, UC Davis, Missouri, New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan State, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Sacramento State, San Jose State