BATON ROUGE – The seventh-ranked LSU gymnastics team returns home for the Southeastern Conference opener against No. 20 Kentucky on Friday in the Maravich Center.
Team introductions will begin at 7:15 p.m. CT, and first vault is set for 7:30 p.m. in this year’s LSU gymnastics Pink & Blue meet for breast and prostate cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and blue to the meet, and doors to the Maravich Center open at 6 p.m.
It is also the Advocate Meet, so admission to the meet is free with complimentary vouchers courtesy of The Advocate. Vouchers must be presented at the ticket office window Friday at the Maravich Center to be redeemed. Visit www.LSUsports.net/freeticket to print complimentary vouchers.
The meet also serves as a Dads & Daughters event. All members of Dads & Daughters will be invited to participate in a pre-meet activity as well as the post-meet Q&A with current LSU gymnasts and their dads. For more information, please visit www.LSUsports.net/dadsanddaughters.
LSU (2-0) will put its home unbeaten streak on the line when the Tigers face the Wildcats. LSU has posted 17 straight home wins dating back to the beginning of the 2014 season, but for head coach D-D Breaux the focus is on the team’s attitude and mindset entering the meet.
“I want to see that youthful enthusiasm, that reckless abandon attitude,” Breaux said. “If we do that we’ll compete relaxed. I don’t think we were relaxed in Las Vegas. You just have to bring your enthusiasm, bring your fun spirit, relax, have a good time and you will compete well.”
The Tigers have shown tremendous depth through two meets with six different gymnasts having won at least one individual title. Ashleigh Gnat has three titles this season, followed by Sarah Finnegan and Erin Macadaeg with two, and Sydney Ewing, Myia Hambrick and Randii Wyrick with one each.
LSU ranks in the Top 20 in all four events as the Tigers are No. 1 nationally on vault with a 49.338 average, No. 5 on floor at 49.200, No. 7 on bars at 49.163 and No. 20 on beam at 48.688.
Kentucky enters the meet at 1-1 overall, including an 0-1 SEC record after falling at Auburn last week. Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Tim Garrison, the Wildcats are 14th nationally on vault (48.913) and No. 23 on floor (48.863).
LSU features seven gymnasts who are ranked in the Top 25 in at least one category. Gnat (No. 2), Wyrick (6), Ewing (16) and Julianna Cannamela (23) are all nationally ranked on vault. Gnat (5), Hambrick (11) and Wyrick (19) are all ranked on floor. Finnegan is No. 3 on bars and No. 5 on beam.
Hambrick is No. 5 in the all-around, and Gnat is No. 18.
Kentucky is led by freshman Sidney Dukes who ranks No. 24 in the all-around, along with freshman Alex Hyland and sophomore Cori Rechenmacher who are tied at No. 23 nationally on beam.
LSU owns a 73-5 all-time record against Kentucky, including a 21-1 mark in Baton Rouge, and the Tigers have won 11 straight meetings over the Wildcats inside the Maravich Center.
The meet will be carried by the SEC Network and available to watch live online at http://es.pn/1RmbuKS. The competition will air on the SEC Network on Monday at 8 p.m. CT.
John Roethlisberger (play-by-play) and Alicia Sacramone-Quinn (analyst) will call the meet for the SEC Network.
Live stats of the meet will be available at LSUsports.net, and fans can also follow along on the LSU gymnastics social media channels: @LSUgym on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, www.Facebook.com/lsugym and www.YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.