DENTON, Texas – Carrying the momentum of three straight season-high scores, third-ranked LSU gymnastics will close out the regular season in a quad meet hosted by Texas Woman’s at 6 p.m. CT Saturday in Kitty Magee Arena.
LSU (10-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) will square off against No. 16 Oregon State, New Hampshire and host team Texas Woman’s.
The Tigers will have a chance to get acclimated to the same rotation they will have at the SEC Championship a week later. LSU will open the meet on bars and rotate to beam, floor and vault, and that is the exact rotation the Tigers will have at SEC’s on March 19 in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
“It’s a great rotation for us because we finish on two very strong events. Bars has become a good event for us, and we are confident with our beam lineup right now,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “I think the rotation works in our favor, and now we just need to go out and compete with reckless abandon and a real tenacity again this week.”
Entering the meet, LSU is riding the momentum of a 197.825 vs. Auburn on Feb. 19, a 197.900 at Florida on Feb. 26 and a 197.925 vs. Alabama on March 4.
LSU’s latest score of 197.925 is tied as the third-highest in the nation this season, and the Tigers also boast the nation’s highest vault (49.550), beam (49.575) and floor (49.700) scores in a meet this season.
As a team, LSU is No. 1 nationally on vault, No. 3 on floor, No. 5 on bars and No. 10 on beam.
Individually, six Tigers are ranked in at least one category with Ashleigh Gnat at No. 1 on vault and No. 2 on floor. Myia Hambrick is No. 6 in the all-around, No. 15 on beam and No. 20 on vault. Sydney Ewing is No. 9 on vault, while Sarah Finnegan is No. 12 on bars, Erin Macadaeg is No. 15 on beam and Randii Wyrick is No. 25 on floor.
The Tigers also count on contributions from Julianna Cannamela, Michelle Gauthier, McKenna Kelley, Jessica Savona and Shae Zamardi
The coaching staff is also hopeful that freshman Lexie Priessman will return to competition in the bars lineup Saturday in the quad meet.
As the home team TWU (8-13) will start on vault and rotate to bars, beam and floor. Oregon State (8-3, 4-2 Pac-12) will begin on beam and rotate to floor, vault and bars, and New Hampshire (11-7) will open on floor and rotate to vault, bars and beam.
Oregon State enters the meet ranked in the Top 25 in all four events as the Beavers are No. 12 on bars, No. 14 on floor, No. 16 on beam and No. 22 on vault.
New Hampshire is No. 7 nationally on beam and just outside the Top 25 on bars at No. 29.
TWU’s highest ranking is No. 51 on vault.
Oregon State’s Madeline Gardiner ranks 15th on beam and 17th nationally in the all-around, while Kaytianna McMillan is 12th on bars.
New Hampshire’s Casey Lauter is No. 9 nationally on beam, Kelsey Aucoin is No. 20 on beam and Danielle Mulligan is No. 21 on bars.
FloGymnastics will have live video available to subscribers at http://bit.ly/1nxaFlc.
A live stats link is available at LSUsports.net, and fans can connect with the Tigers on social media at Facebook.com/LSUgym, @LSUgym on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, and YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.