LSU Gold

Gymnasts Return for Thigpen Wedding

by Brandon Berrio
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Gymnasts Return for Thigpen Wedding

BATON ROUGE – More than 50 current and former LSU gymnasts and staff members celebrated the wedding of volunteer coach Ashleigh Clare Kearney Thigpen Saturday afternoon in downtown Baton Rouge.

The former Clare-Kearney, a two-time national champion and five-time First Team All-American during her career at LSU, married DaJuan Thigpen in a ceremony at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.

Thigpen has been a part of the LSU gymnastics family for more than a decade when she began her career in 2004. Prior to the weekend’s festivities, head coach D-D Breaux held a reception at the gymnastics training facility for both families along with many alumnae.

“It was so great to have everyone over to the new facility and show off Ashleigh’s incredible career,” Breaux said. “It was a great weekend that really showed how much of a close knit group that this program is. Every gymnast that either competed with Ashleigh at LSU or she coached was there. It made for a great atmosphere.”

Thigpen is in her seventh season as the team’s volunteer coach. She handles all choreography for floor and beam and assists in coaching all four events. Last season, Thigpen helped lead the Tigers to a second-place finish as the national-runner up, the best finish in school history.