BATON ROUGE – After finishing with a team score of 197.700 Friday night in St. Charles, Missouri, the second-ranked LSU gymnastics team (8-1, 5-0 SEC) will return to action against No. 20 George Washington and No. 22 Iowa Sunday inside the Maravich Center.
Sunday’s activities get underway at 2:10 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive to the PMAC early to watch warmups and team introductions. The meet will be live on SECNetwork+ through WatchESPN.com and the app. Lynn Rollins, Lori Strong-Ballard and Kaleigh Dickson-Abboud will have the call for the broadcast.
DD Previews Tri Meet
“It’s a quick turnaround and just 24 hours for us,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “The girls will get treatment Saturday and get ready for Sunday. They are excited to get back inside the PMAC in front of what I am sure will be a great crowd. This is great preparation for our postseason and continuing to build for that.”
Last Time Out – GymQuarters
The Tigers set a new school record for consecutive meets with a team score of 197 or better after a 197.700 Friday night in St. Charles, Missouri. Senior Ashleigh Gnat took a share of the floor title after a 9.975 in the final routine of the night. Freshman Kennedi Edney shined for the third in the all-around with a 39.525. Edney earned a score of 9.90 or better on three events. The squad took victories over No. 10 Georgia and No. 15 Missouri but fell to No. 1 Oklahoma.
Meet Promotions
Following Sunday’s meets, fans are encouraged to stay after to participate in post-meet autographs on the concourse of the PMAC. Fans can pick up trading cards at the entrances for the autograph session. Members of Mike’s Kids Club are also invited to the meet for a pre-meet activity on the floor.
Arrive Early
Record crowds are anticipated for the meet. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and purchase tickets in advance online at LSUtix.net to avoid long lines. Many lots around the Maravich Center are free and open to the public, including 101, 104 and 105. North Stadium Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic. Lot 201 and 300 off of North stadium Drive will be reserved.
Geaux Clear
Fans are also reminded of LSU’s “Geaux Clear” policy that is in effect at all athletic venues. The policy allows for only clear tote bags smaller than 12” x 6” x 12” or one-gallon plastic freezer bags to be permitted. Bags must be clear and transparent and cannot be tinted, textured or patterned. For full details on the policy, please visit www.LSUSports.net/GeauxClear.
A Look at George Washington and Iowa
Both George Washington and Iowa competed in a quad meet Friday night with Iowa getting the win. GW earned a 196.050 and Iowa finished with a 196.400. Going into week seven action, George Washington owned spots in the top-25 of three events, including a No. 9 ranking on beam. Iowa owned a top-25 ranking on all four events heading into the weekend.
Series Record Between Teams
The Tigers own a 5-0 record over George Washington and 12-2 record over Iowa. Last season, LSU defeated GWU at the NCAA Athens Regional. The 2015 squad opened with the Hawkeyes in 2015 at home and earned a 197.125-193.300 victory.
Home Win Streak Continues to Climb
LSU looks to extend win streak at home. The Tigers are 24-0 over the last three and a half seasons inside the Maravich Center. During that stretch, LSU has beaten No. 7 Alabama, No. 14 Auburn, No. 2 Florida, No. 9 Georgia, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 1 Oklahoma. The last loss in the Maravich Center came to Alabama in 2013.
Ashleigh “Bugs” Gnat – One Shy of 50 Individual Wins
Gnat is one of the top gymnastics. Gnat owns 49 individual titles for her career for eight on LSU’s all-time list. Already this season, the Lake Mary, Florida native owns 12 titles with six on floor, five on vault and one on beam. On Friday, Gnat earned a 9.95 on vault, 9.925 on beam and 9.95 on floor.
Fans can follow the Tigers on the team’s social media channels: @LSUgym on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, www.Facebook.com/lsugym and at YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.