DULUTH, Ga. — A final workout at the Arena at Gwinnett Center Friday afternoon allowed the second-ranked LSU gymnastics team to put the finishing touches on its preparations for the 2005 SEC Championships that begin Saturday at 5 p.m. (CT).
The Tigers (14-3, 5-1 SEC) enter the meet as the top-ranked team in the conference after stringing together a 10-meet win streak that has seen them knock off seven top 25 opponents in that span.
“It’s different and more exciting,” said head coach D-D Breaux of coming into the meet with the conference’s top ranking. “I think we have shown that we are a team that you can not take lightly and that you really have to consider as a viable, possible champion.”
LSU will be aiming for its first conference title since the 1981 season, but it will have to knock off some formidable opponents in the process as each of he SEC’s six remaining team are all ranked among the top 25 this week.
Alabama, who has won a conference-leading 13 SEC titles, is ranked No. 5, Florida is sixth and Georgia, the defending champions, are eighth. In addition, Arkansas, Kentucky and Auburn are listed at 15th, 19th and 21st, respectively.
“The competition is always tough at this meet, but I think it is going to take the same things it’s taken all year to win, consistency,” said Breaux. “No randomness, no clutter. There is no room for clutter at this meet. A handstand has to be in the right position and landings have got to be disciplined. I think that the team that does the right amount of difficulty, can maintain their focus and do the kind of gymnastics we should be doing at this level should be the victor.”
LSU will look to junior All-American April Burkholder to anchor the Tigers throughout the course of the meet. The reigning SEC Gymnast of the Year, Burkholder enters the competition as the top-ranked all-arounder in the conference. She has posted the SEC’s top scores on the vault (10.00), beam (10.00), floor (10.00) and in the all-around (39.825) this season and has been named the league’s Gymnast of the Week three times for her efforts.
The Tigers will also depend on the performances of All-American Annie Gagnon and sophomore Lisa Rennie. Gagnon leads the conference with a No. 6 national ranking on the bars. She is also a primary contributor on the vault and beam. Rennie is ranked No. 2 in the country on the beam and has also been one of the LSU’s top performers on the bars and floor this year.
The trio will lead the Tiger squad that begins competition on the vault Saturday. LSU will sit out the second rotation with a bye before moving to the bars and beam in the third and fourth rotations. LSU has a second bye in the fifth rotation and wraps up competition on the floor exercise. The Tigers will not be on the competition floor for the seventh and final rotation.
Following the SEC Championships, the Tigers will have a weekend off before returning to action at a yet undetermined site for the NCAA Regional Championships on April 9.