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Gymnastics Opens Season with No. 8 Cal

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Gymnastics Opens Season with No. 8 Cal

BATON ROUGE – Friday will mark a top-10 matchup as the fourth-ranked LSU gymnastics team will open the 2019 season against No. 8 Cal inside the Maravich Center.

Introductions begin at 7:15 with first vault at 7:35 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.com and the app. Lynn Rollins, Lori Strong-Ballard and Kaleigh Abboud will have the call.

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The ‘Dean of SEC Coaches’, D-D Breaux enters her 42nd season at the leader of the program. On Friday night, Breaux will officially become the longest tenured coach in SEC history. She will pass Kentucky basketball’s Adolph Rupp who coached for 41 seasons.

Breaux Previews the Season
“Our team is really excited to get back to the PMAC tomorrow night,” Breaux said. “There has been a really strong buildup to the season, and we know our fans are going to come out for a really big meet so early in the season. This team is ready, and they’ve prepared so well. It’s going to be an exciting season.”

Meet Promotions | More
It’s the “Night of Champions” inside the PMAC on Friday night. Arrive early for introductions as the Tigers will drop the banners to celebrate the team’s regular season and meet titles as well as the program’s seventh NCAA Super Six appearance. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will also receive an LSU schedule magnet.

Arrive Early
Record crowds are anticipated for the opening meet of the season tomorrow. 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 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Lot 201 and 300 off of North stadium Drive will be reserved.

Geaux Clear | Details
The following bags are permitted inside LSU Athletic venues: clear 12” x 6” x 12” or smaller bags, clear 1-gallon freezer bags & clear or non-clear 4.5” x 6.5” (approximately the size of a person’s hand) wallets/wristlets/clutches. Diaper bags must be clear and adhere to this policy. For more information regarding the clear bag policy, please visit www.LSUSports.net/GeauxClear

LSU Takes on Cal for Second Time
Cal heads to Baton Rouge for the first time in school history, and Friday’s meet will mark the second time the teams have faced off. The Bears’s No. 8 ranking is the highest in school history and the program is coming off the second NCAA Championship berth in three seasons. The Cal team returns 12 gymnasts, including All-American Toni-Ann Williams and All-Pac-12 performer Nina Schank.

Home Win Streak Continues to Climb
LSU has gone unbeaten at home in the last five seasons as the Tigers went 11-0 in 2014, 5-0 in 2015, 5-0 in 2016, 7-0 in 2017 and 6-0 in 2018. One of the best atmospheres in all of college gymnastics, LSU finished with the second-highest average attendance in the country a year ago. Going into the 2019 season, LSU has once again set the program record for season tickets with more than 6,000 sold.

LSU Returns 20 Routines in 2019
LSU returns 20 routines from a year ago and welcomes senior McKenna Kelley back to the floor after missing 2018 with an Achilles injury. The 2019 squad features a pair of national champions, the reigning SEC Gymnast of the Year, seven All-Americans and eight All-SEC performers. LSU will also rely upon mid-year enrollee Bailey Ferrer as the season progresses.

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.