A record home opening crowd watched a terrific SEC gymnastics meet inside the PMAC last Friday night. The LSU Tigers posted season highs on floor, beam and bars towards a season high team score of 195.950 while the Georgia Gym Dogs posted a season high 196.850 in its first road meet of the season.
Olympian and NCAA All-American for Georgia Courtney Kupets made her final PMAC appearance by sweeping three individual titles and the All Around, while tying for the vault title. Also making her final PMAC appearance was Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan. Yoculan will retire at the end of this season after 26 years.
For the Tigers, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney tied Kupets for the vault title (9.95) – her 90th career individual title.
The 4,369 fans in attendance last Friday made for the largest opening night crowd in LSU Gymnastics history. The PMAC is an extraordinary arena – and with that many Tiger fans inside, it made for a memorable night. The Tigers will need that many fans and then some for the next home meet, February 6, against Florida. It’s entirely possible that the Gators could come into Baton Rouge as the number one ranked team in America.
Georgia Superlatives
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney for a very nice vault and subsequent score of 9.95.
• Sophomore Sam Engle for solid floor and bars routines – two 9.80 scores.
• Junior Susan Jackson for a steady 39.300 All Around score, good for third place against the Gym Dogs.
• Junior Summer Hubbard for a 9.80 on bars after struggling the first two weeks of the season – way to rebound!
• Junior Kayla Rogers for a tying a team high 9.85 on floor.
Is Bluegrass Green In The Wintertime?
The answer is no. In fact, the bluegrass of Kentucky looks a bit Tiger gold this colder time of year. LSU is in Lexington to take on the Wildcats in another SEC showdown tonight at Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers had an uneventful trip into the Bluegrass State yesterday, toured around downtown Lexington during the evening, and started meet day with a breakfast this morning in the team hotel that adjoins historic Rupp Arena.
Around 3pm Central Time, LSU will load up for the short bus ride over to the arena. There’s a chance of snow tonight after the meet.
Missing Sabrina
Junior Sabrina Franceschelli has remained behind in Baton Rouge after coming down with the flu this week. She is crushed not be with the team and her All Around will be missed this week. Look for sophomore Staci Schwitkis to fill-in tonight in Kentucky – her first All Around nod as a Tiger.
Also, look for sophomore Paige Cipolloni and freshman Ashley Lee to warm-up on vault tonight. It will be a meet-time decision by the coaching staff as to which Tiger enters the six person line-up.
National Rankings
The Tigers jumped three spots to #11 in the national scoring rankings this week – just 18 one-thousandths out of the top 10. Any score above 195.000 tonight versus Kentucky will increase the Tigers’ average, giving them a shot to climb back into the top 10.
By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 4 of the season:
• Vault (49.283), 2nd in nation
• Floor (48.792), 9th in nation
• Bars (48.567), 18th in nation
• Beam (48.367), 24th in nation
Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in nation in vault (9.925 avg.)
• Susan Jackson, 8th in nation on vault (9.892 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9th in nation on bars (9.867 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 20th in nation in All Around (39.108 avg.)
• Susan Jackson, 23rd in nation in All Around (39.100 avg.)
Tonight’s Meet
LSU takes on a very capable Kentucky squad this evening at 6pm Central Time. The Cats are 1-1 on the season having scored 191.000 in their victory and 194.075 in the one defeat to Alabama last week in Tuscaloosa. In particular, watch for junior Hillary Ferguson to score well in the All Around. She’s capable of 39.300 or better. Ferguson is ranked 13th on the Floor Exercise nationally this week.
Also watch for senior Natalie Rubenstein who is a strong bars worker for Kentucky, having scored 9.85 in both meets. That’s good enough for a #14 ranking nationally on the event.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, tonight’s meet is not being held in Rupp Arena. Kentucky gymnastics’ home arena is Memorial Coliseum, which is on campus. Rupp Arena is in downtown Lexington where a monster truck show is on tap tonight.
Mike’s Eye On The Tigers
Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Kentucky:
• The much anticipated return of senior Lauren Klein to the line-up. She’ll go tonight on bars.
• Staci Schwitkis in the All Around. Is she just filling-in, or will she emerge as a weekly contender for a spot in all four events?
• The first 9.90 or better on bars for a Tiger this season.
• The vault team to throw another high score – keeping pace with Utah as the nation’s best vault team.
• A business-like approach to the meet, whereby the Tigers go 6 for 6 on each event a head home with a solid road score.
Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 6pm Central time. Don’t forget to listen in for all the great action from Lexington, Kentucky!
GEAUX TIGERS!
Friday, January 23, 2009
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