Meet Eight: North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago

The LSU Tigers gymnastics team is on the move – and at the right time of the season! After back-to-back impressive victories against Florida and Alabama, LSU steps out of SEC action tonight with a tri-meet against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago inside the Maravich Center.

The Tigers were able to defeat the Gators and Crimson Tide with a true team effort that has been weeks in the making. This week’s point standings – both individual and team standings – reflect that effort. LSU is now getting point production from the middle of the lineup, something that plagued the Tigers in meets at Iowa and Auburn, for example.

Senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and junior Susan Jackson continue to pace the team. However, the emergence of consistent routines from sophomore Staci Schwitkis, freshman Gloria Johnson, and sophomore Sam Engle have been a welcome sight for head coach D-D Breaux. These gymnasts played the key role in scoring back-to-back season high team scores the past two weeks – and the two big SEC wins that go with it.

National Rankings

This week, the national rankings changed format as is the custom at this point in the gymnastics season. Instead of averaging all meets and counting that average towards the ranking, now the Regional Qualifying Score (or RQS) is used for the remainder of the season.

The RQS is comprised of the team’s top 6 scores to date, 3 of which must be road scores. The highest of these six scores is dropped and remaining 5 are averaged together to reveal the RQS.

This week, LSU’s RQS is 195.761, which is good enough for tenth in the nation. The Tigers are one-tenth of a point from ninth place Oregon State.

Utah, Georgia, UCLA, Stanford, and Auburn are the Top 5 this week. Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Oregon State, LSU are next 5 inside the Top 10.

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 7:

• Vault (49.240), 4th in nation (RQS increased, dropped one spot in rankings)
• Bars (48.985), 8th in nation (RQS increased, up 6 spots in rankings)
• Beam (48.915), 9th in nation (up 6 spots from last week, 15 spots in last three weeks)
• Floor (48.865), 15th in nation (RQS increased slightly, up 3 spots in rankings)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:

• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in nation on floor (9.895 RQS)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 3rd in nation on vault (9.910 RQS)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 6th in nation on bars (9.865 RQS)
• Susan Jackson, 11th in nation on vault (9.875 RQS)
• Susan Jackson, 12th in nation on beam (9.835 RQS)
• Susan Jackson, 16th in nation on bars (9.840 RQS)
• Staci Schwitkis, 20th in nation on vault (9.840 RQS)
• Samantha Engle, 23rd in nation on bars (9.825 RQS)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 4th in nation in All Around (39.390 RQS)
• Susan Jackson, 5th in nation in All Around (39.370 RQS)

Tonight’s Meet

The Tigers welcome the Tar Heels of North Carolina and the Flames of Illinois-Chicago to the Maravich Center tonight. This is the start of a three meet home stand – the longest stretch of the season for LSU. This is the perfect time for LSU to continue the momentum of the last two weeks into what is now the heart of the season.

LSU met Carolina in the first meet of this season at the Cancun Classic. The Tar Heels scored 190.325 in that meet, but have steadily improved. UNC is ranked in the top 25 in two events – 24th on bars and 25th on beam. Junior Christine Nguyen is the team leader with season highs on vault (9.875), beam (9.90), floor (9.925) and the All Around (39.250). Junior Kara Wright leads the Tar Heels on bars with a 9.875 high score.

For the University of Illinois-Chicago, junior DeAvera Todd is the team leader in three events – vault (9.90), beam (9.875), and floor (9.80). Freshman Andrea Skala has the top All Around score for the Flames of 39.000.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Line-Up

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Ashley Lee – alternate/exhibition

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Lauren Klein – alternate/exhibition

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney
Samantha Engle – alternate/exhibiton

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Staci Schwitkis
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago:

• Keeping the momentum that has built up and down the lineup. As a team, the Tigers are performing the best all season right now. This must continue towards the post-season.

• Staci Schwitkis back in the All Around and in the important number four spot in the beam lineup. Can she help keep the Tigers rolling on this event where they’ve improved 15 spots in the rankings in the last three weeks? It's the second All Around appearance of her career.

• Senior Lauren Klein continuing her long trek back from a season-opening ankle injury. Watch for her on bars again this evening.

• After reaching 100 titles, does ACK have a letdown meet or is she priming for the stretch run? We’ll have a look at that tonight.

• The highest home score of the year! LSU needs a new home season high score to help increase the Tigers’ RQS. Any score above 196.800 will allow the current home high (vs. Florida) to count toward the RQS. The higher the RQS, the better the post-season seeding for LSU.

It’s a big night on campus and across the Baton Rouge area. The annual Southdowns Mardi Gras parade rolls tonight and the new Alex Box Stadium has its big opening night. But the hottest action will be in the Maravich Center at 7pm when our 10th ranked Gym Tigers take to the floor! Come on out and see us!