Meet Five: Auburn

Normally, I would spend this space on the blog reviewing last week’s gymnastics meet, which was at Kentucky. But tonight’s meet at Auburn marks a pivotal point of the 2009 season, so I thought we should dive right in to this week’s edition of “Talkin’ 10’s” and explain why.

First, Auburn is a good team having a terrific season. They have solid senior leadership and have been consistent up and down the lineups. These Tigers are among the nation’s top ten in each event and they expect another great crowd in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum tonight.

Second, LSU is need of a top-to-bottom super meet. Tiger fans have seen flashes of brilliance at times – but now is the time for each gymnast in the vault, bars, beam and floor lineups to step it up to championship caliber.

Third, now is the time because it just doesn’t get any easier from here. Florida, Alabama and Arkansas – each in the top 10 – await LSU. Though wins and losses aren’t the measuring sticks in collegiate gymnastics, the Tigers must prove they can notch solid scores from week to week in order to move up in the rankings.

Let’s take it a look inside the numbers.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers moved back into the top 10 in the national scoring rankings this week. LSU comes in at #10, about a half-point behind ninth ranked Alabama. Georgia reclaimed the top spot, Florida fell to fifth, Auburn held at #6, and Arkansas is #8. To advance higher in the next week’s rankings, the Tigers need to crack 196.000 tonight versus Auburn.

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 5 of the season:
• Vault (49.256), 2nd in nation (average decreased slightly but ranking remains same as last week)
• Floor (48.862), 10th in nation (increased average but fell one spot in rankings from last week)
• Bars (48.750), 14th in nation (up 4 spots from last week)
• Beam (48.531), 17th in nation (up 7 spots from last week)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 2nd in nation in vault (9.919 avg. which is a scant 7 one-thousandths of a point from #1)
• Susan Jackson, 8th in nation on vault (9.887 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 7th in nation on bars (9.881 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 15th in nation in All Around (39.321 avg.)
• Susan Jackson, 24th in nation in All Around (39.169 avg.)

Sabrina Is Back

Junior Sabrina Franceschelli returns to the Tigers lineup tonight after a bout with the flu. Look for her to compete in at least three events against Auburn as she works to re-establish her stamina.

Tonight’s Meet

Auburn is ranked #6 in the nation for a reason. They have hit serious scores when it counts – 196.250 at Florida, 196.375 at Illinois-Chicago and 196.275 against Iowa State, for example. Auburn lost to arch-rival Alabama by the smallest margin possible, .025, nearly snapping a years-long losing streak to the Tide.

Two seniors – Lindsey Puckett and AJ Mills – lead Auburn in every sense of the word. In the national rankings, Mills is #3 on floor, #10 on bars and #14 on floor. Meanwhile, Puckett has been the picture of consistency and is ranked #10 in the All Around (39.325). She is also #5 on vault and #9 on floor.

Puckett heads into tonight’s meet on the heels of a career night last Friday against Iowa State. A 9.975 on balance beam lead the way to her 39.525 All Around score.

Compare The Pre-Meet Quotes

LSU Head Coach D-D Breaux: “I expect us to compete with intensity. I expect us to approach this meet like we approached our competition against Georgia and at Kentucky. I expect that based on the scores we are seeing and the consistency that Auburn is turning in, this will be a tough competition. They (Auburn) are a very much-improved team and have done a great job recruiting because they are getting a lot of scores from freshmen but also getting some good upper-class leadership. At the same time, if our best kids give us their best scores and the rest of the line-up builds to the end, we are a very competitive team. If our best team shows up, Auburn will have their hands full.”

Auburn Head Coach Jeff Thompson: "We want to continue to be consistent and do what we do week in and week out, regardless of what our opponent is doing," head gymnastics coach Jeff Thompson said. "From our perspective, it doesn't matter who were competing against. It's great for our fans that we're home again and it's great for our gymnasts to be home. We're looking for a big crowd on Friday and it should be an exciting meet. They (LSU) have, with Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and Susan Jackson, two of the highest-ranked returning gymnasts on their team. I think that our seniors scores will hold up with their scores, it's how our underclassmen do compared to theirs."

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here are a few things I will be looking for tonight against Auburn:

• The business-like approach that the Tigers employed at Kentucky to continue at Auburn.
• Continued improvement in the bars and beam line-ups, coming off last week’s season highs on both events.
• The Tigers vault team to approach, if not exceed, its season high of 49.425. This could propel the Tigers through tonight’s meet.
• LSU’s first three performers on each event against Auburn’s first three. This could be where the meet is won.
• The Tiger tandem of ACK and Susan Jackson to seal the deal with breakout performances for 2009.

Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 7pm. Don’t forget to listen in for all the great action from the plains of Eastern Alabama tonight!

GEAUX TIGERS – LSU that is!