Meet Five: Alabama

Tonight’s Southeastern Conference gymnastics meet in the Maravich Center has all the makings of a great one. So, right off the bat, let me encourage you to get your tickets and meet us at 7:00 p.m. Here’s why:

Reason #1
Alabama holds the #1 national ranking again this week, and it’s well deserved. The Crimson Tide ranks in the Top 5 on each event and holds an average team score of 196.458. Coach Sarah Patterson’s club is the only NCAA team to break 197 points in a meet this season.

Reason #2
Tonight will mark the first time in three years since LSU faced the #1 ranked team in a dual meet. In 2007, the Tigers hosted #1 Florida. It was a shootout of epic proportions with both teams scoring over 197 points. The Gators prevailed by less than two-tenths of a point.

Reason #3
Tonight’s meet features 6 gymnasts ranked in the Top 50 nationally in the all-around – something usually not seen until the post-season. In short, there will be amazing gymnastics talent, on both sides, all across the gym tonight.

Reason #4
The LSU Tigers moved up one spot in the rankings this week to #12. The Tigers rank within the Top 20 on each event, including a #10 ranking on the vault.

Reason #5
For the second straight week nationally, the Top 2 all-around gymnasts square off in an LSU dual meet. LSU’s Susan Jackson, winner of 4 straight all-around titles, goes head-to-head against Alabama’s Morgan Dennis, who holds the nation’s best all-around score this season.

Reason #6
LSU will recognize two-time National Champion Ashleigh Clare-Kearney for her achievements. Last season, the Manchester, CT native won the vault and floor exercise titles at the NCAA Championships and became LSU’s first two-time champion. Tonight, fans will have the opportunity to view her name added to a banner hanging in the rafters of the Maravich Center and to receive a voucher for an ACK bobble-head doll, which will be distributed at a meet later this season.

Jackson In Rare Air
To borrow a phrase from LSU SID Jake Terry in this week’s pre-meet notes, LSU’s Susan Jackson has joined an exclusive group of LSU gymnasts by winning the first 4 all-around titles of the 2010 season. Only twice before has an LSU Tiger gymnast accomplished this feat. Sandra Smith holds the record with 5 consecutive all-around titles to open the 1980 season while Jeanie Beadle won 4 in a row to start the 1978 campaign. Beadle went on to win the national beam title later that same year, becoming LSU’s first-ever national champion.

Booooooo To The Home Office
If you’re a frequent reader of Talkin’ 10’s you know that I’m not one to “pick a fight.” But this week? Not so much.

Can someone explain to me why LSU’s Susan Jackson has not won the SEC Gymnast of the Week Award so far this season? She’s led the nation in the all-around for three weeks straight and has won 4 titles in a row (see previous story Birmingham).

Furthermore, along with her fellow Tigers, Jackson competed in front of 9,200 Florida fans last week against another one of the country’s best gymnasts and still won the all-around.

Each of this year’s weekly winners is deserving – so this criticism is not leveled at them. But come on….

Garcia Debut Pushed Back
The much-anticipated debut of freshman Ericka Garcia has been pushed back one week to February 19 when LSU travels to Arkansas.

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers
Here’s what I will be watching for tonight when LSU hosts Alabama:

- Another great matchup of the nation’s top two all-arounders. LSU’s senior All-American Susan Jackson against Alabama’s Morgan Dennis. Can Susan win her 5th AA title in a row?

- LSU’s senior class will once again be called upon to hit big for the Tigers. Jackson, Sabrina Franceschelli, Summer Hubbard and Kayla Rogers need to step up tonight. If they do, LSU can pull another upset of the Tide.

- Samantha Engle to follow-up nice performances on floor and beam last Friday at Florida with solid scores this week on three events. She returns to the bars lineup tonight after a one-week hiatus.

This should be a great show tonight in the Maravich Center. We look forward to seeing you there.

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike