The LSU Tigers have just concluded their team breakfast at the University of Florida Hilton Hotel and Conference Center - just steps off the Gator’s campus. At 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time, the Tigers will bus the short distance over to the Stephen O’Connell Center and begin preparations for this afternoon’s first session of the 2010 NCAA Gymnastics Championships. Meet time is 1:00 p.m. (noon Central) and, along with two-time National Champion Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, we will call all the action LIVE and FREE of charge in the Geaux Zone on LSUSports.net beginning at 12:55 p.m. Eastern (11:55 a.m. Central). The Tigers, seeded No. 9, are looking for their third consecutive trip to the Super Six Finals tomorrow. To get there, LSU must outscore five other teams in today’s first session. Using the NCAA’s seeding formula, LSU is paired with No. 1 seed UCLA, No. 4 seed Oklahoma, No. 5 seed Utah, No. 8 seed Oregon State, and No. 12 seed Nebraska. Most observers believe this is the more competitive and wide-open of the two preliminary sessions today. Only 4 programs have ever won the National Championship in NCAA women’s gymnastics. Two of those programs – UCLA and Utah – take on the Tigers today. The Bruins and Red Rocks have 14 National Championships between them. LSU has faced both Oklahoma and Oregon State earlier this season – defeating the Beavers in Baton Rouge and finishing just behind the Sooners at the NCAA Regional meet two weeks ago. Oklahoma is undefeated on the season at 22-0. To advance to tomorrow’s Super Six, LSU will need to post scores between 49.000 and 49.250 on each event. The Tigers are very capable of doing this, especially with 4 senior leaders who are no strangers to the pressures of the National Championships. Also determined today will be the participants in Saturday’s individual event championships, the All-Around Champion, and All-America awards. The top 4 finishers (plus ties) on each event will be named First Team All-American and advance to the event finals. Those finishing fifth through eighth (plus ties) will receive Second Team All-America honors. Today’s All-Around competitors from both sessions will be ranked by their respective scores after tonight’s second session. The winner will be named the National All-Around Champion. LSU seniors Sabrina Franceschelli (All Around), Summer Hubbard (bars), Susan Jackson (All Around, beam, vault), and Kayla Rogers (floor) are each looking to repeat as All-Americans. Jackson won the National vault title in 2008 and nearly repeated in 2009, finishing just behind LSU’s Ashleigh Clare-Kearney. As the only SEC team in today’s first session, it will be interesting to see how many fans from the other SEC schools participating in this year’s Nationals show up to support the Tigers. LSU should be well represented in their own right – having fulfilled a record number of ticket requests for any away meet in Tiger history. We’re delighted to be here and bring you all the action live in the Geaux Zone on LSUSports.net beginning at 12:55 p.m. Eastern/11:55 a.m. Central today!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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