Meet Seven: Alabama

The new attitude that surrounded the LSU gymnastics team last week was a breath of fresh air for the Tigers. After a great week of training in the gym, LSU came out strong against the Florida Gators on Friday evening and posted a season high 196.800 team score in what became a runaway win. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney once again led the way for the Tigers. The senior posted a personal season high in the All Around competition of 39.625 – after battling bronchitis in the days leading up to the meet, no less.

For her efforts, ACK was awarded SEC Gymnast of the Week honors. This is the sixth time in her career she has received the award, and first this season.

But the real difference maker in the meet was the crowd in the Maravich Center. The roar of the Tiger pride in the final rotation was especially motivational to the team. The volume reached its peak when ACK stuck a 9.975 on the floor exercise to slam the door on any Gator comeback.

The PMAC is a special building. But it’s the people inside wearing the colors of champions that makes it a truly special venue.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers (195.617) held steady at #11 in the national point standings this week. And for the second consecutive week, Utah (196.730) claimed the top spot with UCLA remaining second (196.480) after the Bruins cancelled meet at Stanford. Georgia (196.475) held at third followed by Stanford at fourth. Alabama moved up 4 spots this week and checks in at #5, while Auburn, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida and Oregon State round out the top ten.

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 7:
• Vault (49.221), 3rd in nation (average decreased slightly, ranking remains same)
• Floor (48.767), 18th in nation (average decreased slightly, ranking remains same)
• Bars (48.908), 13th in nation (average increased, ranking remains same)
• Beam (48.721), 15th in nation (up 1 spot from last week, 9 spots in last two weeks)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 3rd in nation on vault (9.912 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 6th in nation on floor (9.883 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 6th in nation on bars (9.875 avg.)
• Susan Jackson, 8th in nation on vault (9.887 avg.)
• Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 9th in nation in All Around (39.625 avg.)
• Susan Jackson, 14th in nation in All Around (39.271 avg.)

Tonight’s Meet

Like LSU, Alabama posted its season high score last week at home against a good Denver team. With the 197.025 team score, the Tide rose from ninth to fifth in the standings. Alabama accomplished this without the services of their senior leader Brittany Magee. Magee tore her ACL in practice on January 28.

Junior Ricki Lebegern has stepped up for the Tide. She is ranked 12th nationally in the All Around and posted her season high of 39.425 last week as well.

Balance beam is the Crimson Tide’s strongest event by far. They are ranked #1 in the Nation on the event and, interestingly enough, are led by true freshmen Ashley Priess and Geralen Stack-Eaton. They rank 10th and 11th, respectively, on the event nationally. Juniors Kassi Price and Ricki Lebegern join the freshmen in the top 20 nationally on the beam, ranking 13 and 20, respectively.

Alabama expects another tremendous crowd in Coleman Coliseum tonight. Just as the LSU crowd helped the Tigers last week, expect the Tide to feed off the houndstooth-clad crazies. The Alabama marketing folks have a slew of prime giveaways tonight including a plasma TV, XBOX360, a $1000 scholarship to a student, a $250 book scholarship and seven $100 gas cards. Disney movie DVD’s will also be handed out to the kids in attendance. All in all, expect an over-the-top gymnastics experience on the Capstone tonight.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Line-Up

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

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 or Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Gloria Johnson
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All Around
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

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

• The Tigers regained their focus last week. Can they keep it?
• A hot start for LSU. Bars and vault are two strong events for the Tigers. Can we go into beam with a team point lead?
• Will LSU react positively or negatively to the carnival-like atmosphere in the arena?
• ACK inching ever-so-close to 100 career titles, a feat that will put her in the stratosphere of collegiate gymnasts.
• The highest road score of the year to help in the national point standings. So far, that honor goes to the Kentucky meet (196.575). The Tigers from last week can better this mark.

Tonight’s meet is available free-of-charge in the Geaux Zone beginning at 7:30 pm Central Time. Join Jewell, Tina and myself on the broadcast from Tuscaloosa!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike

Special Update!

LSU senior gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney has been named Southeastern Conference Gymnast o the Week. This is the sixth time in her career she has received the award - first this season. ACK recorded a season-high 39.625 in the All Around against Florida last Friday night. She now has 97 career individual event titles to her name. She will be going for an amazing 100 on Friday night when the Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Meet Six: Florida

There was good news and bad news for the LSU Tigers gymnastics team in the wake of last week’s meet at Auburn.

First, the not-so-good news. By their own admission, members of the LSU team described their performance against the SEC rival as “terrible.” Though the meet was close at the midway point, LSU scored a lackluster 49.150 on vault in rotation 2 – not the kind of score we’ve come to expect from one of the nation’s top vaulting groups.

It was a slippery slope from that point. Rotation 3 took LSU to the floor exercise and the wheels, literally, came off the Tigers’ bandwagon. The team counted a fall towards a season-low 48.225 team score on the event. Instead of performing with championship confidence, the Tigers seemed to slide into protectionist mode – just trying not to make a mistake (which violates a cardinal rule of gymnastics).

Now for the good news! The LSU beam and bars teams posted their second-highest team scores of the season (48.900 and 49.025, respectively) at Auburn. Because of these scores, the Tigers slid only one notch, to No. 11, in the national point standings heading into tonight’s meet against No. 8 Florida.

Tonight’s meet marks the start of the second half of the 2009 gymnastics season. Six regular season meets remain on the schedule and four of them are in the Maravich Center. Now is the time for the LSU Tigers to make their move.

What will it take? LSU must summon the enthusiasm from the Cancun meet, the intensity of the Georgia meet and hit the scores of the Kentucky meet. This is a VERY capable team that has championship potential. The Tigers must roll it all together into one complete package. Tonight would be a great time to do it.

National Rankings

The LSU Tigers (195.380) dropped one spot to #11 in the national point standings this week. For the first time this season, an SEC team is not at No. 1. Utah (196.700) claimed the top spot this week with UCLA second (196.480). Georgia and Arkansas are tied at third with identical 196.320 averages. The Auburn Tigers reached their highest ranking ever this week, fifth. Florida and Alabama check in at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, in the rankings this week.

By event, here’s how LSU ranks heading into week 6 – the half-way point – of the season:
Vault (49.235), third in the nation (average decreased slightly, slipped one spot from last week)
Floor (48.735), 18th in the nation (average decreased slightly, slipped spots from last week)
Bars (48.605), 13th in the nation (up 1 spot from last week, 5 spots in last two weeks)
Beam (48.605), 16th in the nation (up 1 spot from last week, 8 spots in last two weeks)

Individually, here’s how the Tigers rank:
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, No. 1 in the nation on vault (9.920 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 8th in the nation on vault (9.885 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 8th in the nation on bars (9.870 avg.)
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, 12th in the nation in the all-around (39.285 avg.)
Susan Jackson, 19th in the nation in the all-around (39.235 avg.)

Tonight’s Meet

Just like LSU, the Florida Gators gymnastics team is full of question marks headed into tonight’s meet in the Maravich Center. Three weeks ago, the Gainesville Gators were atop the point standings and looked to be locked-in. However, the last two weeks the Gators have scored less than 196.000, which has dropped them seven spots in the points rankings.

Two weeks ago the Gators were upset by emerging power Arkansas. In that meet, the Gators fell three times on balance beam – astonishing in that Florida had not counted a fall on beam since early last season. Last week, the Gators struggled again on beam against Kentucky but were strong enough on bars and vault to slam the door on the Gym Kats.

Florida is led by Melanie Sinclair and Corey Hartung – two gymnasts to watch closely tonight. Why? Sinclair is coming off a perfect 10 on bars last week – her third of her career. She’s red hot on the event and leads the Gators to a No. 1 national ranking this week on bars. She’s No. 6 in the all-around.

Hartung, a senior, is the heart and soul of the Gators team. She’s a three-time All-American on beam and won the beam title last week. Perhaps a sign that Florida is turning things around on that apparatus.

All-American Amanda Castillo continues to be missed from Florida’s vault and floor lineups due to injury. Normally an amazing beam worker, Castillo has fallen on the event three straight weeks after opening the season with a 9.90 against Oklahoma.

Tonight’s Probable LSU Lineup

Vault
Kayla Rogers
Gloria Johnson
Staci Schwitkis
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Uneven Bars
Staci Schwitkis
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Balance Beam
Gloria Johnson
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Floor Exercise
Kayla Rogers
Summer Hubbard
Samantha Engle
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

All-Around
Sabrina Franceschelli
Susan Jackson
Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

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

• For the Tigers to rekindle the enthusiasm of the Cancun meet, the intensity of the Georgia meet and the scores of the Kentucky meet.
• Tonight’s first rotation! It should be as good as it gets as the No. 1 bars team goes against the No. 3 vault team. No better way to get a gym meet started!
• The balance beam for both teams. Could be where the meet is decided - with LSU having an advantage due to its consistency the last three weeks on the event.
• Will ACK add to her 95 career event titles – inching even closer to the century mark? Would be sweet to see her do it in front of a large home crowd.
• Sophomore Sam Engle for LSU. Has battled minor injuries and will be called upon to be a rock in three events for the Tigers tonight. She could be a difference maker.
• For LSU to hit 196.000 or better as a team score tonight. This is only the second home meet of the season – and LSU could use a high score before the ranking criteria are changed in two weeks.

Video of tonight’s meet is available to members of the Geaux Zone beginning at 7 p.m. But please buy a ticket and come out to the Maravich Center to see this meet. It’s gonna be a great one!

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!