Meet Six: Texas Woman's University

What a terrific 7 days here in South Louisiana! Last Friday, LSU defeated then No. 1 Alabama in gymnastics at the Maravich Center. Sunday the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl and set off days of celebrations. And today much of Louisiana is blanketed in snow!

Just around the corner is Mardi Gras and tonight we will celebrate it big time in the PMAC as #11 LSU welcomes Texas Woman’s University from Denton, Texas for a 7:00 pm gymnastics meet. Despite the cool weather, I sure hope you’ll come support the Tigers. This team has steadily improved throughout this season and is poised for a real breakout meet tonight.

Don’t forget that you can begin redeeming your vouchers for the Ashleigh Clare-Kearney bobble head dolls at tonight’s meet. Just stop by the Tiger Fan Zone at Portal C and pick up one of these collector’s items.

LSU Looks To Break Season High Team Score

Traditionally, LSU has put up some big scores against TWU. In fact, the last time the Tigers hosted the Pioneers (1/30/04), LSU scored 196.500 – a score that Head Coach D-D Breaux says should be the median team score for the Tigers the rest of the way should her team want to compete for a third consecutive Super Six appearance.

LSU has posted top school scores against Texas Woman’s an amazing 6 times. So, perhaps the judging will open up a bit tonight and the Tigers can stick landings. These could result in a very nice night for the Tigers.

Jackson Goes For School Record Tonight

Last Friday night against Alabama, LSU senior All-American Susan Jackson tied the school record for consecutive all-around titles to open a season with five. A win in the all-around tonight will set a new school record with 6. Jackson is tied with former All-American Sandra Smith, who won five-straight all-around titles to open her LSU career as a freshman in 1980. So, after tonight’s meet, there will either be a new record, or Jackson and Smith will remain tied in the record books.

Here’s how the pair have done it:

Susan Jackson, 2010, 5 straight all-around titles: Maryland, at Lady Luck Invitational, Auburn, at Florida, Alabama

Sandra Smith, 1980, 5 straight all-around titles: Texas Invitational, Georgia, Texas A&M, at Penn State, Louisville

It’s About Time

For the first time in 2010, Susan Jackson earned the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week Award. After three previous weeks as the Nation’s No. 1 all-arounder, Jackson had been overlooked for the SEC honor. But not even her career high 39.725 AA score a week ago against No. 1 Alabama could be ignored this week.

Jackson earned the award once last season after posting her then career high score of 39.700 against North Carolina State.

Tigers Scores On The Rise

Steady improvement in key individual scores has truly become apparent heading into tonight’s meet against TWU. For the first time this season, 12 of 24 routines are scoring 9.85 or better – a key barometer of both individual and team success.

This week in the practice gym Coach Breaux has preached stuck landings to go along with polish, presentation and self-confidence as a means towards adding precious tenths to each scoring routine.

Rankings On The Rise Too

Friday’s 196.475 against Alabama helped the Tigers’ season average to 195.380. This was good enough to earn the No. 11 spot in this week’s national rankings. Less than two-tenths separate LSU and Nebraska for No. 10.

In the team event rankings, LSU climbed one spot to No. 9 on vault with a 49.045 average, jumped three spots to 12th on bars with a 48.830 average, moved up four spots on beam to 14th (48.565) and remained 11th on floor (48.940).

Mike’s Eye On The Tigers

Here’s what I will be watching for tonight when LSU hosts Texas Woman’s:

- 196.500+ for the Tigers tonight – building off of last week’s 196.475.

- But will the snow mean a small crowd and less enthusiasm in the Maravich Center? The Tigers must create their own energy.

- TWU to use a lot of gymnasts – 12 have scored in two or more events this season and the Pioneers use up to 16 overall.

- Susan Jackson to set a new school record for all-around crowns won to open a season.

- Summer Hubbard to have a great meet. She was a couple of stuck landings away from having a breakout meet last week. She’s shown steady improvement the last few meets.

- Will the Tigers look fresh or be ripe for a letdown after the Alabama meet? After a good week in the gym, expect them to hit well tonight.

It’s “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez” night in the Maravich Center. Come catch some throws and have a great time with us.

Until next week, GEAUX TIGERS!

Mike

Total Team Effort Helps Tigers Trounce Tide

The LSU gymnastics team gave its best collective effort of the season last night in the Maravich Center as the 12th-ranked Tigers upset No. 1 Alabama by nearly a half-point. The victory was the first for LSU over a No. 1 ranked team since 2002 when the Tigers knocked off No. 1's in consecutive weeks (Utah and Alabama). LSU defeated Alabama last season in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 1976.

With thanks to Scott Hotard of The Advocate for his great coverage of the meet in this morning's Baton Rouge paper, I'd beg to differ on the headline. Yes, Susan Jackson had her career-best meet as an LSU Tiger (39.725 all-around which included two 9.950 scores). However, the most important headline from the meet is the complete team effort that went into, and resulted in, such an impressive victory.

Alabama Head Coach Sarah Patterson's post-meet comments painted the picture very accurately. "It was apparent from the moment we walked into the arena that LSU was on a mission, and the target was clearly on our back. Their coaching staff remarked that they had not had a great performance this season and tonight they were outstanding and I give credit to them and their coaching staff," she said.

A classy statement from a coach that clearly recognized the difference between an LSU team that struggled to a 195.050 score last week at Florida and the one we saw last night in Baton Rouge.

So what changed? First, the Tiger coaching staff revamped several practice procedures in the gym over the past week and, at the same time, renewed their commitment to helping this shorthanded 2010 Tiger team reach its goals. Second, the four LSU seniors were grouped together throughout the week's practices in an effort to foster the leadership required from each them down the stretch run of this season. Third, the coaching staff decided to allow each of the injured Tigers to dress-out and help cheer teammates throughout the meet - a subtle move that went a long way towards fostering a better team chemistry and camaraderie.

The results speak for themselves:

• The Tigers counted zero falls in the meet.
• First time this season the Tigers hit 49+ on each event.
  
• Senior Susan Jackson recorded her third 9.95 on vault this season.
  
• Senior Summer Hubbard set a new career high on vault with a 9.80.
  
• Sophomore Gloria Johnson tied her career high on vault with a 9.90.
• Junior Sam Engle tied her season high on bars with a 9.85.
• Susan Jackson tied her season high on bars with a 9.925.
  
• Freshman Shelby Prunty set a new season high on bars with a 9.775.
• Senior Sabrina Franceschelli led-off beam with a 9.80, which propelled LSU to a season-high 49.050.
• Gloria Johnson set a new season high on beam with a 9.80
  
• Senior Kayla Rogers set the tone on the floor exercise with a lead-off 9.875.
• Sabrina Franceschelli breaking the 39 point barrier in the all-around for the 3rd time this season.

D-D Breaux was quoted after the meet. "A win like this does so much to validate how we are training and what we are doing in preparation for the end of the season. It is all about getting to the end of the season healthy, and we are really excited to be at this middle point of our season and turn the corner on a real positive note."

Certainly LSU relies heavily on Susan Jackson for big scores. And she is very deserving of the accolades that showered upon her. But she cannot do it alone. Team efforts like the one the Tigers posted last night against Alabama prove that this team has the talent and desire to make it back to the NCAA Championships later this season. But as is the great conundrum of sports, it's not possible to make it all the way by focusing on outcomes. To ultimately be successful, teams must focus on each individual routine on each apparatus at each meet of the season.

To that end, the 2010 LSU Tigers turned an important corner last night.

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