LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux prefers quality to quantity.
But in the early weeks of the season, the No. 2 Tigers have given her both. Twelve LSU gymnasts have competed through the first two meets this year, proving Breaux is not afraid to tinker with her lineups.
In recent years, juniors Rheagan Courville and Jessie Jordan and senior Sarie Morrison carried the Tigers, but LSU’s depth gives Breaux multiple options to take the pressure off her superstars.
“We’ve got to back down on [the veterans] and put some pressure on those kids that have not made the lineup to get better and challenge so we can rest somebody if we have to be able to put them in,” Breaux said. “It’s nice to have depth, but it’s not the depth that’s going to win the competitions — it’s our best kids being their very best.”
Other than Courville, Jordan and Morrison, the best performers have yet to totally separate themselves from the pack. Breaux utilized the same vault and floor rotations against Centenary and Georgia, but spots in the uneven bars and balance beam lineup appear to be up for grabs.
On beam, freshman Sydney Ewing and sophomore Michelle Gauthier recorded a 9.75 and a 9.70, respectively. On bars, freshman Shae Zamardi picked up a 9.225 against Centenary before senior Kaleigh Dickson stepped back into the lineup and earned a 9.525 at Georgia.
Breaux sat Dickson out of every event except vault in the season-opener for lack of performance during practice the week before the meet.
Dickson competed in the all-around for most of her LSU career, and Breaux said she benched Dickson to send a message to her squad.
“[Dickson] is an All-American in the all-around,” Breaux said. “But if you don’t get the work done in practice and beat out your teammates and then turn around and support your teammates in that effort, you’re not going to make the lineup. It’s critically important that they develop consistency in practice so that we have consistency in performance.”
Breaux said her rotations will fluctuate on a week-to-week basis throughout the season and be determined by how well each gymnast competes at practice. The spots belonging to whoever posts the two lowest scores throughout the week are at risk, Breaux said.
“We’re at a point right now where we’re trying to find what works for us, no matter how many meets that takes,” Courville said. “We’re trying to get the exact lineup we want for the end of the season, and D-D does an awesome job of making us compete for our spots in the gym and pushing each other to get to where we want to be.”
Jordan said the increased competition has created a heightened level of intensity at practice. Courville said the variation in the lineups doesn’t bother her and her teammates because they don’t feel entitled to their spots in the rotation.
Though LSU’s lineups will become more consistent as the season progresses, Breaux was clear about what she wants the Tigers to be capable of by the time the national tournament comes around.
“We’ve got to be able to develop twelve 9.9’s throughout our lineup, and the one’s that aren’t a 9.9 have to be a 9.85,” Breaux said. “It’s not the number; it’s the quality of the number and kids rising to the occasion.”
“It’s nice to have depth, but it’s not the depth that’s going to win the competitions – it’s our best kids being their very best.”