The No. 4 LSU gymnastics team is using this week to prepare for an unfamiliar meet format.
LSU (19-2, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) will be competing in a six-team competition at the NCAA Regional in Ames, Iowa. All teams will be subjected to resting rotations — or bye rotations — throughout the competition.
“It will definitely be a different experience,” said freshman all-arounder Erin Macadaeg. “We have never been in a meet with a bye, at all. So, it will be interesting to see how that goes.”
The Tigers will begin the meet on bars then move to beam. Next, they will sit out for an entire rotation, preparing themselves for floor and vault. The team will end the meet with another bye-rotation, watching to see how the other teams finish competition.
LSU will have to prepare for unnatural meet conditions in order to achieve its ultimate goal.
“Obviously, placing top two at regionals is the goal and making it to semifinals,” said freshman all-arounder Myia Hambrick. “Coming away with a win at regionals would definitely give us something extra, like a little bit of an edge. If you win your regional, then obviously you go into NCAAs with a higher expectation. That is a goal, but now, we are trying to work through and eliminate any kinks.”
Hambrick and Macadaeg have been exposed to pressure throughout the season because of their inexperience and immediate action in the lineup.
Hambrick is not affected by nerves anymore. She said it is about competing and winning at this point in the season.
“By this point, it is not first-meet jitters,” Hambrick said. “It is just get out there and improve on what you may have messed up on or capitalize on what you did good on in the previous meet. I’m ready to go out there and do what I can to help out.”
The tandem is curious about the competition’s format, while trying not to add anymore pressure on themselves.
“It doesn’t add pressure,” Hambrick said. “It definitely is different because we don’t do that in normal meets. We literally have to sit there and not do anything for 20 minutes. That will be different. We may get cold, but I think we will be fine.”
LSU coach D-D Breaux struggled dealing with breaks in the action due to television commercial interference earlier this season. However, the regional meet will not be televised, so Breaux has to focus on how her team handles its bye rotations.
“The thing about this rotation is that we have the shortest meet,” Breaux said. “We start on bars, then go to beam, then a bye before our last two events. At the same time, we are going to be faced with byes. I’m glad we have one in the middle.”
The Tigers have had two weeks to prepare for its regional meet on April 4 after a second-place finish at the SEC Championships on March 21.
The team said preparation is key, and in this case, unusual preparation for the rotation schedule and arena atmosphere is key.
“We have trained for that,” senior all-arounder Rheagan Courville said. “We know how to prepare for that. We know how to prepare for all different kinds of crowds. We have prepared ourselves for everything that we will see in the postseason.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.