The No. 3 LSU gymnastics team seeks to finish its regular season on a high note in a tri-meet against Centenary and New Hampshire at 7 p.m. on Friday in Centenary’s Gold Dome.
LSU (11-1, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) hopes to finish with a high score to gain a favorable position in postseason competition. The Tigers plan to achieve this while developing the entire roster.
“We need to continue to develop our depth, and continue to give as many kids an opportunity as possible,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux. “Do this without jeopardizing our score because there is a lot riding on this score.”
Last season, the Tigers defeated Centenary, 197.200-181.275, in their inaugural meet. LSU last played New Hampshire on March 4, 2011, in a 196.000-194.350 victory.
Breaux does not see the Tigers’ upcoming meet as a chance to let off the gas pedal. Neither does freshman Myia Hambrick.
“We talk a lot as a team about staying in the process,” Hambrick said. “Meaning, taking it step-by-step while focusing on the big picture. That’s it.”
LSU plans to “stay in the process” by resting key gymnasts in its impending competition to prepare for the postseason. Breaux doesn’t see it as a break, but instead an opportunity to give other gymnasts experience going into postseason play.
“We have a few kids who haven’t vaulted, so we would like to give them the opportunity to vault,” Breaux said. “We have to rest [senior all-arounder] Rheagan [Courville] and do what is best for [senior all-arounder] Jessie Jordan. We are just going to have to weigh where we are with this team going into Friday.”
Courville was slowed down in consecutive meets because of an elongated flu recovery process. The typical all-arounder competed in only two events against both Alabama and Minnesota.
Courville’s absence was felt in the Tigers’ last meet appearance, but she and her senior counterparts still pushed the team to its latest victory against Minnesota, 198.375-195.450. Senior all-arounders Lloimincia Hall, Jordan and Courville led the team to a school-record score with their first perfect 10s of the season.
But to freshman Erin Macadaeg, her elders provide the team with much more than scores.
“The biggest influence on me has to be the team leadership that we have,” Macadaeg said. “The seniors are really great at being leaders and they are our biggest role models. They help us with everything. We get advice from them.”
Breaux uses the seniors’ leadership to provide consistency to her squad. Consistency is the main thing Breaux will rely on for answers Friday night.
“Consistency,” Breaux said. “We have to practice again being on the road. Becoming even more consistent. Can we stick our landings? Can we hit our handstands on the road? Can we do them as well as we did at Alabama and Auburn when the pressure was on? It is all very little things. It is also the awareness of staying healthy, continuing to do the fitness things, paying attention to the details. Everything you do counts.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.