Courville wins Freshman of the Week honors for third time
LSU freshman gymnast Rheagan Courville was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the third time this season following her performance in Friday’s meet against West Virginia, the league office announced Tuesday.
Courville earned her fourth all-around title of the year with a season-high tying 39.500, while picking up her seventh vault title of the season and helping lead LSU to tie its season-high score of 196.850 in the team’s final home meet of the season.
The showing brought her total to a team-leading 17 individual titles this season – the most by a Tiger freshman since April Burkholder won 20 titles in 2003.
The Baton Rouge native is the first LSU gymnast to earn the honors three times in one season since the SEC began awarding the distinction in 2009.
Three track and field athletes win four Athlete of the Week honors
Following their performance in Saturday’s outdoor season opener at the Louisiana Classics meet, three members of the LSU track and field teams earned four spots on the Southeastern Conference’s Athlete of the Week list, which was announced Tuesday.
Freshman sprinter Aaron Ernest was named both the SEC Men’s Runner of the Week and SEC Men’s Freshman of the Week after claiming three event titles in collegiate outdoor debut.
The New Orleans native claimed the 100-meter dash title, setting a new wind-legal personal record with a time of 10.31 seconds, ranking him No. 3 in the NCAA. Ernest added the 200-meter dash title to his outing, running a 21.29 into a headwind of 1.5 meters per second.
A duo of Tiger discus throwers swept the SEC Field Athlete of the Week honors, with freshman Rodney Brown winning the SEC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and senior Samia Stokes being named SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.
Brown set a personal-best throw of 190 feet, 8 inches on his second attempt of Saturday’s competition en route to a second-place finish in his first collegiate outdoor appearance.
Miles opens practice to student body next Thursday
LSU students will get a unique opportunity next week. LSU coach Les Miles and the Tiger football team are opening practice to the student body on Thursday, March 29 for “LSU Student Appreciation Day.” Any LSU student with a valid ID can watch practice that day at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility from 4 to 6 p.m.
The players and coaches will also talk to students following practice for a meet-and-greet.
“We have the best student section in college football,” Miles said in a news release. “This is just a small way of saying thanks to our student body for their continued support and helping make Tiger Stadium the best place to play in college football.”
LSU has advised students who wish to attend practice to park in front of the LSU Soccer Stadium and enter the practice facility in the northwest corner of the complex, on the side closest to the vet school.
Hornets ink former Tiger Chris Johnson on Tuesday The New Orleans Hornets have a former Tiger on their roster again.
Chris Johnson, 26, was waived by the Portland Trailblazers on March 15 and claimed off waivers by the Hornets, the team announced Tuesday.
Johnson played for the Trailblazers since March of last season and also played briefly for the Boston Celtics in the 2010-11 season. Prior to his stint with the Celtics, he was a member of the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards.
He averaged 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in 35 games for the Wizards and was named the 2010-11 Defensive Player of the Year for the league.
The 6-foot-11, 210-pound Johnson played for LSU from 2005-09, averaging 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2 blocks in 88 games. He was named to the 2009 Southeastern Conference All-Defensive Team and the 2009 All-Louisiana Third Team.
 
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