The already shorthanded LSU gymnastics team just got further depleted.
Sophomore Sarie Morrison, who finished last season with LSU’s highest averages in bars and all-around, will be out for a month after tearing cartilage in her ankle.
Morrison fought through a foot injury at the beginning of the season, competing only on bars the last two meets after competing on vault, bars and beam in LSU’s first meet at the Cancun Classic on Jan. 6.
“We’re going to be very conservative with her and optimistic and hope that we can get her back in four to five weeks on bars, and then add an event as quickly as we can after that,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux.
Morrison and freshman Lloimincia Hall shared the team lead on bars in LSU’s last meet, posting 9.85s Friday against Arkansas.
While Morrison will be out for an extended period of time, the Tigers could regain sophomore Maliah Mathis in another event Saturday at Georgia.
Mathis missed the season-opening Cancun Classic with a foot injury and has since only competed on vault. She posted a 9.775 in the event against Auburn and bettered that score with a 9.850 last week against Arkansas.
“We would like to put some pressure on Maliah Mathis,” Breaux said. “We’d like to think she could step up and give us the kind of performances she had last week.”
Breaux said she’d like Mathis to compete in the floor routine this weekend.
“Indications are this week we’re just maybe a hop from getting there,” Breaux said. “We’ll see how she does Wednesday and Thursday.”
LSU’s meet this weekend is on Saturday rather than the typical Friday, which should give Mathis and the rest of the Tigers time to recuperate from any minor ailments.
“We’re happy to have an extra day this week,” Breaux said. “I think it may make a difference for a couple of people. We’ve had just some real enthusiastic training, rebounding off of two good weeks back to back of stepped up, improved performances.”
The lineups altered throughout the first few meets as injured Tigers regained their health. Despite the inconsistencies due to injuries, LSU still managed to post a team score of 196.325 in its last meet — just a quarter of a point lower than its season-high last season.
Sophomore Kaleigh Dickson, another Tiger battling a foot injury, returned last week to post personal season-highs on vault (9.875) and beam (9.825).
She said the depth of the squad this year makes coping with injuries more manageable.
“I know that a lot of us train all four events, so we work to be in the lineup,” Dickson said. “If someone goes out, then we’re expected to step up and really hit our routines to be able to go in.”
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected].