The No. 2 University of Georgia gymnastics team will not be the only dogs in the PMAC tonight at 7 p.m.
The No. 13 Tigers will be playing a role against the Bulldogs that they have not had to experience often this season – the role of the underdog.
LSU coach D-D Breaux said the Tigers will focus on their own performance rather than Georgia’s performance to be successful.
“That’s always a concern,” Breaux said. “I think that it is across the board in any sport. We talk about that and try to manage that by encouraging our kids to be in the purple zone, where you just focus on yourself and your performance.”
LSU comes into the meet after its highest-scoring performance of the season this past Friday defeating the University of Arkansas, 196.500-195.575.
The highlight of the meet was when the Tigers displayed consistency on the beam, where LSU has had several falls this season.
Breaux changed the Tigers’ practice routine before the Arkansas meet, and junior Emily Ellis said Breaux’s changes were key to LSU’s win.
“We practiced really good all week and we really were ready,” Ellis said. “I think that was the most prepared we’ve been. We had a solid six people at every event.”
Senior Kelly Phelan won the All-Around for LSU thanks to scores of 9.900 on the vault and 9.875 on the floor.
Phelan said she was pleased with the way she performed following a difficult week of practice.
“I was happy that I finally put it all together in the meet,” she said. “I mean there is always room for improvement, little things here and there.”
Despite winning the All-Around, Phelan said she still has to work hard to prepare for Georgia.
“You can’t just say, ‘Oh I won, so I don’t need to work on anything,'” she said. “Seeing the meet, we always look at the film after, and it makes you realize what you have to do that week to improve.”
Junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney continued to be consistent for the Tigers, posting a score above 9.700 on all four events.
Kearney finished as LSU’s top All-Around performer in three of the four Tiger meets this season.
Georgia comes into the meet after a 197.250 tie against the No. 1 team in the nation, the University of Florida.
Junior Katie Heenan led the Bulldogs against the Gators with a score of 39.650 in the All-Around.
Phelan said LSU needs to avoid worrying about the Bulldogs’ position in the polls in order to be victorious.
“We have to have confidence and not be intimidated just because they’re No. 2 and just because they’re Georgia,” she said. “We are just as good as them skill-wise, and it’s not going to be who has better skill that wins, it will be who hits.”
—–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]