Spring practice for any collegiate football program is a time to start rebuilding the team, from revamping a defense or offense or replacing key position players.For LSU’s gymnastics team, fall practice this season is a time for the Tigers to replace former standout gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, an All-American and two-time national champion.But senior all-arounder Sabrina Franceschelli isn’t too worried about having to replace Clare-Kearney because she knows the team returns four All-American seniors to this season’s roster in hopes of making a third-consecutive Super Six appearance.The process of starting new with fall practice began Sept. 20.”The four of us are trying to build a leadership,” Franceschelli said. “We’re trying almost to not replace Ashleigh at all but get to that standard at the beginning of the year. She was one of the higher-scoring gymnasts, but now we feel like we have four high-scoring gymnasts.”One important aspect of the Tigers’ fall practice has been conditioning.Senior Summer Hubbard said fall practice has been useful in getting the team into what she believes is the best physical shape in which it has ever been.Hubbard added fitness training now will help the team be able to compete at a high level come the end of the season.”Our fitness level is a lot better this year,” Hubbard said. “We are progressing a lot earlier and a lot faster than we were in the past, so we are in a great spot.”Another thing taken care of in the fall is floor routine choreography.Jewel Fourrier — daughter of LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux — is unable to help as much as in the past with music selection and routine choreography because of the recent birth of her second child, pushing Clare-Kearney and former gymnast Paige Cipolloni to help make routines.LSU senior gymnast Susan Jackson said while the freshmen are getting routines in place, some upperclassmen may make small changes to routines to correct mistakes from last season.
“We have to perfect the small things that we had trouble with last year,” Jackson said. “For me, it’s little things like perfecting hand-stands on bars and sticking landings. All my skills will be the same, but I just want to perfect them. I’ve also got a new floor routine.”Through two intrasquad meets, Jackson said she feels four or five spots have been solidified in each apparatus for the Tigers’ lineups.Breaux said the upperclassmen have been competing well, but she is worried about the middle of the lineup for her team.
“The depth of our team is going to have to come from kids with little or no experience,” Breaux said. “As they gain experience and confidence, the team is going to get better and better.”But the future is looking bright for the Tigers, as both Breaux and Hubbard said they have been impressed with how well the freshmen have been competing early in fall practice.
“The freshmen are progressing well,” Hubbard said. “We have awesome freshmen that are meshing well with the team. It’s all a new experience for them, but they are doing a great job of pushing through it.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]