The LSU gymnastics team is still trying to achieve the same level of success it found last season when the team reached the NCAA Super Six. In 2008, LSU averaged a score of 195.725 after three meets. This season, that average is down to 195.008. And the Tigers’ schedule has not given them much time to find a groove.On Friday night, then-No. 14 LSU opened up Southeastern Conference play against then-No. 8 Georgia, the four-time defending national champions.Despite posting their highest score of the season, the Tigers fell to the Bulldogs, 196.850-195.950.LSU’s season-high score helped the team move to No. 11 in the rankings. Georgia also moved up, jumping from No. 8 to No. 4.”If you measure it in wins and losses, it’s not what we wanted,” said LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux. “But it was a better performance than we’ve had the last two outings.”Georgia’s Courtney Kupets won the all-around title with a score of 39.650. The Bulldogs’ Tiffany Tolnay was second with a 39.400, and LSU’s Susan Jackson finished third, scoring a 39.300.LSU held a .05 lead after the first rotation. But the Bulldogs took a .275 advantage after the second rotation and never looked back.”We didn’t stick all of our landings,” Breaux said. “You add up those tenths, give me those five or six tenths back, and it’s a different competition.”Breaux said some of the drop off in scoring can be attributed to injuries. Senior Lauren Klein and sophomore Nicole Lyons have been out of the lineup all season. “Having those two out is a big miss,” Breaux said.Those injuries have opened the door for younger gymnasts to perform on the big stage, including freshman Gloria Johnson in Friday’s meet. Johnson posted a 9.825 and 9.725 in the vault and beam events, respectively. Breaux said gaining experience in a big meet after performing in both previous meets is part of the maturing process for young athletes.”[Friday] we really made some headway in letting [Johnson] experience having success at home in front of a good crowd,” Breaux saidAttendance at the meet was 4,369, the largest opening night crowd in LSU history. “We came out and we were like, ‘Wow, there are so many people here,'” said senior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney. “It definitely brought our spirits up, and we were ready to go.”Despite the loss, the Tigers still feel they can compete with anyone in the country.”It’s the just the third meet,” said junior Susan Jackson. “And we have so many girls in the gym that are doing so much more than you saw tonight.”
 
 
 
—-Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]