LSU’s golf, tennis and track athletes spent their winter break preparing for spring practice and the upcoming spring seasons. Jarrod Barsamian, senior men’s golfer, said he relaxed after the team’s last fall tournament, but when he went home for the break, he got back to work. “I worked on my game and had a couple lessons,” Barsamian said. “I worked on short game and putting, mainly.”    The No. 24 men’s golf team begins its spring season Feb. 14 at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.Sophomore golfer Megan McChrystal said the Lady Tigers will start practice Tuesday, but she didn’t wait until then to get on the greens.”Over the break I pretty much played golf every day,” she said. “I took some lessons and had my putting coach down and my swing coach down.”The No. 13 Lady Tigers begin their spring season Feb. 16 in Parrish, Fla., at the Central District Invitational. Senior Megan Falcon, who enters the spring ranked No. 5 nationally for the women’s tennis team, said she only practiced for about a week during the break because she took a winter session class and was sick. Falcon said team practice started Friday, but everyone had been practicing over the break. The women’s tennis team starts its spring season Jan. 17 against Colorado in Boulder, Colo.Senior James Cluskey, who enters the spring season ranked No. 24 in the singles regional rankings and No. 12 in the doubles regional rankings with partner Michael Venus, said he went home to Ireland and played in the national indoors. “I made the quarters in singles and won the doubles,” Cluskey said. “That might help with fitness and conditioning, because as soon as we come back next week we have SEC Indoors and then we have national indoors after that.”The men’s tennis team begins the spring season Jan. 16 at the SEC Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky.Senior distance runner Christina Porter said the break was helpful.”It was good so I could get my mileage up, but I think I found my barrier because I am coming off some tender shins which was caused by running over the break,” Porter said.Senior distance runner Jacob Simmons said he trained with the intention of avoiding injury.”I actually made it through the holidays without getting hurt, so I’m excited about that,” Simmons said.The men and women’s track and field teams start their indoor seasons ranked No. 8 and No. 2, respectively, Jan. 22 in Baton Rouge at the LSU Combined Events.—-
Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]