The freshman-dominated LSU gymnastics team improved to No. 13 in the NCAA national rankings after earning its second victory last weekend at a meet against the University of Kentucky and Centenary College. Freshman April Burkholder captured the all-around scoring title at the meet with a score of 39.325.
Burkholder was sick for the three days prior to the meet, but LSU head coach D-D Breaux decided to let her compete.
“I was feeling a lot better than I was before,” Burkholder said. “But you don’t really feel sick when you are out there competing.”
She is the only Lady Tiger to place in the top 25 so far this season. Her career best performance of 9.925 in the floor competition ranks her 13th among the nation’s floor performers.
Breaux said she was not surprised by Burkholder’s strong performances.
“It’s really something I expect out of her,” Breaux said.
The team used this week to improve and prepare for tonight’s meet at Auburn.
“Our freshman demonstrated a lot of maturity, and our upperclassmen gave us good leadership,” Breaux said. “We are really using last week’s performance to be a better team and to help us get ready for another SEC competition.”
Auburn (4-2) features two former Tigers on their coaching staff. Head coach Jeff Thompson spent a few years at LSU as an assistant coach, while his wife, assistant coach Rachel Fruge Thompson, was an All-American gymnast during her time at LSU.
Breaux said her personal ties with the Auburn coaching staff will make no difference in how she approaches tonight’s meet.
“It is just another competitive opportunity,” Breaux said. “This weekend is a good opportunity for us to get a good team score and a good regional qualifying score.”
LSU is not taking the Auburn meet lightly and definitely not looking at it as a sure win. Auburn is ranked No. 15 in the nation according to the NCAA rankings and is coming off a victory at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
“Auburn is a very good team,” Breaux said. “They have more upperclassmen than we do. I think a lot of teams in the past have been able to go in and assume that it was going to be a win, but I would never assume that.”
The members of the team also are taking the challenge seriously, but they have confidence in their team’s ability to win.
“I think it’s going to be a tough meet, but I think we can win,” freshman Lyndsey Thompson said.
The meet will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net on a tape delay. The broadcasts are set for Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 2, at 3 a.m.