Laidback and lighthearted, sophomore gymnasts Rikki L’Heureux and the No. 13 LSU will need to focus more tonight when they face No. 3 Georgia at 6:30, said Tigers coach D-D Breaux.
“She’s a free sprit,” Breaux said. “She’s one of a kind.”
Breaux said she thinks L’Heureux could perform with a slightly better work ethic.
“She could work harder,” Breaux said. “She’s conscientious. She could work smarter and harder. And I say that in making the turns, [it’s] the opportunities that you have count. If she would focus a little bit more and take herself more seriously, she wouldn’t have to spend as much time as she does.”
Breaux said that L’Heureux needs to focus more.
“It’s hard to get her channeled, to get her whole package together and moving in the right direction,” Breaux said. “She’s got this fragmented thought process. You never know what she’s going to come out with.”
Fellow teammate sophomore Megan Durning said that L’Heureux is a tough competitor but is easy-going.
“She’s very fun to work with,” Durning said. “She’s very light-hearted and has a lot of fun in practice and does well in the meet. She’s always smiling in practice all the time so I think she tries hard.”
L’Heureux said that she wants to get herself together and strive toward being reliable.
“I expect to be consistent because that’s what we’ve been working on in the gym,” L’Heureux said.
L’Heureux said she wants to be a part of the first team in school history to make it to the Super Six National Championship Meet.
“If we get our stuff together we should make the Super Six,” L’Heureux said. “This is an awesome team. If we train hard in the gym and show it off in the meets then we’ll be at the Super Six by the end.”
L’Heureux said she believes the team can beat Georgia tonight if it is consistent in all routines.
“If we train like we do in the gym and we go and compete in the meet just like we’ve been doing, hitting, stay focused all the way through to our last event then we’ll definitely beat Georgia,” L’Heureux said.
Breaux said she is confident that the team can beat Georgia if it eliminates mistakes.
“I think anybody can beat any team on any given night,” Breaux said. “The factor that has been affecting us has been the mental part of it, not being able to stay focused and hit everything and put together four good events.”
Breaux said this meet will be a great chance to take on stiff competition.
“It’s an opportunity to once again compete against a team that has a lot of history — that has won the national championship which is, of course, what we’re always aspiring to do, is to push for that title,” Breaux said.
Breaux said she knows the team is talented enough to win.
“I think this team is very talented and very deep,” Breaux said. “If we go over there and have a good night, stay focused and do what we can do physically and stay mentally tough, mentally focused, we should match up well.”