This week for the LSU gymnastics team will closely resemble next week’s Southeastern Conference Championships.
The third-ranked Tigers will compete in a quad-meet, tune-up soiree against Oregon State, Texas Women’s and New Hampshire at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Denton, Texas.
“Oregon State is a very good team,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux. “TWU is going to be a very tough opponent. They’ve upset people at home before.”
Multiple teams in a road atmosphere will parallel the conference title meet, and the Tigers (10-2, 6-1 SEC) will compete in the progression of bars, beam, floor then vault in both meets.
All of which makes senior all-arounder Jessica Savona smile.
“That’s my favorite order,” she said. “The best teams can go any order, any day, any time, and hit, but it has an advantage.”
Going into its 197.925-196.225 win against then-No. 3 Alabama last Friday, LSU knew the win would align two consecutive meets featuring the same rotational lineup, based on seeding for SEC Championships.
Facing competition ranked outside the top 25 in the nation for the first time all season, LSU’s focus remains simple.
“The focus for us is preparing for what we are going to be able to do at the SEC Championships,” Breaux said. “Lucky for us, we’ll have the same rotations on the same kind of equipment.”
To help with its opening rotation on bars LSU may get freshman all-arounder Lexie Priessman back from a nagging right ankle injury.
Priessman injured her ankle prior to LSU’s loss to Georgia on Feb. 13. She was in a walking boot for the first weeks of her recovery, but she returned to practice and landed on a normal surface this week, Breaux said.
The Tigers have rotated freshman all-arounder Julianna Cannamela and junior all-arounder Ashleigh Gnat into Priessman’s original slot. If she’s ready, she’ll perform, Breaux said, and she’s “very, very close” to being 100 percent healed.
With Priessman’s hoped return, LSU needs to improve one aspect of its gymnastics.
“Landings!” Breaux said.
Breaux said LSU will continue to throw exceedingly difficult skills, and if it sticks landings after the tough skills, good things will happen.