A top-two matchup is on the horizon as No. 2 LSU gymnastics prepares to take on No. 1 Oklahoma on the road.
While the highly anticipated competition is sure to draw national attention come Friday night, the Tigers are approaching it with a business-as-usual mindset, knowing it’s just another opportunity to compete.
For LSU, an electric outing against Auburn has fueled the already anticipated matchup against Oklahoma. Even more so, the Tigers had the Sooners beat during Week 6 of the road to nationals with an overall score of 198.325 compared to Oklahoma’s 198.075.
“Friday night was the most complete meet that we’ve had, and it was a good time to do it,” coach Jay Clark said. “This is the right time of year where you want to, if you have to have, a kind of a turning point, but it’s only a turning point if we continue to move forward.”
Before the Penn State matchup in early February, Clark spoke of the Tigers’ excellent week of training in the gym in the days leading up to competition, but it was clear that they didn’t exactly find that consistency Friday night.
The following week against Auburn, LSU reset and found the momentum that hadn’t been entirely present against Penn State. It was abundantly clear that the Tigers harnessed their momentum as they set season-high scores across three events and in the overall score.
Though it was a breakthrough for the team this season, the Tigers’ biggest focus is the road ahead.
“This week is really not about what we did Friday night [versus Auburn],” Clark said. “It’s about coming down from that and being intentional about trying to adhere to and continue to advance the ball in terms of the standard that we want to see ourselves perform at.”
Both Oklahoma and LSU even out in terms of competitive performance. Where the Sooners have an edge on vault and balance beam, the Tigers have the edge on the uneven bars and floor.
The biggest battle for LSU heading into this top-two matchup is competing against itself, knowing that mindset and personal growth are what it can control.
“I would say it’s just another week — it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor with us,” gymnast Kylie Coen said. “It’s just LSU going to compete how we train every single week, we’re not going to train harder or less for whoever’s on the floor with us. It’s just going to be our normal every single day.”
Though regular-season meets hold importance for NQS scoring, the team has instead viewed them as valuable practice for postseason competition.
“We want to win every meet, but one win or loss is not a defining thing for us at this point,” Clark said. “What is defining is, are we progressing? Are we raising that floor of where we’ve been to where we’re trying to go?”
Friday night will also mark a historic night for the sport. It’s not often you see the top two teams battle during the regular season, and on top of this, it will be the first time in 12 years that the Tigers compete against the Sooners in Norman.
“It’s awesome for fans, it’s awesome for that campus, and I can remember a few years back, we had one versus two here with us and Florida,” Clark said. “Those are great things for your campus and your fan base and excitement, but we know where we’re going, and we certainly know who Oklahoma is, and we have the utmost respect for them. They are the gold standard.”
With everything on the line, LSU is gearing up for the matchup behind a mindset that is focused on improving its last performance, no matter how good or bad.
Even with the significance of the meet for both the team and the sport, the Tigers are approaching Friday night as a continuing step in the season’s growth, knowing whatever the outcome may be, it won’t be definitive.
“We’ll compete hard, and then we’ll move on to the next one, and we’ll have the same conversation next week, because Alabama comes here,” Clark said.
Excitement continues to stir as LSU travels deeper into SEC competition, but for now, the 1-2 matchup looms ahead for the purple and gold, promising both a challenge and an opportunity.
