The eighth-ranked LSU gymnastics team (2-0, 1-0 SEC) returns to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against No. 6 Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at 3 p.m. CT Saturday in what is expected to be a sold out arena.
There are a limited amount of general admission tickets still available at LSUtix.net. Doors to the arena will open at 1:15 p.m. for all fans. There will be 1,000 cancer awareness t-shirts at the doors and Cane’s three-finger combos for the first 250 students. Following the meet there will be a post-meet autograph session in the Legends Club and 4,000 trading cards for fans.
“This is a really exciting meet for so many reasons,” LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark said. “We are expecting a rocking crowd on Saturday afternoon when Auburn steps on the floor. They bring a lot of great energy and are a really good team top to bottom. For our team, we have had a really great week of practice, and I am excited that we are healthier and will have Kiya (Johnson) and Haleigh (Bryant) back on floor. It really should be a big afternoon for LSU and Auburn on national television in front of a great crowd.”
Introductions begin at 2:45 p.m. CT with first vault on ESPNU at 3:02 p.m. Alex Perlman and Bridget Sloan will have the call from home. Fans are encouraged to download the LSU Sports Mobile app and be a part of the introduction show. Open the app and go to more, tap Tiger Lights and allow access to microphone. When the screen say waiting to sync then you’re ready to go.
LSU is going for its 300th overall win in the PMAC on Saturday against Auburn. LSU’s home for 250 meets since 1975, the PMAC has provided one of the best atmospheres in all of collegiate gymnastics. The Tigers own a winning percentage of .830 in 48 years of competition in the arena.
Johnson and Bryant, two of the top gymnasts in the country, are expected to return to the floor lineup for the first time in 2022. Johnson has competed on vault, bars and beam as she continues lighter training because of a tender Achilles. Bryant will also compete on at least vault, bars and floor against Auburn. In the season opener, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year suffered a partial plantar fascia tear, which hindered her training on beam and floor.
LSU freshmen KJ Johnson and Aleah Finnegan have made an impact in the two meets. Johnson is in on vault and floor with career high scores of 9.90 on both events. Finnegan made her debut for the Tigers on beam at Georgia. She scored a 9.875 in her first collegiate routine and is expected to get her first crack at the floor lineup on Saturday.
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