LSU did far better than “survive and advance” Thursday, riding a program-record regional score into Saturday’s regional final.
Sophomore Kailin Chio posted perfect 10’s on both the vault and the floor to help lead the No. 2 Tigers’ stellar 198.375 team score in the opening round of the national postseason, marking the program’s fourth-highest team score in any setting.
The Henderson, Nev., native became just the second gymnast in LSU history to score multiple 10’s in a regional, joining Haleigh Bryant on vault and bars in the 2024 Fayetteville Regional final. Her all-around 39.825 was also the second-highest regional score in program history, trailing only Bryant’s 39.850 two years ago.
Chio’s night now moves her season and career totals of perfect scores to 11 and 12, respectively, and of individual titles to 37 and 60, respectively.
Chio, senior Ashley Cowan and junior Konnor McClain split the bars title with 9.950 scores, and junior Amari Drayton and sophomore Kaliya Lincoln split the beam with the same 9.950 marks as the Tigers swept all four events in both team scores and individual leaders.
LSU and No. 15 Clemson (196.800) advanced from Thursday evening’s session and will face No. 10 Michigan and No. 7 Stanford, the top-two teams in Thursday afternoon’s session.
The final is scheduled to begin Saturday at 5 p.m. — the Tigers’ last outing of the season in Pete Maravich Assembly Center — with the top two teams advancing to the NCAA Championship Semifinal on Thursday, April 16, in Fort Worth.
LSU SCORES
Vault
1. Lexi Zeiss — 9.850
2. Konnor McClain — 9.900
3. Victoria Roberts — 9.875
4. Kaliya Lincoln — 9.850
5. Amari Drayton — 9.850
6. Kailin Chio — 10.000
Uneven Bars
1. Lexi Zeiss — 9.900
2. Ashley Cowan — 9.950
3. Madison Ulrich — 9.850
4. Kailin Chio — 9.950
5. Courtney Blackson — 9.875
6. Konnor McClain — 9.950
Balance Beam
1. Kylie Coen — 9.900
2. Lexi Zeiss — 9.750
3. Amari Drayton — 9.950
4. Kaliya Lincoln — 9.950
5. Konnor McClain — 9.900
6. Kailin Chio — 9.875
Floor Exercise
1. Emily Innes — 9.900
2. Nina Ballou — 9.900
3. Kylie Coen — 9.975
4. Amari Drayton — 9.950
5. Kailin Chio — 10.000
6. Kaliya Lincoln — 9.950