LSU Gymnastics is heading to the NCAA Championship Semifinals with a 16th regional title and fourth straight.
The No. 2 Tigers handled their business at home Saturday, including for the second time in three days a pair of perfect scores, to advance to next round of national competition Thursday, April 16, in Fort Worth.
Sophomores Kailin Chio and Kaliya Lincoln provided 10.000 marks on the vault and floor, respectively, to lead the 197.825 team score to top No. 7 Stanford (197.225), which also advanced, and No. 15 Clemson (197.150) and No. 10 Michigan (196.750).
LSU swept the individual titles again, as Chio (9.975) and senior Ashley Cowan (9.900) took the balance beam and uneven bars, respectively.
The 49.650 team total on the floor was the program’s third-highest NCAA Regional score in the event.
Chio’s vault performance was her third perfect score of the week, 12th of the season and 13th of her career. And she also claimed the all-around title (39.750) with 9.800 or better in all four events, including 9.975 on the balance beam and floor.
Her 40 event titles this season joins elite company as one of just four LSU gymnasts to hit that number in a season, joining Sarah Finnegan‘s 49 in 2019, Susan Jackson‘s 45 in 2010 and Sandra Smith‘s 45 in 1980.
She and the Tigers will have the opportunity in just under two weeks to continue building on their success and compete for a national championship.
LSU SCORES
Vault
1. Lexi Zeiss (9.850)
2. Konnor McClain (9.850)
3. Victoria Roberts (9.900)
4. Kaliya Lincoln (9.825)
5. Amari Drayon (9.850)
6. Kailin Chio (10.000)
Uneven Bars
1. Lexi Zeiss (9.875)
2. Ashley Cowan (9.900)
3. Madison Ulrich (9.850)
4. Kailin Chio (9.800)
5. Haley Mustari (9.875)
6. Konnor McClain (4.600)
Balance Beam
1. Kylie Coen (9.900)
2. Lexi Zeiss (9.850)
3. Amari Drayton (9.825)
4. Kaliya Lincoln (9.875)
5. Madison Ulrich (9.825)
6. Kailin Chio (9.975)
Floor Exercise
1. Emily Innes (9.850)
2. Nina Ballou (9.850)
3. Kylie Coen (9.875)
4. Amari Drayton (9.950)
5. Kailin Chio (9.975)
6. Kaliya Lincoln (10.000)