By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team defeated No. 7 Missouri 197.675-197.500 on Friday night inside Mizzou Arena, securing its first win in Columbia since 2020.
“All it amounts to is a step in the right direction,” head coach Jay Clark told Tiger Rag after the meet on Friday. “It’s a more complete road meet than we’ve had so far and you know, nothing snowballed too much. We had some kids that were sick, not feeling well, but were still able to go and give us decent stuff.”
Despite a few miscues, the Tigers battled through their mistakes to come away with the win.
“That’s usually the mark of a good team,” Clark said. “They can fight, they can handle adversity and they’ve done that since the first meet. We have not seen things get out of control and that’s a mark of a mature team and a team that is highly competitive and they got a little edge to them and they’re developing that continuously.”
Sophomore Kailin Chio continued to show why she’s one of the best gymnasts in the entire country after taking home her third all-around title this season, with a total score of 39.600.
“She’s unique. I mean she’s a generational competitor in terms of mind. She’s just uncanny in terms of her consistency,” Clark said.
LSU (4-1-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) aimed to start fast on the road, opening the meet on uneven bars. Sophomore Lexi Zeiss led off with a 9.800, followed by a season-high 9.925 from junior Madison Ulrich. Freshman Haley Mustari impressed in her collegiate debut, earning a 9.900 in the third spot. Sophomore Kailin Chio scored a 9.725 after a deduction for a backward step. In the fifth spot, graduate student Courtney Blackson posted a 9.925, and junior Konnor McClain anchored the lineup with a 9.825, giving the Tigers a 49.375 on bars.
That's a season high for Mads 🙌
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) January 31, 2026
The junior scores a 9.925 in the second spot!
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/LAFff62Jd3
LSU held a slim 49.375-49.350 lead over Missouri (4-3, 0-3 SEC) after the first rotation and headed to vault for the second rotation of the night.
Zeiss led off for LSU on vault with a 9.775 while McClain followed with a steady 9.825. Blackson gave the Tigers some momentum in the third spot with a 9.900. Junior Amari Drayton followed with a season-high 9.950 in the fourth spot. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln scored a 9.800 after taking an extra step on her landing. Needing a strong anchor, Chio delivered with a 9.950 to close the lineup, bringing LSU’s vault total to 49.375. The score marked the Tigers’ highest vault total of the season.
THE BEST VAULT ANCHOR IN THE COUNTRY.
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) January 31, 2026
Kailin Chio delivers with a 9.950!
📺 SEC Network | @kailin_chio pic.twitter.com/frin6f3rqx
LSU led Missouri 98.800-98.625 at the halfway point and moved to floor for the third rotation.
Senior Emily Innes led off for LSU on floor with a solid routine, scoring a 9.850. Freshman Nina Ballou followed by tying her career-high with a 9.900 in the second spot, and junior Kylie Coen kept the momentum going by also tying her career high with a 9.900. Drayton scored a 9.775 after stepping out of bounds in the fourth position. Chio delivered a strong routine in the fifth spot, earning a 9.950. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln anchored the lineup with a 9.950 – tying her career high set last week against Kentucky – to bring LSU’s floor total to 49.550.
Kaliya Lincoln floor anchor is everything we needed and more. 👑
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) January 31, 2026
She closes with a 9.925!
📺 SEC Network | @KaliyaLincoln pic.twitter.com/q77mk5sVBm
Heading into the fourth and final rotation, LSU led Missouri 148.325–148.025.
LSU wrapped up the night on beam, with Coen leading off with a strong 9.850. Zeiss followed with a 9.825, and Drayton matched her career high in the third spot with a 9.925. The back half of the lineup brought some drama, as Lincoln scored a 9.775 in the fourth position and McClain earned a 9.550 after touching the beam to avoid a fall. Needing a strong finish, the Tigers turned to Chio to close out the meet. Chio needed just a 9.900 to secure the victory, and she delivered in the anchor spot with an outstanding 9.975, giving LSU a 49.350 on beam. The Tigers finished the meet with a 197.675 team score.
Our closer.@kailin_chio anchors with a 9.975!
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) January 31, 2026
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/3h0QUpfdGd
Be the first to comment