By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team won its 19th straight home meet after defeating No. 3 Alabama, 197.975-197.600, in front of 13,292 fans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday night.
“Nipped and tucked through the whole thing and we showed a lot of guts,” head coach Jay Clark said after the meet on Friday. “Couldn’t really capture any sustainable momentum, but we never let things get away from us either. So we just had to kind of grind one out tonight.”
To no one’s surprise, sophomore Kailin Chio claimed her seventh all-around title this season, posting a 39.800 score. She earned another ten this week – her fifth on the season which came on beam.
Chio said she couldn’t have scored a 10 without junior Konnor McClain’s supporting 9.975 routine.
“I actually got off the beam and told Konnor, ‘That was amazing,'” Chio said after the meet. “Seeing her go up before me and hit one of the best beam routines of her life – she deserved that ten in my eyes and I just got off that beam and told her, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ I just had her back and just honestly did it for her. I saw her emotional before my routine and that just kind of reminded me like how much work she’s put in and I’m super proud to be able to end off that beam rotation and do it for my team.”
LSU (7-2-1, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) started the night off on vault after it recorded a season-high 49.575 against Oklahoma last week. Sophomore Lexi Zeiss led Friday’s meet off with a strong 9.875. McClain returned to the lineup after missing last week’s meet with a forearm injury and she posted a season-high 9.90. Sophomore Victoria Roberts scored a 9.350 after a shaky landing in the third spot. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln followed with a 9.875. Junior Amari Drayton posted a 9.825 in the fifth spot.
After earning her first ten on vault last week, Chio anchored with a 9.975, bringing LSU’s score to 49.475 after one rotation.
You know her and you love her.
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) February 28, 2026
It's a 9.975 for @kailin_chio in the anchor spot!
📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/FXOhqqV2If
LSU held a 49.450-49.375 lead over Alabama (5-3, 3-3 SEC) after the first rotation of the night. The Tigers moved to uneven bars.
Zeiss led LSU off on bars with a 9.825. Senior Ashley Cowan followed with a season-high 9.925 in the second spot. Then, junior Madison Ulrich recorded an impressive 9.90. In the fourth spot, Chio posted a 9.850. Fifth-year senior Courtney Blackson scored a 9.825 in her first routine of the night. The Tigers needed a strong finish after and that’s just what McClain gave them. She anchored with a 9.90 to bring LSU’s bar total to 49.400.
Come for the stick, stay for the celly
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) February 28, 2026
It's a season high 9.925 for Ash 🫡
📺 SEC Network | @AshleyCowan16 pic.twitter.com/yGbkbWvWrn
At the midway point, LSU led Alabama 98.850-98.675. The Tigers moved to balance beam for the third rotation of the night.
Zeiss led off the beam team off with a 9.80. Senior Emily Innes built momentum in the second spot with an impressive 9.875. Drayton followed with a 9.175 after a rare fall, but Lincoln quickly made up for it, scoring a 9.875 in the fourth position. Needing another clutch routine, McClain delivered once again, posting a season-high 9.975 in the fifth spot.
But the Tigers weren’t finished. Chio anchored the beam lineup with a perfect 10 for the second straight week — her fifth of the year and second on beam. Chio’s ten brought LSU’s beam score to 49.525.
THE BEAM QUEEN 👑
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 28, 2026
Kailin Chio STICKS her sixth career Perfect 10, 3rd on beam‼️ pic.twitter.com/WrIuYHlmDH
LSU went into the fourth and final rotation of the night with a 148.375-148.175 lead. The Tigers looked to finish strong on floor.
Innes gave the Tigers a great start on floor, scoring a 9.90 in the leadoff spot. Freshman Nina Ballou followed with a 9.90 in her first routine of the night. Junior Kylie Coen earned the third straight 9.90 of the rotation in the third spot. Drayton kept the momentum going, following with a 9.925. Chio was just shy of her second ten of the night, posting a 9.975 in the fifth spot. Zeiss anchored the floor lineup with a 9.90 in her second collegiate routine on the event. LSU finished with a 49.600 on floor.
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