By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team secured a 198.075-197.100 victory over No. 8 Arkansas on Senior Night Friday in front of over 13,000 fans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. It’s the Tigers’ fifth score of 198.000+ this season.
Even though she did not compete in the all-around, sophomore Kailin Chio still stole the show. She earned three perfect 10s on the night – one each on vault, beam and floor – bringing her season total to nine and her career total to 10.
Chio said that rather than putting pressure on herself to keep performing so consistently, she simply focuses on going out and competing while trusting the craft and instincts she has developed over time.
“I think at this point in my career, you’ve been doing it for so long, so you never really think about it,” Chio said after her remarkable performance. “Your body knows how to flip at this point. It’s just muscle memory and just going out there and being free of mind and just take each meet as a new day and opportunity.”
Chio is the first LSU gymnast to record three perfect 10s in a single meet since Haleigh Bryant accomplished the feat on March 10, 2023, against West Virginia.
Chio said Bryant being by her side tonight made the night even more special for her.
“I look up to Haleigh so much,” Chio said. “Having her as a teammate and now having her as a coach, it’s just a full circle. It’s just her being by my side through literally everything. I go to her for anything. I think we’re just in the same kind of boat that were and so she just really helps me with not trying to duplicate anything. And so just having her as a former teammate and as a coach has been really great.”
Head coach Jay Clark credited Chio’s consistent mental sharpness for her ability to go out and perform at such a high level tonight.
“If you’re free-minded and you are aggressive in your mindset, anything can happen. And it’s like anything else. Sometimes stars got to line up for things like that to happen,
LSU (11-3-1, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) looked to start strong on vault after posting its second-highest score on the event last week in Gainesville, Florida. Sophomore Lexi Zeiss led off Friday’s meet with a 9.825. Fifth-year senior Courtney Blackson followed with a 9.775 in the second spot.
Sophomore Victoria Roberts steadied the Tigers in the third spot, recording a career-high 9.900 to provide a spark. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln followed with an outstanding 9.950, while junior Amari Drayton posted a 9.850 in the fifth spot.
Needing a strong anchor, Chio delivered. Chio stuck her landing to earn her seventh perfect 10 of the season and the eighth of her career – her second perfect score on vault this year. The performance pushed LSU’s vault total to 49.525.
Literal perfection at its finest.
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) March 14, 2026
Kailin gets her third career 10 on vault and seventh perfect score this season!
📺 SEC Network+ | @kailin_chio pic.twitter.com/my6wJT4FQ3
LSU held a commanding 49.525-48.800 lead over Arkansas (5-7-1, 2-5-1 SEC) after the opening rotation. The Tigers moved to uneven bars for the second event of the night.
Zeiss led off the bars lineup with a steady 9.850. Senior Ashley Cowan followed with a 9.825 in the second spot after taking a slight step on her landing. The middle of the lineup once again helped settle the Tigers, as junior Madison Ulrich posted a 9.90 in the third spot and graduate student Alexis Jeffrey added a 9.850 in the fourth. Blackson recorded a 9.30 after a rare fall, but junior Konnor McClain came through in the anchor spot with a 9.975 to bring LSU’s bars total to 49.375.
No one better to close us out. @_KonnorMcClain anchors with a 9.950!
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) March 14, 2026
📺 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com/tJISiatwrj
LSU led Arkansas 98.900-98.175 at the midway point. The Tigers moved to balance beam for the third rotation.
Junior Kylie Coen led off the beam lineup with a 9.750. Lexi Zeiss and Drayton followed with matching 9.825s in the second and third spots. Lincoln delivered a much-needed 9.90 in the fourth position. McClain then put together an outstanding routine for a 9.925 in the fifth spot.
Chio anchored the rotation with another perfect 10.0 – her fifth on beam this season – to lift LSU to a 49.475 on the event.
We are all witnesses.
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) March 14, 2026
Kailin gets her FIFTH perfect 10 on beam this season and SECOND 10 tonight 🫢
📺 SEC Network+ | @kailin_chio pic.twitter.com/6ZYGcQD1Tl
LSU held a 148.375-147.600 advantage over Arkansas heading into the fourth and final rotation of the night.
Senior Emily Innes recorded a strong 9.850 in the lead off spot on floor. Freshman Nina Ballou earned a 9.90 in the second spot. Coen followed with an impressive 9.925. In the fourth spot, Drayton posted a 9.90.
Chio followed with her third ten of the night and second on floor this season. But LSU wasn’t done. Lincoln anchored the floor lineup with a fantastic routine to earn a career-high 9.975 to bring LSU’s floor score to 49.700.
At a loss for words.
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) March 14, 2026
Kailin gets her second 10 on floor this year, third tonight and ninth this season!
📺 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com/IQ6a72Y7a7
LSU will head to Tulsa next weekend as it competes in the SEC Championships on Saturday inside the BOK Center (7 p.m., SEC Network).
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