By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team is aiming to bring home the program’s third consecutive SEC Championship when the Tigers take the mat Saturday evening in Session I at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma (7 p.m., SEC Network).
The nation’s top four teams will headline Session I, including No. 1 Oklahoma (16-0-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference), No. 2 LSU (11-3-1, 5-3 SEC), No. 3 Florida (12-2, 6-2 SEC) and No. 4 Alabama (9-5, 4-4 SEC). Head coach Jay Clark said the matchup is one fans won’t want to miss.
“This thing’s going to be fun,” Clark said Monday. “I told y’all on Friday night it’s going to be must-see TV. Top four teams in the country – you can’t get any better than that. If you’re not interested in seeing that meet, then you’re not interested.”
LSU enters the postseason coming off a strong week, posting its fifth score of 198 or higher in a 198.075-197.100 win over No. 8 Arkansas.
“Everybody’s doing really, really well, including us,” Clark said. “We’ve won the last two of these, and we certainly don’t feel like we’re walking in wearing short pants while everybody else is wearing long pants. We’re confident, and I’m sure every other team is confident as well. Everybody’s had amazing years, and I’m excited. These meets are the ones you hope to reach in a good place physically, mentally and emotionally so you can see the best of everybody.”
As LSU enters postseason competition, junior Konor McClain said the team’s approach remains unchanged.
“Nothing changes for us,” McClain said Monday. “It’s one day at a time, one meet at a time. Right now, we’re focusing on SECs, and then we’ll think about what’s next. We just try to keep the same mindset and get 1% better every day. That consistency is really important.”
Not only has LSU recorded three consecutive meets with scores of 198 or higher, but sophomore Kailin Chio continues to raise the bar each week. Last week, Chio became just the fifth gymnast in NCAA history – and the second in LSU history – to record three perfect 10s in a single meet.
She now ranks No. 2 in program history in career perfect 10s with 10, trailing only Haleigh Bryant, who has 18. Chio is also closing in on another milestone. With one more beam title, she would tie Sarah Finnegan’s single-season program record of 11.
Her performances haven’t gone unnoticed by her teammates, who are witnessing her consistent dominance firsthand.
“Not that we expect it, but we’re not surprised at all,” McClain said. “She does that every day in the gym, so when she goes out and competes, that’s just her being herself. I feel like she could take two years off and come back and do the same meet she just had on Friday. I don’t know how she does it, and I’m really trying to learn from her. It’s incredible.”
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