LSU Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 2 LSU Gymnastics (7-2-1, 4-2 SEC) took down No. 3 Alabama (5-3. 3-3 SEC) by a final score of 197.975-197.600 on Friday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
A crowd of 13,292 watched the Tigers take down No. 3 Alabama and extend their home win streak to 19 straight victories in the PMAC. LSU has not dropped a meet at home since January 16, 2023.
The night was highlighted by a perfect 10 from sophomore Kailin Chio, who claimed her third perfect score on beam this season in back-to-back weeks. She now owns five perfect scores this season and six in her career.
LSU took home four event titles on the night against Alabama. Chio took home the all-around with a 39.800, as well as the vault (9.975), beam (10.000), and floor (9.975) titles, bringing her total to 49 in her career and 27 this season.
LSU opened up the meet on vault where sophomore Lexi Zeiss led the squad off with a 9.875. Junior Konnor McClain followed in the second spot with a career-high 9.900 before sophomore Victoria Roberts sat down a vault and scored a 9.350 in the third spot. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln delivered a 9.875 in the fourth spot ahead of a 9.825 from junior Amari Drayton in the fifth slot. Sophomore Kailin Chio anchored the rotation with a near-perfect 9.975 to take LSU’s team score to 49.450.
LSU led Alabama after the first rotation, 49.450-49.375.
The squad moved to bars for the second rotation where Zeiss leadoff again for the Tigers and scored a 9.825. Senior Ashley Cowan executed a season-high 9.925 in spot two followed by a solid 9.900 from junior Madison Ulrich in spot three. Chio tallied a 9.850 in the fourth spot before a 9.825 from graduate student Courtney Blackson in the fifth spot. McClain anchored the event with a solid 9.900 to close out the second rotation and bring the event score to a 49.400.
At the halfway point, LSU held its lead over Alabama, 98.850-98.675.
The third event saw the Tigers on beam, where Zeiss started the squad off for the third time of the night to score a 9.800. Senior Emily Innes competed in the second spot to notch a 9.875 ahead of Drayton’s 9.175 following a fall. Lincoln picked up the momentum with a 9.875 in spot four and McClain kept things rolling with a huge 9.975 in spot five. Chio wrapped up the event with a stellar performance that scored a 10.000 and brought the rotation total to a 49.525.
LSU extended its lead over Alabama after three rotations, 148.375-148.175.
The fourth and final event brought the Tigers to the floor where Innes started off strong in the leadoff spot with a 9.900. Freshman Nina Ballou and junior Kylie Coen added a pair of their own back-to-back 9.900 in the second and third spots, respectively. Drayton executed a strong 9.925 in the fourth spot ahead of a tremendous 9.975 for Chio in the fifth spot. Zeiss closed out the night with a 9.900, to move the rotation score to a 49.600.
No. 2 LSU will conclude its double weekend on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. CT as the Tigers head down the road to the Raising Cane’s River Center for the Podium Challenge against Alabama, UNC and Arizona.
