From Retirement to Revelation: How Courtney Blackson Became LSU Gymnastics’ Surprise Star
They call her “Granny B” around the LSU gymnastics facility - a nickname that’s part affection, part disbelief. Because Courtney Blackson isn’t your typical NCAA gymnast.
She’s 23. She’s already been through a full collegiate career.
And until recently, she thought she was done with competitive gymnastics for good.
Turns out, she wasn’t.
Blackson’s journey back to the mat reads like a sports movie script. LSU head coach Jay Clark and lead assistant Garrett Griffeth were on a recruiting trip in Boise, Idaho, last year when Clark, half-jokingly, asked a group at Mountain West Gymnastics, “Anyone here got any eligibility left?”
Blackson, now a coach at the time and a former standout at Boise State, hesitated. Then raised her hand.
“I think I do,” she said.
That offhand comment turned into a game-changer.
Clark turned to Griffeth and asked who she was. Griffeth filled him in: four years at Boise State, nine all-conference honors, 18 individual titles, and a perfect 10 on vault at the 2023 NCAA regionals.
Oh, and a runner-up finish at nationals in that same event. Not exactly someone you expect to be sitting in the bleachers.
Clark did some digging and confirmed it - Blackson had one year of eligibility left, thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-era extension. But before she could suit up for the Tigers, she had to officially enter the transfer portal. Even in retirement, she was still technically a Boise State gymnast.
Fast forward to last Saturday in Salt Lake City. LSU opened its season at the Sprouts Collegiate Quad, and there was Blackson, wearing purple and gold for the first time, stepping onto the competition floor for her first meet since the 2024 NCAA championships.
She didn’t miss a beat.
Blackson started her LSU career with a solid 9.825 on vault, then lit up the uneven bars with a 9.95 - good enough to tie for first with Utah’s Ella Zirbes. That score helped LSU notch a 197.500, tying preseason No. 1 Oklahoma for the top spot.
“It was a super exciting moment,” said Blackson, who beamed beneath LSU’s now-iconic “stick crown” during a mid-meet interview on ABC.
Just like that, “Granny B” had gone from retired coach to key contributor on one of the top teams in the country.
And make no mistake - her routines pack some serious firepower. As Clark put it, “The amplitude of what she does - the Markelov (on bars) or the Khorkina (on vault) - is just huge.
We’re glad she’s here. We’re happy for her.”
Blackson is happy too. She’s embracing the moment, the team, and the opportunity to compete again - something she thought was behind her.
“Being here at LSU is so much fun,” said the Elk Grove, California, native. “It’s a privilege and an opportunity. Definitely the whole package.”
She’s not trying to be the star, either. Blackson knows her role. She’s an event specialist, not an all-arounder like freshman standout Kailin Chio, who took the all-around title at the Sprouts meet, or fellow transfer Madison Ulrich from Denver.
“There’s so much depth on our team,” Blackson said. “I’m just ready to fulfill my role. Whether it’s on bars or beam or being a cheerleader, I’m happy to do that.”
That depth will be tested Friday when No. 2 LSU heads to Athens to take on No.
8 Georgia in their SEC opener (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network).
It’s a matchup loaded with history - Georgia is still the standard-bearer in college gymnastics with 10 NCAA titles and 16 SEC championships - but the Bulldogs are in rebuild mode under second-year co-head coaches Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts.
Georgia is coming off a strong 197.000-196.250 win at No. 16 Ohio State, and they’ll be looking to make a statement at home. LSU, meanwhile, is aiming to defend its share of the 2025 SEC regular-season title, which it split with Oklahoma.
Still, Clark isn’t putting too much weight on the early-season showdown.
“For the fans, the season opener means more,” said Clark, a Georgia alum and former head coach of the Bulldogs. “We do have a regular-season (SEC) championship, and we want to win these, for sure. But philosophically, I haven’t given it another thought.”
The focus, he says, is on execution - especially on the road, where quality scores can make a big difference come postseason.
“We’ve got to go compete and put a lineup out there to win this thing,” Clark said. “Road wins and road scores need to be good. But the message gets repeated to them all the time: It doesn’t matter who’s on the floor with us.”
Of course, sometimes it does matter who’s in the room - especially if they’ve still got a year of eligibility and a 9.95 bar routine in their back pocket.
SEC Standings (as of Jan. 16)
| Team | SEC | Pct. | Overall | Pct.
| Avg. |
|-----------|-----|------|---------|-------|----------| | Missouri | 0-0 | .000 | 4-0 | 1.000 | 197.230 |
| Florida | 0-0 | .000 | 3-0 | 1.000 | 197.725 | | Alabama | 0-0 | .000 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 197.475 |
| Auburn | 0-0 | .000 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 197.150 | | Georgia | 0-0 | .000 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 197.000 |
| LSU | 0-0 | .000 | 2-0-1 | .833 | 197.500 | | Oklahoma | 0-0 | .000 | 2-0-1 | .833 | 197.500 |
Friday’s SEC Matchups (All times Central)
- LSU at Georgia, 6 p.m.
(SEC Network)
- Alabama at Florida, 6 p.m.
(ESPN2)
- Arizona State at Kentucky, 6 p.m.
(SEC Network+)
- Oklahoma at Missouri, 7:45 p.m.
(SEC Network)
Sunday’s SEC Matchup
- Auburn at Arkansas, 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Courtney Blackson’s comeback wasn’t planned. It wasn’t expected. But it’s already paying off - for her, for LSU, and for anyone who loves a good second act in sports.