Kailin Chio dazzled once again, and Kaliya Lincoln showed incredible grit, but LSU's gymnastics team fell just short of clinching their third consecutive Southeastern Conference championship on Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
LSU, seeded second, led halfway through but ultimately finished third with a score of 197.950. Florida, the third seed, narrowly claimed victory with a 198.175, edging out top-seeded Oklahoma, who scored 198.150. Alabama came in fourth at 197.475, just ahead of Georgia at 197.450.
"We were very good," LSU coach Jay Clark commented, "but we were not great. With the top four teams in the country on the floor, you’ve got to be dialed in."
Chio captured the SEC all-around title with a score of 39.775, surpassing Florida’s Kayla DiCello. She also took the vault title with a 9.975. Lincoln tied for the SEC floor title with a 9.95, sharing the spotlight with OU’s Keira Wells and Mackenzie Estep, and Alabama’s Gabby Gladieaux.
Florida’s Selena Harris-Miranda and OU’s Faith Torrez both achieved perfection on bars and beam, respectively, with perfect 10s.
These victories marked Chio’s first two SEC titles, adding to her impressive 56 career individual wins, including 31 this season. "She continues to do amazing things," Clark praised. "She’s the model of consistency."
Starting on the uneven bars, LSU saw strong performances from Lexi Zeiss and Madison Ulrich, both earning 9.90s, and a 9.95 from Chio. However, they had to count a 9.85 from Ashley Cowan after Konnor McClain stumbled, leading to a 49.475 after the first rotation, trailing Florida.
On balance beam, LSU took the lead thanks to solid routines from Lincoln, McClain, and Chio, scoring 9.90, 9.95, and 9.95, respectively. This pushed LSU to 98.975, just ahead of Florida and Oklahoma.
The Tigers excelled on floor, scoring 49.525, highlighted by Lincoln’s 9.95. Yet, Oklahoma’s Torrez scored a perfect 10 on beam, nudging the Sooners ahead going into the final rotation.
Despite Chio’s 9.975 on vault, LSU managed only a 49.450, while Florida surged with a 49.800 on beam to secure the win. Lincoln, battling elbow pain, delivered strong performances across events, showcasing her resilience.
"We limited her in warmups," Clark noted. "But she was confident from practice."
LSU now looks forward to the NCAA selection show, assured of a top seed for the regional they will host. The top two teams from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We’ll get a little rest, then get back at it," Clark said. "Our fans shouldn’t doubt that this team is capable of winning everything."
SEC Team Standings:
- Florida 198.175
- Oklahoma 198.150
- LSU 197.950
- Alabama 197.475
- Georgia 197.450
SEC Individual Titles:
- All-Around: Kailin Chio, LSU, 39.775
- Vault: Kailin Chio, LSU, 9.975
- Bars: Selena Harris-Miranda, Florida, 10.0
- Beam: Faith Torrez, Oklahoma, 10.0