Kailin Chio Delivers in the Clutch as LSU Outduels Missouri in Top-10 Gymnastics Showdown
When the meet came down to the final routine Friday night in Columbia, LSU knew exactly who they wanted on the beam: Kailin Chio. The sophomore star had already proven she could handle the moment, and with the dual-meet title hanging in the balance, she delivered once again.
Needing a 9.90 or better to seal the win, Chio brought the house down with a near-flawless routine. One judge flashed a perfect 10, and her 9.975 score was enough to push No.
2 LSU past No. 7 Missouri, 197.675-197.500, in a high-stakes SEC clash at Mizzou Arena.
It wasn’t just a win-it was LSU’s best road score of the season, a strong response after a tough loss at Georgia two weeks ago. The Tigers improved to 4-1-1 overall and 2-1 in conference action, while Missouri, despite putting up its own season-high score, fell to 0-3 in SEC meets.
“We had some trouble on beam earlier, which we hadn’t really seen this season,” LSU head coach Jay Clark said post-meet. “But we improved our average, picked up a road win, and built some confidence. That’s a big step.”
Chio’s All-Around Brilliance
Chio’s night didn’t start perfectly-she opened with a 9.725 on bars after taking two steps on her landing-but she bounced back in dominant fashion. She tied for first on vault with teammate Amari Drayton and Missouri’s Railey Jackson, each scoring a 9.95.
Then she matched teammate Kaliya Lincoln on floor with another 9.95. By the time she stepped onto the beam, she was already in the zone.
And she didn’t just anchor LSU’s beam rotation-she won the event outright with that 9.975. Chio was the only gymnast from either team to compete in all four events, and she walked away with the all-around title at 39.600. That gives her 34 individual titles in just 19 career meets, already placing her 20th in LSU program history.
“That’s what she does,” Clark said. “If she gets mad, watch out.
There’s a fury underneath. A bonfire.”
And the pressure was real. Missouri, ranked No. 2 in the nation on floor, was closing strong with four routines scoring 9.90 or better in its final rotation. Meanwhile, LSU had to count a 9.75 on beam from Lincoln after Konnor McClain, competing just before Chio, had to steady herself with her hands to avoid a fall and scored a 9.55.
But Chio didn’t blink.
“I don’t actually watch the person in front of me,” she said in a post-meet interview. “I just went up there and did my gymnastics. I just wanted us to get a win on the road.”
Strong Start, Stronger Finish
LSU opened the meet on uneven bars and took a narrow lead after the first rotation, 49.375-49.275. Madison Ulrich, a junior transfer from Denver, set the tone with a season-high 9.925. That was matched later in the lineup by Courtney Blackson, a grad transfer from Boise State, while freshman Hailey Mustari stepped in for 2024 SEC bars champ Ashley Cowan and delivered a solid 9.90 in her collegiate debut.
“I needed to see what she would do,” Clark said of Mustari’s debut. “Early in the season, I like to mix things up when we can. We need as many people to get opportunities as we can without sacrificing our ability to win.”
The second rotation saw LSU extend its lead behind a big 49.425 vault score. Chio and Drayton both posted 9.95s, while Blackson added a 9.90 and McClain chipped in with a season-best 9.825. Missouri kept pace with a 49.350 on bars, but LSU held a 98.800-98.625 lead at the halfway mark.
Then came floor, where LSU-ranked just 11th nationally in the event coming in-put together one of its best floor rotations of the season. Chio and Lincoln both hit 9.95s, while Nina Ballou and Kylie Coen each added 9.90s. The Tigers posted a 49.550, their second-best floor score of the year, and stretched the lead to 148.350-148.025 heading into the final rotation.
Missouri made one last push on beam, scoring 49.475 to LSU’s 49.325, but Chio’s clutch performance sealed the deal.
What’s Next
LSU now turns its attention to a nonconference meet at home next Friday against Penn State. First vault is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, streaming on SECNetwork+.
As for Chio and the Tigers, this road win wasn’t just about the scoreboard-it was about sending a message.
“We can do extraordinarily more,” Chio said after the meet. “That was our baseline. We have so much more you haven’t seen yet.”
If that’s true, the rest of the SEC-and the NCAA-better take notice.
Meet Summary
Final Score
1.
#2 LSU - 197.675
2.
#7 Missouri - 197.500
LSU Event Scores
- Vault: 49.425
- Bars: 49.375
- Beam: 49.325
- Floor: 49.550
Individual Highlights (LSU only)
All-Around
- Kailin Chio - 39.600 (only all-around competitor)
Vault
- Kailin Chio - 9.95 (T-1st)
- Amari Drayton - 9.95 (T-1st)
- Courtney Blackson - 9.925
- Konnor McClain - 9.825
- Kaliya Lincoln - 9.80
- Lexi Zeiss - 9.775
Bars
- Madison Ulrich - 9.925 (T-2nd)
- Courtney Blackson - 9.925 (T-2nd)
- Hailey Mustari - 9.90
- Konnor McClain - 9.825
- Lexi Zeiss - 9.80
- Kailin Chio - 9.725
Beam
- Kailin Chio - 9.975 (1st)
- Amari Drayton - 9.925
- Kylie Coen - 9.85
- Lexi Zeiss - 9.825
- Kaliya Lincoln - 9.75
- Konnor McClain - 9.55
Floor
- Kailin Chio - 9.95 (T-1st)
- Kaliya Lincoln - 9.95 (T-1st)
- Nina Ballou - 9.90
- Kylie Coen - 9.90
- Emily Innes - 9.85
- Amari Drayton - 9.775