LSU gymnastics came into Friday night’s meet looking to bounce back and build momentum, but instead walked away with their second loss of the season - this time at the hands of No. 8 Georgia.
The Bulldogs edged the Tigers 197.200-196.850 in Athens, snapping a long drought in the rivalry. Georgia hadn’t beaten LSU since 2016, but they picked the right night to put together a complete performance.
For LSU, the meet started with promise but quickly turned into a test of resilience. The Tigers opened on bars - an event that had been a strength in their season opener - and the early routines backed that up.
Lexi Zeiss led off with a clean set and stuck the landing for a 9.900, setting the tone. Ashley Cowan followed with a 9.850, and Madison Ulrich added a 9.825.
It was a strong start, but the momentum didn’t hold.
Kailin Chio, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, had a tough moment on her transition from the high to low bar, falling and taking a significant deduction. She recovered to finish the routine with a stuck landing, but her 9.300 became a score LSU hoped to drop. Courtney Blackson steadied things with a 9.850, and Konnor McClain anchored with a stellar 9.950 - but the damage from the fall was already done.
On vault, the Tigers faced a similar situation. Zeiss again opened strong with a 9.850, and Ulrich followed with a 9.800.
But LSU couldn’t find consistency in the middle of the lineup. Victoria Roberts scored a 9.650, and Kathryn Weilbacher followed with a 9.525 - another score the team needed to drop.
Blackson and Chio helped close the rotation on a high note with scores of 9.850 and 9.925, respectively, but LSU found themselves trailing by 0.075 at the halfway point.
Head coach Jay Clark has emphasized the importance of learning how to fight through adversity, and that lesson was put to the test on floor. The rotation started with back-to-back 9.800s from Emily Innes and Ulrich, but McClain stumbled on her final tumbling pass and posted an uncharacteristic 8.975.
Chio responded with a solid routine, but another near-fall from Bryce Drayton resulted in a 9.575. Once again, LSU turned to its anchor, and Kaliya Lincoln delivered - her 9.925 was one of the highlights of the night.
Still, the Tigers entered the final rotation trailing by 0.300.
If there was a moment where LSU showed its grit, it was on beam. Kylie Coen opened with a confident 9.850, and Zeiss - in the middle of a standout night - followed with a 9.875 and another stuck landing.
Drayton bounced back with a 9.925, and Chio, shaking off her earlier fall, nailed a clutch 9.950 under pressure. Ulrich added a 9.850, and McClain closed with a 9.800.
LSU did everything it could to put the pressure on Georgia.
But the Bulldogs were equally dialed in. On floor, Georgia matched LSU’s intensity and then some. Their final three routines included two 9.925s and a 9.950 to seal the win, shutting the door on any comeback hopes.
It was a night of highs and lows for LSU - flashes of brilliance mixed with costly mistakes. Zeiss was a standout across the board, and the beam rotation showed the kind of resolve that can carry a team deep into the season. But the Tigers will need more consistency across all four events to get back on track.
Next up, LSU returns home for the first time this season, hosting Kentucky at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. CT. With the home crowd behind them and lessons learned from a tough road test, expect this team to come out swinging.