LSU Gymnastics Honors a Legend While Eyeing the Future
There’s always a sense of urgency when LSU gymnastics steps onto the floor. Every meet matters. But this week, the Tigers are balancing more than just landings-they’re also taking a moment to look back and honor the legacy that helped build the program into what it is today.
On Wednesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, LSU will host a special premiere of The Fighting Tiger, an SEC Storied documentary spotlighting the life and legacy of former head coach D-D Breaux. The event is free to the public and starts at 6:30 p.m., offering fans a chance to celebrate the woman who helped shape LSU gymnastics into a national powerhouse. The film will make its television debut on the SEC Network on Feb. 13 at 9:30 p.m., immediately following LSU’s home meet against Auburn.
Breaux’s impact on the program is hard to overstate. She spent more than four decades at the helm, building LSU into a perennial contender despite early challenges and limited support. Current head coach Jay Clark, who Breaux brought in as her lead assistant back in 2012, reflected on her influence.
“It’s very appropriate that she be celebrated alongside coaching legends like Suzanne Yoculan, Sarah Patterson, and Greg Marsden,” Clark said. “They all faced uphill battles, but D-D’s was steeper in many ways. She laid the foundation for everything we’re enjoying now.”
Tigers Slip a Spot, But Stay in the Hunt
Despite a solid showing last week, LSU dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the national rankings, according to RoadtoNationals.com. The Tigers improved their season average from 197.467 to 197.519, but Florida leapfrogged them after posting a 198.050 in a win over Arkansas-a score that matches LSU’s season-best from two weeks ago against Kentucky.
Only four teams have broken the 198 barrier so far this season: Oklahoma (198.425), UCLA (198.150), Florida, and LSU. That’s elite company, and it’s a sign that LSU is still very much in the thick of the title chase.
Individually, sophomore Kailin Chio continues to shine. She leads the nation on balance beam with a 9.969 average, thanks to a perfect 10.0 against Kentucky and a near-perfect 9.975 at Missouri.
She’s also third nationally on vault (9.931) and ranks fifth in the all-around (39.500). That’s the kind of consistency and star power that championship teams are built around.
Fifth-year senior Courtney Blackson is making her presence felt on the uneven bars, sitting fifth in the country with a 9.919 average. Junior Amari Drayton is tied for seventh on beam (9.925), and sophomore Kaliya Lincoln is tied for ninth on floor (9.919). Across the board, LSU is stocked with top-tier talent.
A Nonconference Test with Penn State
With Oklahoma set to officially join the SEC gymnastics fold in 2025, the conference will soon feature nine programs-meaning one team will have a bye from SEC competition each week. This week, that’s LSU. But the Tigers aren’t taking the week off.
Instead, they’ll welcome No. 14 Penn State to the PMAC for a nonconference showdown on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The meet will stream exclusively on SECNetwork+.
Clark is intentional about scheduling these kinds of matchups.
“I want to bring in recognizable teams,” he said. “Penn State is a Big Ten school with a rich tradition in our sport. We owe it to our fans to bring in strong competition and teams they know.”
Because it’s a nonconference meet, LSU can experiment a bit more with its lineups. That includes exhibition routines-performances that don’t count toward the team score but give gymnasts valuable experience under the lights.
“It gives us a greater variety of people,” Clark said. “We can get athletes out there who might not otherwise be in the lineup.”
Transfer Culture: Building Without Losing
In today’s college sports landscape, the transfer portal is a constant factor. But LSU gymnastics has managed to buck the trend in one key way: since Clark took over as co-head coach in 2019 and then solo head coach in 2020, the Tigers haven’t lost a single gymnast to the portal.
That’s not just rare-it’s remarkable.
“I’m proud of that,” Clark said. “We have guardrails in place. We don’t take just anyone.”
This year’s roster includes several transfers who’ve found a home in Baton Rouge. Blackson, who spent four years at Boise State, has become a key contributor.
Senior Emily Innes joined from Washington. And junior Madison Ulrich, a transfer from Denver, is also making her mark.
Clark brought both Ulrich and freshman Nina Ballou to this week’s media availability, a sign of the trust and depth within the team.
“The current gymnasts accept people coming into the program,” Clark said. “They don’t see them as a threat.”
That kind of culture-welcoming, competitive, and unified-is part of what makes LSU gymnastics special. And as the Tigers look ahead to their next meet and beyond, they’re doing so with one eye on the future and another on the legacy that got them here.
This week, they’ll honor that legacy. But make no mistake-this team is very much focused on the now.