LSU Wins, But Leaves Plenty on the Table Against Penn State
It wasn’t the night LSU gymnastics had envisioned, but it was still a win. Hosting No. 14 Penn State at the PMAC, the Tigers walked away with a 197.500 and the victory - yet the mood in the building didn’t quite match the scoreboard.
“You get a win, you still get a 197.500, whatever it was, and yet it doesn't feel great,” LSU head coach Jay Clark said post-meet. “It’s kind of just bland.”
And that summed it up. LSU led from start to finish, holding a cushion of more than half a point throughout the night. But season-low scores on bars and beam - two events that have been LSU’s bread and butter this season - left the Tigers feeling like they left something on the mat.
Vault Sets the Tone
The night actually started on a high note. Vault, which has been a slower-developing event for LSU this season, came out firing.
Lexi Zeiss led off with a clean 9.875, setting the tone early. Konnor McClain followed with a 9.825, and although Courtney Blackson’s 9.750 would be dropped, the back half of the rotation brought the fireworks.
Amari Drayton delivered a 9.925, Kaliya Lincoln followed with a 9.875, and then Kailin Chio capped it all with a 9.975 - LSU’s highest vault score of the season.
“I thought we got out to a good start, captured the momentum,” Clark said. “Wanted to try to do that again, and just never really did it again.”
Bars: A Bumpy Ride
That momentum didn’t carry over to bars, where things got rocky fast. Zeiss opened with a 9.775, and in her season debut, Alexis Jeffrey - returning from back surgery - had a tough landing on her dismount, scoring a 9.675.
“She's kind of known for the ginormousness of that dismount,” Clark said. “She normally just plants it. But I don’t know if she was just overthinking it tonight.”
Fortunately for LSU, Madison Ulrich stepped up big. Her 9.950 steadied the rotation and gave the Tigers a much-needed lift.
Chio followed with a 9.900, and Blackson and McClain added matching 9.825s to close it out. Still, the 49.275 total marked a season-low on bars - a surprising stumble for a team that’s been rock-solid on the event.
Beam: Another Unexpected Dip
Beam has been LSU’s most consistent event this year, but it didn’t look like it on Friday night. Kylie Coen started things off with a 9.775, and Zeiss followed with a 9.875. Amari Drayton’s 9.800 brought a spark, especially with a strong landing that energized the crowd.
But Lincoln’s 9.750 and a few shaky moments in the middle of the lineup kept LSU from gaining traction. McClain posted a 9.850, and the rotation ended on a high note with a 9.925 - but the 49.175 total was another season-low.
Floor Brings the Finish
If there was a silver lining, it came on floor. An event that had been a question mark early in the season is starting to round into form. Emily Innes and Nina Ballou each posted 9.875s to kick things off, and Coen continued her strong night with a 9.925.
Then came Drayton, who looked locked in from the opening pass. She delivered a season-best 9.950 and gave LSU the punch it needed.
Chio followed with a 9.800 - clean early but a couple of missteps kept her from maximizing the score. Still, her all-around total of 39.600 was enough to earn the meet’s all-around title.
Lincoln closed the meet with a 9.925, and LSU walked away with a 49.550 on floor - their highest event total of the night.
Searching for the Complete Meet
Despite the win and flashes of brilliance, LSU knows there’s work to be done. The team has shown the potential to be elite - just not all at once.
“We paced our kids differently on the leg events [over the offseason], and you can see that happening now with vault and floor both coming up,” Clark said. “And if bars and beam behaved the way they have early in the year… you’ve got a complete meet.”
That’s the goal now: put all four events together. LSU gets another shot at it next Friday when they stay home to host Auburn.
The meet is set for 7:45 p.m. CT - and this time, the Tigers will be looking for more than just a win.
They’ll be chasing a performance that feels as good as it looks on paper.