LSU gymnastics dismantles Penn State in cat fight despite up and down performance

LSU gymnastics hosted No. 14 Penn State on Friday night, but the cat fight would be all but ideal for the Tigers. 

LSU would hold onto to a lead greater than half a point all night, but two season lows on bars and beam would damper the mood. 

“You get a win, you still get a you get a 197.500, whatever it was, and yet it doesn't feel great,” Clark said. “It's kind of just bland, I guess is the way is the best way I would describe it right now.” 

The story of the meet was opposite of what LSU fans had seen all season, strong bars and beam rotations with weaker vault and floor rotation. 

LSU found some success early, with vault securing a 49.475, the highest score of the season on the event. 

Lexi Zeiss led the meet off with a 9.875, followed by Konnor McClain’s 9.825. 

LSU then saw a 9.750 from Courtney Blackson — which would ultimately be dropped. 

Then Amari Drayton and Kailin Chio topped the score sheet with a 9.925 and 9.975 respectively. Not to be overlooked, Kaliya Lincoln notched a 9.875 in the middle of those two routines. 

“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.” 

LSU lost momentum from the jump on bar, having Zeiss score a 9.775. In Alexis Jeffrey’s return to the lineup this season after back surgery, her high dismount caused an awkward, stumbling landing, scoring herself a 9.675. 

“She's kind of known for the ginormousness of [her dismount],” Clark said. “And she normally just, you know, she plants it. But I don't know if she was just overthinking it a little bit tonight.” 

But Madison Ulrich righted the ship for the Tigers with a 9.950, that came right before Chio, Courtney Blackson and Konnor McClain. 

“She settled us down,” Clark said. “And that's the thing we talk about all the time. It's like, if something happens, not letting it snowball. The next person up saying it stops with me.” 

Chio directly carried Ulrich’s vibe, scoring a 9.900. 

Blackson and McClain would stay hot as well, posting a pair of 9.825s to close the rotation. 

That would record a 49.275 for the Tigers, their season low on bars. 

At the halfway point, LSU moved to its most reliable rotation this season, beam, but another season-low in the meet would come on the event and make this a Friday night to leave in the past. 

Kylie Coen led things off with a 9.775, followed by Zeiss’ 9.875. 

Amari Drayton would go in the third spot, securing a 9.800 with a beautiful landing that electrified the PMAC. 

Lincoln followed Drayton with a 9.750. 

LSU corrected its course, thanks to McClain’s 9.850. It was all capped with a 9.925. 

LSU found some footing on floor for the third week in a row, after a frustrating start to the year on the event. 

Emily Innes opened up floor with a 9.875 and Nina Ballou followed suit also scoring a 9.875. 

Coen secures a 9.925, setting up the second up half of the lineup. 

Drayton understood what she needed to do, went out and stuck a season-high 9.950 on the event. 

Chio would stick her landing on the first pass, but a couple slip ups later in the routine would land her a 9.800 to end her night. She did earn the all-around title with a score of 39.600. 

To anchor it all, Lincoln notches a 9.925, earning LSU a 49.550 on the event. 

LSU’s meet was bookended by strong rotations —- typically the lower scoring events this season —- with the strong middle rotations suffering tonight. Clark attributes the growth on floor and 

“We paced our kids differently on the leg events [over the offseason], and you can see that happening now with vault and floor [scores] 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.” 

LSU looks to piece together a complete meet as they get to stay home this week, playing host to Auburn Friday, Feb. 13. The meet starts at 7:45 p.m. CT.