LSU gymnastics falls short to Oklahoma in Norman despite Kailin Chio posting two 10s

No. 2 LSU gymnastics fell to No. 1 Oklahoma in a heavyweight matchup in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday night. 

The final score saw Oklahoma’s fifth 198 of the season, a 198.125, to outscore LSU’s 197.925. 

The meet was truly electric. From beginning to end. 

Kailin Chio, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year and NCAA Vault Champion, had a career night. She posted two 10s, on vault and beam, on her way to a 39.850 all-around title. 

The first rotation set the tone for the whole meet, with seven out of the 12 routines from both teams scoring over a 9.9. 

Oklahoma’s Elizabeth Blessey opened the meet with a beautiful vault, sticking her landing and putting up a 9.975. 

Lexi Zeiss took to her typical leadoff spot on bars and made sure she started the Tigers off with a 9.850. 

Ashley Cowan made sure she got involved with the 9.9 party Oklahoma started, scoring a 9.900 on her bars routine. 

Madi Ulrich joins Cowan, scoring a 9.900 immediately after. Then, to extend a streak of sticks to three, Chio posted a 9.925. 

Courtney Blackson couldn’t hold onto the stick streak, posting a 9.800, which would ultimately be dropped. 

But with Konnor McClain out with discomfort and swelling in her forearm from a practice injury during the week, Alexis Jeffrey anchored for LSU. 

She did it with a stick, posting a 9.850 to end the rotation. 

Oklahoma had slowed down a little after their blazing hot start but still held a .150 lead after the first rotation. 

Zeiss did her job again, leading off on vault. She put up a 9.850. 

But Oklahoma continues to be burning hot in the leadoff spot with Lily Pederson scoring a 9.950 on bars. 

Oklahoma never stopped. Four of the five recorded scores were over 9.9 on the event. 

Blackson put up a 9.775 after a step back on her vault, and Victoria Roberts had a beautiful vault, but a large step back made her score a 9.850. 

LSU needed to find sticks and 9.9s. 

And Kaliya Lincoln did exactly that. 

She scored a 9.950 in the third spot in the vault lineup with a beautiful vault. 

Amari Drayton’s vault goes 9.825 after a shaky landing. But it’s all okay when Chio steps onto the runway. 

And she was perfect, scoring a 10 to anchor LSU on vault — her third 10 of the season, and fourth of her career. 

Chio has now stuck six consecutive vaults this season, and she was flirting with a 10 in the last two meets, scoring 9.975s. She broke that threshold Friday night. 

Oklahoma had pulled away a little bit more by the halfway point, extending its .150 lead to a .275 lead. 

LSU moved to floor, while Oklahoma moved to beam for the third rotation. 

The warmup period felt like two freighttrains were about to collide. That’s due to LSU ranking No. 1 nationally on floor, and Oklahoma ranking No. 1 on beam. 

Oklahoma opened it up hot again as Addison Fatta posted a 9.900 in the leadoff spot. 

Emily Innes opened up LSU’s floor scoring with a 9.850, a consistent opening score for the Tigers. 

Up came Nina Ballou, the freshman who has taken Tiger fans by storm. She had a beautiful first pass with a stuck landing. Her second pass was just as good, if not better, with a stick as well. Ballou scored a 9.850 in the second spot. 

Kylie Coen then posted another 9.850 for LSU.

But Amari Drayton said enough with 9.850s; she put up a 9.925 in the fourth spot for LSU. 

Chio did her usual, fantastic routine. She posted a 9.925 as well. 

Zeiss, in her career floor debut, anchored for the Tigers. She notched a 9.925, giving LSU a fighting chance and momentum heading into the last rotation. 

Oklahoma posted three 9.9s on beam, a fantastic rotation, but that would not be enough to put the dagger into the Tigers. 

LSU opened up beam with a 9.875 from Coen, as Pederson scored a 9.900 to lead the Sooners off on floor. 

Next, Innes scored a 9.900 for LSU. But Oklahoma responds with a 9.900 of its own. 

LSU needed the rest of the lineup to put up massive numbers to pull off the win. 

Drayton put up a 9.850 in the third spot. But Oklahoma missed another chance to pull away, with a 9.875 in its third spot. 

Lincoln stepped up and delivered exactly what LSU needed. A 9.925 from her to match up with Oklahoma’s 9.875 in the fourth spot. 

But Chio made sure the world knows who she is. 

She went and performed a beautiful routine, and it all culminated with her sticking her landing and recording her second 10 of the night. LSU had found life. 

But to rain on LSU’s parade, Elle Mueller’s 9.900 mathematically ended LSU’s meet. 

Ulrich anchored for LSU on beam for the first time this year, scoring a 9.875, putting LSU just .075 shy of scoring a 198. 

A 197.925 would be LSU’s final score despite a late, strong push at Oklahoma’s lead. 

LSU’s next meet is back home at the PMAC as No. 3 Alabama travels to town. The meet starts at 8:30 p.m. CT.