The LSU gymnastics team advanced to the NCAA Championship Final after finishing second in the NCAA Semifinal Session I with a score of 197.4375 on April 16 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
This result secures LSU’s spot in the championship finals, marking the program’s eleventh national championship appearance and third under head coach Jay Clark. The Tigers will compete alongside Florida, Oklahoma, and Minnesota for the national title.
LSU started strong on vault, posting a rotation score of 49.4750—the sixth highest vault score at an NCAA Championship in program history. Sophomore Kailin Chio and Kaliya Lincoln both scored 9.9625 on vault, contributing to this achievement. After rotations on bars and beam, LSU moved into their final event on floor where standout performances from Emily Innes, Nina Ballou, Kylie Coen, Amari Drayton, Chio (9.9625), and Lincoln (9.9125) helped clinch second place.
Individually, LSU gymnasts claimed four out of five event titles during session one. Chio earned three individual titles—vault (9.9625), floor (9.9625), and all-around (39.6125)—bringing her season total to 43 event titles and career total to 66. Her thirteenth vault title this season sets a new single-season record for an LSU gymnast.
Lincoln secured her eighth event title of the year with her performance on vault while junior Konnor McClain tied for top honors on beam with a score of 9.9500—her first beam title since 2024 and twentieth overall collegiate event win.
Looking ahead, LSU will compete for the national championship at 3 p.m., Saturday April 18 live on ABC against Oklahoma, Florida, and Minnesota.
