LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark knows KJ Johnson is more than just a powerhouse on the floor and vault—she’s the spark that ignites the team. Before the Tigers’ showdown against Oklahoma, he couldn’t help but emphasize her impact. “It’s the ferocity with which she goes after things, the edge she brings, a competitive fire that’s different,” he said, eyes gleaming with admiration. With the season heating up, Clark was counting on the senior star to bring her signature intensity when it mattered most. KJ was right on that path, influencing the entire group with her charisma. But the tune broke on the senior night, on the very Friday night match. But what actually happened?

Before the spotlight shifts to Senior Night against Georgia, let’s rewind to some clutch moments when KJ Johnson proved to be LSU’s rock. On February 21, under the bright lights of Kentucky’s Historic Memorial Coliseum, KJ stepped up on vault, posting a solid 9.725 to help the Tigers overpower the Wildcats in the event. But that was just the warm-up. A week earlier, in a packed PMAC against powerhouse Oklahoma, Johnson brought the heat with a fiery 9.875 on vault. The showdown didn’t declare an official event winner, but one thing was clear—KJ set the tone with her signature intensity, proving once again why she’s the heartbeat of LSU gymnastics. So, perhaps you had an idea of what could have been the next call. Yes, with the senior night on the horizon, all eyes were on KJ to deliver yet another unforgettable performance. 

Yet, things remained different on the LSU Tigers’ gymnastics’ senior night in the matchup against the Georgia Gymnastics. The fans claimed that the Tigers’ KJ Johnson had been ‘robbed’ of her points. But how did it all start? The issue began with the gymnast’s lead-off start in the vault event. 

The controversy that unfolded on KJ Johnson’s Senior Night left LSU fans in utter disbelief. Despite delivering what looked like a flawless vault, KJ’s start value shockingly remained at 9.95 instead of the perfect 10. Then came the gut punch—a deduction that brought her final score down to 9.85. The reaction? Outrage. LSU fans erupted, convinced their star had been robbed. On X, one passionate supporter didn’t hold back: “Robbing KJ Johnson on her Senior Night is actually evil, and I will be committing crimes.” And just when the dust started to settle, veteran sports journalist Scott Rabalais stepped in with even more insight into the controversy. What he revealed made the situation even harder to believe.

According to Scott Rabalais’ next tweet, the LSU Tigers fold didn’t seem to be happy with the overall judging quality in the vault event. The evidence? Scott’s tweet explained that LSU assistant coach Garrett Griffith rushed to the judges’ table right after the vault event finished up. Garrett reached the judges’ table not to plead for KJ Johnson’s routine. Instead, perhaps he was there to convince the judges to check Haleigh Bryant’s vault routine once again. So another senior entered the mix! But what was wrong with Haleigh’s shot? 

Haleigh may not have to see something similar with KJ. But her 9.900 score didn’t feel justified to the Tigers. Therefore, the assistant coach might be there at the side of the judges’ table to submit the argument. Well, nothing changed in the end. The scores remained the same. Nonetheless, the gymnastics fans were not ready to accept the issues on such an important day. 

The LSU Tigers gymnastics fans raise their voice to the top 

“Senior KJ Johnson on vault – 9.850. A score many fans in the audience seemed disappointed with.” Gabby Gray wrote on X today. The sports reporter working for LSU Reveille perhaps was present at PMAC to cover the Senior Night. Being present in the scene actually helped her to know about the exact situation in the place. Meanwhile, a fan wrote, “Senior night for KJ Johnson just feels wrong, she was a freshman yesterday.” The fan’s words revealed the overwhelming sadness that came with KJ Johnson’s senior tag, her entry on Senior Night, and subsequently the low-scoring issue.

However, there wasn’t anything the fans could do except settle with the judgment and the scoreboard. Those acts seemed to be most justified. But in the meantime, some fans decided to go opposite to the stream by guessing what could have been KJ Johnson’s probable score in the absence of problems. The X-handle of LSU Uni Tracker wrote, “That’s def higher than a 9.8…” Someone went more than that and said, “That was at least a 9.9!” KJ’s event starting point was 9.95. Then how could she have landed a 9.9 in the event? Think about this.