“She’s just got something there, that when she’s dialed in, she’s a killer.” LSU coach Jay Clark was all praises for this freshman, and honestly, why would he not be? The LSU Tigers emerged victorious against No. 1 Oklahoma in an exhilarating showdown at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Although all of Livvy Dunne’s teammates played their part in securing the dazzling 198.050-197.675 victory, one freshman stands out and she does so for all the right reasons!

Kailin Chio trained under Cassandra Rice and Jill Preston of the Gymcats. What can we say about the 18-year-old that hasn’t already been said by his coaches and teammates? After seeing Chio’s performance in all four events, Clark said, “It’s highly unusual to see that level of consistency from a freshman on all four events. You see it in spots. But very, very unusual.” The balance, the rhythm, the moves—everything was just perfect. She posted a 9.9 in the bars event and a 9.95 score in the vault event. Every performance of the California native propelled the team further towards victory.

Not just her coach, Chio’s teammates too couldn’t hold themselves back from praising the gymnast. Star LSU gymnast who played a significant role in LSU’s NCAA victory in 2024, Haleigh Bryant, recognizes the effort and determination that makes 18-year-old Kailin Chio such a rockstar! “She’s a bit of a perfectionist. She further added that “she takes that really to heart and puts in the work every single day at practice to make sure that everything that she’s doing is to the best of her ability. And you can see that it shows up every single Friday night.”  That’s huge coming from Bryant!

She is not just a great team player, but individually too, Kailin Chio puts up a show that no one really ever forgets. Rookie Kailin Chio won the all-around title for the third time in a row with 39.725. Hang on, Clark has more to say about Chio.

Coach Jay Clark had even more praise in store for this gymnastics prodigy. “She just got a great process,” Clark remarked. “She seems to have mastered it.” Indeed, looking at the long career Kailin Chio still has in front of her, we can only imagine the other great feats she will eventually achieve. Thanks to the California native and her teammates, the once-invincible Oklahoma could be defeated. How did the whole team perform against Oklahoma to win the title?

Olivia Dunne’s LSU Tigers’ winning mantra is teamwork!

The LSU squad isn’t just a one-star show; it’s a collective effort that has given them a competitive edge. Though Olivia Dunne couldn’t be part of the team, the No. 2 LSU gymnastics team managed a resounding victory. As amazing as Kailin Chio may be, her teammates aren’t far behind when it comes to gravity-defying moves that leave the spectators wondering, ‘How do gymnasts even do that?’

Senior Aleah Finnegan finished in second place with her own 9.875 after senior KJ Johnson opened the vaulting session with a 9.875 on her initial pass. In third place, freshman Kaliya Lincoln recorded a career-high score of 9.95, ahead of sophomore Amari Drayton, who finished in fourth place with a score of 9.875. In the first half, the Tigers were up 49.600-49.425 points. Then headed to the second rotation.

On the bars, freshman Lexi Zeiss started strong with a career-high 9.875 score. Others weren’t far behind! Ashley Cowan, a junior, placed second with a score of 9.825; senior Alexis Jeffrey came in third with a score of 9.80. Finishing with scores of 9.85 and 9.80, respectively, were Finnegan and sophomore Konnor McClain. And with that, LSU had a team score of 49.250 at the end of the rotation.

LSU came out swinging on the floor, determined to close strong. Lincoln set the pace with a career-high 9.925, and Ballard and Chio kept the streak alive with 9.925 and 9.95 scores, respectively. Drayton delivered another 9.95, while Finnegan posted a 9.80 before Bryant sealed the deal with a season-high 9.95. The Tigers’ electric 49.700 floor rotation— their best of the season—proved they weren’t here to play. They are here to win.

The team seems to be in its best form ever. What’s next for them? To find that out we must wait till February 21st, when the LSU Tigers and the No. 8 Kentucky face each other off.