Let’s go back to October 2022, when LSU Gymnastics caused a stir in the recruiting rankings by signing a spectacular 2024 class. With 5-star recruits Kaliya Lincoln and Konnor McClain, as well as 4-star recruit Lexi Zeiss already on the roster, the Tigers took things up a notch by signing 5-star prodigy Kailin Chio. This game-changing addition put their recruiting class at the top of College Gym News’ early list. Flash forward to the present with the red carpet laid out for a new season; she’s officially stepped onto the mat and made her debut.

Coming off a historic 2024 season, the Lady Tigers, who are now the defending national champions, are back in action. The 2025 season started with a home meet against the Iowa State Cyclones, which will be followed by another amazing year. And at the helm of this team is none other than Kailin Chio, a freshman with the potential of making a difference. But before we get into the spell of her first show, let us know more about the prodigy who will be lighting up the court in purple and gold!

Who is Kailin Chio?

Kailin Chio is not only breaking records as a freshman at LSU in the NCAA world, but she has been making waves in the elite gymnastics community too! From Henderson, Nevada, she started practicing gymnastics in 2009 with her mother’s support in Mommy-and-Me classes. Over the years, she has grown into an all-around standout, earning numerous national and international titles. Her performance history reveals her as a seven-time national champion in other such as vault, bars, and floor.

Moreover, Kailin Chio’s gymnastics story started popping off back in 2018 when she began the Level 10 and Junior Elite category with Gymcats Gymnastics in Henderson, Nevada. She did not take long to impose herself, finishing in the top 100 on bars and beam and placing second on beam and in the all-around at the 2018 JO Nationals. Now, 2019 and 2020? Let’s just say they were a little quieter—until 2021 rolled around. 2021 was her year. In April she was simply dominant at the American Classic, winning all-around, vault, and bars championships, and coming second on beam and fourth on floor.

But that was not enough; she performed well in the GK Classic in May by coming second in the all-around, third on bars, and tying for fourth on vault. By June she was in the U.S. championships, claiming victory on the vault and getting third place on the floor. Those performances earned her two places on Team USA that year. First, she assisted the squad in winning the gold at the Junior Pan Am Championships and also bagged the silver on the floor exercise just behind Kaliya Lincoln. Then in November, she returned for more at the Junior Pan Am Games, where Team USA won gold, and she won gold on the floor, silver for all-around, and bronze on the beam. Absolute legend vibes, right? Fast forward to 2023 and Kailin continued to mesmerize herself by scoring perfect scores on the vault and winning the floor title at the Nastia Liukin Cup.

Coming to the first meet of LSU this season, at the beginning of the night, KJ Johnson performed well on vault with a 9.825. However, it was Aleah Finnegan who shined. Her near-perfect vault received the highest score of the night with a 9.950 and proved that the team is both deep and talented. On the bars, the Cyclones scored 47.750 after two falls on the first two rotations. As for LSU, freshman Kailin Chio, her debut was indeed memorable. So how did her debut go?

Chio’s historic and memorable debut!

Freshman Kailin Chio made an impressive debut in the floor event, scoring a solid 9.925, securing a spot in the top 5 LSU floor scores. Sierra Ballard led the pack with a 9.850, followed closely by Chase Brock and Olivia Dunne, both earning 9.875, while Amari Drayton also contributed with her 9.875 score. Kailin is bringing her unique energy and talent to the Tigers, making a statement right from the start.

Even coach Jay Clark couldn’t hold back his admiration during the post-game conference as posted by LSU Sports on YouTube, praising Kailin Chio with genuine excitement. He said, “That kid’s a killer, you know? I mean, she’s got an edge to her that you don’t often see—just a really drawn-down, serious competitor. Obviously, physically gifted, but it’s really about her approach and her mindset and what she demands of herself, that we see day in and day out. That seems to be paying dividends.”

Coach Clark continued, “Her Club coaches did a tremendous job with her and preserving her body and keeping her in a place where she can come in and do what she did right out of the gate in college—it’s just outstanding. I’m glad she’s on our team.” In her very first meet, she gained 9.925 on beam, while other good performances on vault and bars were 9.825 and 9.900.

Kailin Chio had the final floor exercise routine of the night and, like before, she scored 9.925 to bring her all-around score to 39.575. Only Aleah Finnegan surpassed her with a score of 39.725. Chio’s pressure performance and consistency are already making her unique among the players at LSU. With her blend of raw talent and dedication, Kailin Chio is poised to leave a lasting mark in collegiate gymnastics.