The reigning champs begin their campaign in stellar style! Taking on Iowa State at the Maravich Center on January 3rd, the LSU Tigers showed why they are the defending NCAA gymnastics champions, as they trounced the visitors 197.300-194.100. Among the athletes who helped Jay Clark register the first victory of the year, LSU senior KJ Johnson was one of the main stars of the show. Thanks to her impressive performance on the vault, Johnson was instrumental in tonight’s victory.

With that, KJ also helped to ease the anxiety of many fans who were speculating if she would show up with her teammates to defend the national title in her final year at Baton Rouge. At the Gym 101 session in December last year, Johnson’s absence raised a lot of eyebrows, which Clark was reluctant to elaborate on, noting that the decision was an “internal matter.” However, at tonight’s season opener, it seemed like KJ was eager to put the debacle in the rearview mirror.

In her first routine of the NCAA season, Johnson went to town on the vault. Scoring 9.825 on the apparatus, the LSU senior gave the Tigers a head start as Iowa’s Paige Wills registered a score of 9.675. The official LSU Gymnastics handle on X shared Johnson’s thunderous vault performance from January 3. Captioned, “KJ Johnson, everyone,” the social media post highlights why KJ is an integral part of the Tigers’ title hopes this year as well.

Last year, Olivia Dunne, Haleigh Bryant, and the other Tigers gymnasts made history by winning the first NCAA title in LSU program history. Naturally, seeing the squad arrive in full force to defend the trophy kept the fans on their toes. Moreover, Johnson missing out on the pre-season training last month, along with the coach’s cryptic statement on the matter, only made things more tense about the roster’s depth for this season. But tonight made it clear: KJ Johnson is going all in to make sure her final ride with the Tigers ends on a high note.

Along with Johnson, the LSU gymnasts all maintained a firm grip on the vault to give the Tigers a win in the event (49.350-48.825). KJ’s teammates retained the momentum, and their opponents did not manage to catch up and ultimately had to concede a loss. Naturally, the title hope looks handsome, and the upcoming Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad would justifiably see Clark’s students traveling to the Paycom Center with renewed enthusiasm.

KJ Johnson & Co. faces a steep challenge ahead

Being a national champion comes with its own set of problems. The pressure of defending the title successfully is daunting, and considering how the LSU gymnasts are still collegiate athletes, being intimated by the mounting expectation is natural. Probably that’s why fumbles by Olivia Dunne and Haleigh Bryant unnerved Coach Clark, who wasn’t satisfied with the team’s performance in December. “Some good, some bad. Some people looked really ready; others looked scared and timid,” Clark said in a YouTube podcast on December 30. But while seniors like Bryant slipped on the beam, the freshmen looked eager to prove their worth, and Clark was happy about how the newcomers put in the effort.

But being back-to-back national champs is no easy feat, and the Tigers know what’s at stake. Both Livvy and KJ Johnson will be looking to finish their time at LSU with a bang. Moreover, Johnson still has room to improve, as her career-highest score on the vault shows an impressive 9.950, which she could replicate this year once again. Do you believe she and her teammates have in them what it takes to carry the Tigers all the way this time as well? Share your predictions in a comment!