LSU gymnastics season ended on Thursday night as the Tigers fell short in the NCAA championship semifinals.
Eight teams were alive when the day began. The semifinals were split into two sessions, each consisting of four teams. To advance, a team needed to finish in the top two of their four-team session. LSU’s score of 197.5250 finished No. 3, behind Utah and UCLA. Michigan State finished No. 4 in the evening session with a score of 197.3625.
LSU was hoping to defend the national title after claiming the program’s first-ever trophy in 2025. Jay Clark’s Tigers, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, just didn’t have their best stuff on Thursday.
LSU didn’t get off to a good start, but after a 49.5000 score on the floor, LSU entered the final rotation in second-place.
LSU finished the night on the vault, but LSU got shaky performances in the final event from Lexi Zeiss and Amari Drayton. Kailin Chio and Haleigh Bryant provided a strong anchor to close the night, but it wasn’t enough.
Chio’s 9.9750 vault score was one of the best we saw all evening. She finished tied for fourth with a 39.5625 score in the all-around.
There’s no way to sugarcoat. This is a disappointing end to the season. The defending champions and No. 1 overall seed had their eyes set on a repeat.
This was the final event for several prominent Tigers, including LSU legend Haleigh Bryant.
Here’s a look at Chio’s 9.975 on vault. With Bryant on her way out, Chio has a chance to be the next face of LSU gymnastics in 2026.