The NCAA recently announced the all-around and single event qualifiers for the individual competition at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Eight-time All-American Kiya Johnson has qualified to compete on vault.

“It’s rare to be able to coach someone of the talent level and complete character as a human being as Kiya Johnson,” Head Coach Jay Clark said. 
The junior is set to compete at the second semifinal at 5 p.m. c.t. on Thursday, April 14. She will perform during the Auburn team’s rotation on vault at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. She’ll go head-to-head with Gayla Griswold, Elexis Edwards and Mia Townes. She plans on competing her Double Twisting Yurchenko.

The NCAA selects individual competitors from the pool of teams that did not qualify for the championship. Since Johnson finished in the top spot on vault at the Raleigh Regional, she was selected to compete and represent LSU. 
“It’s an honor to support her through training and next week as she competes for herself and represents her team and LSU as a whole,” Clark said. “She has a real opportunity to compete for All-America honors and a national championship.”

In her debut season, sophomore Haleigh Bryant won the last individual title for the Purple and Gold during the 2021 NCAA Championships. Bryant scored the same as her teammate (9.950) at Regionals, but Johnson was selected due to receiving a 10 from one out of the four judges. 

Since the program’s start, LSU gymnastics has won 16 individual national championships (seven on vault). Other vault champions include Rheagan Courville (2013 and 2014), Kennedi Edney (2017 and 2019), Susan Jackson (2008), and former volunteer coach Ashleigh Clare-Kearney (2009).

The meet will be televised on ESPN2, while playback of individual apparatus will be available on the app or at WatchESPN.com.