Still reaching for the top spot, No. 3 LSU gymnastics snagged a road win at Kentucky as Haleigh Bryant returned to the all-around.
2024 NCAA All-Around Champion Bryant completed all four events for the first time this season, but the freshman Kailin Chio earned the meet’s title on Friday night in Lexington.
There was a lot on the line for the Tigers tonight looking to continue last week’s momentum from upsetting No. 1 Oklahoma.
It kicked off the first rotation on bars with a twist in the lineup. Konnor McClain has served as the team’s anchor, but Bryant’s return to the event places her at the back of the pack and McClain in the fifth position.
Lexi Zeiss, junior Ashley Cowan, and Chio led LSU with matching 9.875s while McClain and Bryant scored a 9.850 each.
LSU moved onto vault with a 0.150 lead on the Kentucky Wildcats.
The No. 1 vault lineup in the nation didn’t have their best night with KJ Johnson and Amari Drayton scoring 9.725. However, Chio, five-time SEC Freshman of the Week, brought home the highest vault score of the night, with a 9.925, LSU’s first score of the meet greater than 9.900.
Bryant wrapped up the rotation with another top score for the Tigers of 9.900 and put them ahead of the Wildcats by 0.200.
Chio led the all-around after the meet’s first half with Bryant just 0.050 behind her.
The same six gymnasts that managed a collective 49.700 on floor last week against Oklahoma had a tougher time away from home.
After Kaliya Lincoln and Sierra Ballard got things started, Chio managed a 9.850 on the floor.
Bryant anchored a third time for LSU on the floor with a 9.900. The graduate student and freshman now found themselves tied for the all-around title.
As she took to the floor to fill the sixth spot, judges were yet to post all-around senior Aleah Finnegan’s fifth spot score as the Olympian stepped out of bounds once again during her floor routine,
Finnegan made the same mistake against the Sooners last week and earned a 9.800, tonight she brought home a 9.775.
After tying against Kentucky with a 49.325 in the third event, the Tigers moved onto the fourth and final rotation with a 147.850 against the Wildcats, 147.650, with LSU leading by 0.200.
Chio was best on beam and ended her night with a 9.925 and a 39.575 for the meet title. Bryant followed and finished with a 9.850 on the beam and 39.500 all-around, falling short of her teammate’s score.
Chio also led her team on the final event with Finnegan trailing just behind with a 9.900.
The Tigers finished its final rotation with a 49.350 and Kentucky with a 49.425,
While LSU hasn’t been able to bring home a win in Lexington since 2017, that changed tonight with a 0.55 difference between the Tigers and the Wildcats, 197.200-197.075.
The Tigers are set to compete in Baton Rouge next Friday against George Washington in the Podium Challenge at the Raising Cane’s River Center.
