LSU Gymnastics Team (11-2 overall record, 7-1 SEC record), has been administered the No. 2 seed in the 2025 SEC Gymnastic Championship, as the team’s conquest for capturing its fifth SEC Championship trophy in eight seasons is currently underway.
However, to have a chance at further cementing the lasting legacy of this historical program, the Tigers must complete the gauntlet that boasts one of the most competitive, evenly balanced weekend matchups in the history of Women’s College Gymnastics.
Going up against familiar opponents such as the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, whose only regular-season blemish occurred at the exposal of the purple and gold in a 198.050-197.675 affair earlier this season, to face the No. 3-ranked Florida Gators and No. 8-ranked Missouri Tigers, this construction of talented rosters is widely considered to be one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory.
From the perspective of superstar, all-around LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant, the most decorated gymnast in the program’s history, this upcoming competition serves as an opportunity to prove that her shaky confidence and past struggles are nothing but a distant memory.
During the team’s opening exhibition match, Bryant aggravated a rather serious elbow injury (UCL strain) that sidelined her for the first two matches of the season.
With the most important weekend of the season looming, she firmly believes that returning to her usual dominating fashion should be seamless and looks forward to this pressing obstacle.
“I think just gaining confidence each weekend has been a challenge I’ve had for myself, and I’m starting to have that confidence again,” Bryant said. “I had a slower start, but I’m right where I need to be right now with everything… and just keep working hard in[side] the gym to build [my] confidence up going into [the SEC championsip].
More specifically, Bryant has shown impressive glimpses of what makes her one of the nation’s most talented gymnasts in her previous three matches.
Competing in each routine, Bryant has not received a score below 9.900, recording a 9.975 on the balance beam against then-No. 10-ranked Georgia and in the most recent matchup against then No.14-ranked Auburn from her floor routine.
However, over the course of the season, in the wake of their most reliable option not being healthy enough to compete and having to take strides to find her groove again, one particular gymnast has broken various historical records during this extended absence.
Freshman phenom and all-arounder Kailin Chio has become acclimated and understands her unique, versatile role in this star-studded roster. Claiming an unfathomable nine SEC Freshman of the Week awards, with a current streak of seven, she sits comfortably as the new recorder holder.
Most notably, Chio landed her first collegiate score of a perfect 10.0 mark on a vault routine in the most recent match against the Auburn Tigers. Chio successfully landed a Yurchenko one-and-a-half and continues to dominate at value, ranking first in the nation on vault with a National Qualifying Score of 9.955.
Regarding the overall improvements that Chio continues to make with each passing match and her astonishing level of maturity, veteran leader Haleigh Bryant is one of the biggest, most vocal supporters in her corner.
”[Chio] deserves so many 10s and just seeing it every single day… she knows what she needs, she knows her process,” Bryant said. “How inspiring that is that a freshman knows exactly what they need this early in their career.”
In his fifth season as the LSU Gymnastics Head Coach, Jay Clark is responsible for making history in 2024 by bringing home the first gym national championship to Baton Rouge. With the possibility of going back-to-back, Clark understands both the internal and external factors that go into fostering a championship attitude/environment.
“There’s a lot of teams that are capable of winning [the SEC championship], it’s just going to come down to the mindset of who gets hot,” Head Coach Jay Clark said. “So much of it, this time of the year, can be momentum-driven… when you catch momentum, you better try to hold on to it.”
There are no clear favorites for this year’s conference championship winner, as three opponents are nationally ranked inside the top 10. However, the Tigers have an advantage because they have faced off against the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners twice this season.
These teams split these matchups and the Sooners suffered its first and only loss of the season.
With this in mind, Clark acknowledges the sheer, unforgiving battle that is quickly approaching.
“[We] have risen to the occasion, when [we’ve] been challenged to do so,” Clark said. “This thing is going to be a slobber knocker… I don’t know if there’s ever been an SEC championship evening session that stacked before… it’s wide open.”
No.2-ranked LSU Gymnastics remains determined to continue firing on all cylinders as the team looks to capture its second consecutive SEC championship. On Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m., CST the Tigers will face the Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, and Missouri Tigers at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
This session of the championship will be airing live on SEC Network.
