Flexibility seems to be what defines the LSU gymnastics lineups this season, with several members getting a chance to perform under the lights.
But even with the constant opportunity shift around each event, the tone-setters and book-ends of the lineup have proven to be some of the important difference makers in the Tigers’ recent outings.
“With as many changes as we’ve made in the lineup, we’re not making categorical changes,” head coach Jay Clark said. “We might pick a spot or two to move somebody in or out of, but it’s important that you don’t upset the apple cart completely and take everybody out of their rhythm.”
This was very evident in the Tigers’ matchups against Kentucky and Missouri, both of which ended victoriously for the Baton Rouge team.
The matchup against Kentucky was not only the home-opener of the Tiger season, but also marked a program record of the highest opening-night score with an overall total of 198.050. This was especially exciting for both the team and the fans, as the week before saw a somewhat disappointing loss to the Gymdogs of Georgia on the road.
Even so, being inside the PMAC seemed to be the energy the Tigers needed to get back on track, and this was even more obvious, seeing the outstanding score put up by the event anchors for LSU that night.
Vault and uneven bars saw high scores from Kailin Chio and Konnor McClain, both of whom currently hold the team’s individual season-highs on each of these events so far.
It’s a similar story for the floor and beam rotations. Not only did Kaliya Lincoln earn the season-high score of 9.950 on floor for the Tigers against Kentucky, but a 10 from Chio earned both LSU’s first 10 of the season and the only perfect score on beam in the NCAA as it currently stands.
This momentum from these heavy-hitters in the lineup carried right into the meet against Missouri for the purple and gold, especially in the latter half of the competition.
“We were battle-tested already, and we already know that we can find our way through that,” Clark said.
With a 9.950 from the defending NCAA Vault Champion on the event, as well as a 9.975 on the balance beam, the Mizzou Tigers couldn’t seem to close the gap on the Bengals.
A look at the matching 9.950’s on floor for Chio and Lincoln, as well as a 9.950 for fifth-running Courtney Blackson on bars, it’s clear that LSU has found its rhythm in closing out rotations with a bang.
This seemed to be what kept LSU a step ahead of Mizzou despite the score being neck-and-neck at the end of the night. However, knowing that the back half of its event lineups is as secure as they are, it isn’t without the credit of those who kick off each event.
“It’s a mental stabilizer when you know you have people in the back half that are going to get the job done,” Clark said. “But I think everybody has done a great job this year and I think you could say the same thing about someone like Lexi Zeiss who’s leading us off and settling everybody down.”
Consistency from leadoff competitors like Zeiss, Emily Innes and Kylie Coen is exactly what a team needs to keep energy steady and set the tone at the start of a rotation all the way through to the end. Without strong starts to build on, it can be easy to get lost in small mistakes.
“Zeiss is one that continues to come to mind, just in terms of her consistency level and how she’s approached everything,” Clark said. “Coen is doing that, and those leadoff-type kids that are early in the lineup really have to have that mindset. I think all of them have done a really good job with that.”
For the No. 3 team, the road to nationals continues to take shape, and leadership on both sides of the lineup continues to foster growth across all its rotations. A season that is built around continued individual improvement has also become defined by trust in the full six, like those who can set the tone early and slam the door late.
