While impressive high scores from star LSU gymnasts hold the spotlight for good reason, the collaborative effort by an entire team is what earns the win by the end of the night.
For head coach Jay Clark, junior Amari Drayton and sophomore Kaliya Lincoln have stood out as two gymnasts who have clearly become imperative pieces within these Tiger lineups.
“Amari and Kaliya probably don’t get a lot of the clippings that they deserve,” Clark said. “They’re so instrumental to our outcome every week, and they’re the model of how you want to see kids go about it. They’re linchpins in terms of our success, so those two mean an awful lot. They all do.”
Though neither gymnast currently competes in the all-around, they both put up consistent high scores that help carry the team to success.
Lincoln and Drayton both have matching season highs of 9.950 on vault and beam, and currently hold some of the top scores on floor exercise, which have helped LSU earn a No. 1 ranking on the event. Both gymnasts have become clear leaders on leg events with the power they bring to the team.
“[Lincoln is] so quiet and unassuming in her demeanor, that it’s easy to overlook, but man, is there a more explosive athlete in our sport?” Clark said. “Probably not. She’s pretty awesome.”
Lincoln has consistently appeared in the fifth spot of the vault lineup since the team took on Kentucky and, most recently, went fourth against Auburn. Her Yurchenko one-and-a-half is both powerful and reliable.
Drayton, who also competes the same vault, had a rocky start to the season but has gone on to show just how impressive her power is at the end of the runway.
“She’s been super adaptable in the gym and one of the most hard working people,” gymnast Kylie Coen said. “Day in and day out, she’s been trying to fix her routines and not think about each week; she goes in brand new every single week, and I’m super proud of her.”
Though both gymnasts have brought impressive talent to the competition floor, their importance stretches far beyond what they bring to the gym during practice.
When asked about which teammate stands out in competition, gymnast and transfer student Emily Innes gave her answer.
“Kaliya is one that we are all just speechless in the gym because we all joke that she has springs in her legs,” Innes said. “It’s just really impressive. She’s quiet, but there’s a lot that she speaks through her gymnastics, and I think that’s a really cool thing that she brings to the gym.”
It’s a similar story for Drayton, a teammate who seems to have brought a notable personality to a team built around being a family.
“Drayton is salt of the earth, gold of a human being,” Clark said. “It’s her energy. She’s so positive, she’s such a fun person to be around, and that rubs off on everybody, that energy. When she feels good and is doing well like that, it has an effect on everybody around her and sort of elevates everybody.”
Athletes like Lincoln and Drayton embody the identity of LSU gymnastics. As teammates who provide quiet yet powerful consistency throughout the competition, they also bring a steady yet inspirational presence to the weeks that fill the season.
Though only slightly past the halfway point of the competition, the success they’ve earned not only this season but in the years they’ve been part of the program proves that the team is built around athletes who show up and elevate those around them every time they step on the floor.
