No. 2 LSU gymnastics is traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, gunning for a three-peat at the SEC Gymnastics Championship this weekend, but it will take more than physicality to keep the title.
“At this stage of the game, the gymnastics, the physical part, should be there,” LSU head coach Jay Clark said. “It’s really just about how confident are we and where’s our mental state of mind?”
As Tiger fans rally around the back-to-back reigning SEC champions, there’s an overwhelming amount of support for the nation’s No. 1 all-arounder, Kailin Chio. However, as Clark would say, Chio is a part of a team, which means her efforts alone won’t claim the championship.
“She [Chio] does have an amazing supporting cast around her,” Clark said. “You know, I think our kids are doing a really good job of feeding off of her level of consistency, and it’s caused some of them to raise their game.”
In the name of raising its efforts as a team, LSU needs to prioritize a positive mindset while competing because gymnastics is, of course, so much more than the physical competition.
Given the circumstances of this meet, Clark commented on the fact that it might be more difficult than the national championship in itself, with the top four teams in the nation competing in Session II of the conference competition.
That means that there is little to no room for mental slip-ups if LSU plans to carry a steady meet throughout all four rotations.
Whether it’s bouncing back from a poor performance or feeling as though a routine could have been better, the Tigers are truly going to have to focus on the first “five minutes in front of their face” to deliver a complete meet and potential for another conference title.
“I’ve used a hurricane as an analogy a few times with them [the team] about staying in the eye of the hurricane,” Clark said. “All the wind, all the noise, all the storm, and all that nonsense that comes in from the outside can really just kind of clutter your minds, and so to just really stay with each other, prioritize each other this time of year, make sure that those relationships stay airtight. That we don’t allow outside conversations or outside expectations, or outside hopes and dreams, whatever they are.”
Aside from focusing on working as a unit to keep the title, pressure also seems to be another factor building as Saturday night inches closer.
As we’ve seen and heard all season, the Tigers’ best performances result from them having fun out on the mat. That’s why one of the last key things that LSU needs to prioritize is keeping energy illuminated as the meet deepens.
“This year we have a lot of personalities, and we like to have a lot of fun,” senior Tori Tatum said. “I think we do our best gymnastics when we’re having fun, so keeping that light environment is what’s key.”
Even more so, keeping high energy follows right along with keeping everything consistent. All year long, it’s been proven that normal is enough for LSU, so heading into the conference faceoff should still be business as usual for the team.
“They’ve [the upperclassman] won before, so just kind of letting them take the reins and go about our business shouldn’t really be any different,” freshman Nina Ballou said. “It should, if anything, get more intense and more exciting. I think we’re ready to go, and I’m honestly not too nervous about it. I’m more excited than anything else, it’s gonna be good vibes.”
As the top four teams in the nation travel to Tulsa for the conference’s pinnacle matchup, all eyes are on LSU as it looks to overtake its foes for a third consecutive time. If the team can rally behind strong mentalities as one, then they’ll do just that.
