LSU Gymnastics closed out its season on the biggest stage in college gymnastics, finishing second at the 2026 NCAA National Championship.
The Tigers finished with a 198.0750, only trailing Oklahoma by .0875. Head coach Jay Clark was proud of his team and the way they fought for the title, despite the loss. It was a bittersweet moment but truly a testament to his team’s resilience.
“We’re disappointed, but we’re not defeated,” Clark said. “They fought their you know what’s off to put themselves in a position to even be in the running.”
LSU opened the meet on floor and immediately set the tone. Emily Innes, with a 9.825 and Nina Ballou with a 9.875, delivered steady routines before Kylin Coen added a 9.8625 to the score. The Tigers’ back half surged with Amari Drayton, Kailin Chio, and Kaliya Lincoln powering LSU to a 49.5125.
That energy was carried into vault, but the rotation didn’t start off clean. Missed sticks kept the Tigers from finding their rhythm until Chio went and landed a perfect 10.
“I was kind of shocked about the score,” Chio said. “But doing it for this team, getting us back on track…that’s what mattered.” Her score is what kept LSU within a tenth of Oklahoma heading into the third rotation.
Bars is where the Tigers were truly seasoned in, looking like the team Clark said he sees every day in practice. Lexi Zeiss opened with a stuck dismount and a 9.925, matching her career high. Blackson added a 9.9125, Chio hit a 9.900, and Konnor McClain closed with a 9.950 that pushed LSU into first place with one rotation left.
The Championship came down to beam, where Oklahoma’s Kiera Wells had already taken a fall to bring the Tigers above them. Coen opened up for LSU with a 9.9125, but after her was the moment that would test the fight in the Tigers.
While Zeiss was able to add another stick to the board, she soon fell off the balance beam and had to restart her routine. Although her 9.2375 was dropped, she and her team kept on fighting.
“This takes five out of six… she’s wearing it, but she shouldn’t,” Clark said, defending her. “We wouldn’t even be in a spot to think about winning if she hadn’t done what she did on the first two events.”
Drayton and Lincoln were able to steady the rotation, while McClain delivered a much-needed 9.950. However, Chio’s 9.900 was not enough to outscore the Sooners, who took home the NCAA Gymnastics National Championship title.
“We’ve got a great group coming back, and we fully expect to be right back in the mix and take another swing at this thing next year,” Clark said.
Although the Tigers will not be returning to Baton Rouge with a first place trophy, they proved that their fight is far from finished and will be raising the bar.
