After weeks of anticipation, senior KJ Johnson has made her long-awaited return to LSU gymnastics’ lineup.
After falling to Arkansas and down the rankings last week, No. 3 LSU returned to Baton Rouge to face No. 9 Missouri for their annual advocacy night.
Similar to last season, LSU lost their first away meet to the Missouri Tigers, but struck back in an electric matchup here at home.
Back in her starting position, Johnson took her place in front of a roaring LSU crowd. The fan favorite has been out since the season opener due to a preseason injury. She was a part of the national title winning squad and was a heavy hitter in regular season meets.
For the only time that night, the crowd went completely silent as she took her starting position, staring straight ahead at her target: the vault.
Johnson left nothing to be desired as she catapulted into a perfect stick that sent every fan to their feet.
Her score of 9.900 set the rest of the Tigers up for success and kicked off an exciting night in the PMAC.
Senior Aleah Finnegan’s score of 9.75 was dropped last week, but redeemed herself with a score of 9.925 and a stuck landing.
Kailin Chio took her place as the anchor and rounded out the first rotation with a 9.875. LSU took the early lead with four scores of 9.9 or above on vault. The freshman hasn’t missed an event yet this season.
Lexi Zeiss was back as the leadoff on uneven bars and earned a starting score of 9.850 for LSU.
Finnegan took the lowest score of the event with a 9.800, while freshman Chio continued her all-around with a score of 9.925 on bars.
At the halfway mark, the Tigers had a total score of 98.975 to Missouri’s 98.525.
The fight wasn’t near over, though. Last week, an unfortunate sequence of scores on beam set the team behind, but not this time.
The third rotation lineup proved themselves as Konnor McClain matched the meet’s highest score of 9.950. Her score was dropped last week after the judges handed her a 9.575.
At Arkansas, Chio posted the highest solo score of the night on vault. The freshman only continued to ascend as she claimed the title again with a 9.95 on beam.
The third rotation accumulated a score of 49.550 for LSU and a total of 148.525. Missouri finished the event with a score of 147.850.
Powerhouse Sierra Ballard returned to her usual spot as the LSU leadoff on floor after her absence at Arkansas, which Olivia Dunne filled, and scored a 9.850.
Haleigh Bryant has been slowly making her way back to the all-around after a preseason injury, and tonight she made her impact with a score of 9.875 on beam and 9.950 as the anchor on floor.
“The intentionality and the energy that they brought to practice really shifted this week,” head coach Jay Clark said. “They really understood the reasons for what had happened the previous week and it showed out there tonight.”
LSU finished with a 198.0, their highest total score this season and Missouri totaled 197.175.
LSU takes on Alabama on Friday, Feb. 7 in their second meet away this season.
