It was a regional for the books as No. 2 LSU gymnastics took first-place finishes in both the second and final rounds, securing its spot on the semi-final bracket.
Even though the team hosted the regional at the PMAC, facing neutral judges meant that only the crowd was an advantage during the competition.
Still, there were gymnasts in each event who stood out from the rest, showing consistency that they carried from the regular to the postseason.
Vault
On the team’s opening rotation for both meets, fans saw sophomore Victoria Roberts compete for her 10th and 11th times this year to mark her postseason debut. Though the Louisiana native had a few shaky performances at the start of the season, she’s put up 9.850s and above since the beginning of March.
Across five meets, including both she competed in the regional, Roberts has found the consistency behind her front pike half that she would carry with her into the tournament to be a valuable mid-lineup asset. Over the weekend, she scored 9.875 and 9.900.
One of the most consistent performers was also the 2025 NCAA Vault Champion, Kailin Chio. In the same way she won her individual championship last year, the sophomore has continued to perform at an exceptional level this season.
With four 10s on the event this year, the Las Vegas native found two of them in both regional competitions. Only scoring below a 9.900 once across all 14 meets she competed this season, Chio seems to be in the running for the title again.
Uneven bars
The LSU bar lineup came out with a bang at the start of the season, and since then, three names in particular have stuck out.
Senior Ashley Cowan has continued to show why she was crowned the 2024 SEC champion on the event with an average score of 9.840 across the 12 meets she’s competed.
This weekend, Cowan participated in her fourth regional, where she earned her season-high score of 9.950. Before that, Cowan had collected four scores of 9.900 and above in the regular season, proving just how much depth she adds to the rotation.
Madison Ulrich, a junior who transferred this season from Denver, has been an impressive addition to the Tigers’ uneven bar roster.
Competing in every meet this season on the event, Ulrich found a nine-meet stint where she never saw a score below 9.900, helping her to garner an average of 9.857. Over the regional weekend, Ulrich put up a pair of 9.850’s on both bar sets she competed, reinforcing the reliability that has defined her role with the Tigers all year.
Junior Konnor McClain also writes her name as one of the most reliable bar workers on the team. Competing in 11 regular-season meets thus far, McClain’s season average was an impressive 9.900 headed into the postseason. In Thursday’s second round, the junior scored her third 9.950 of the year.
Despite stuffing a bad fall in the regional final, McClain’s performance just two days before showed how valuable she will be if she makes her return.
Balance beam
Like the uneven bars, the LSU beam rotation was met with lots of success at the beginning of the year.
While the 2025 season saw Sierra Ballard lead off on the event, the position has since been taken over by junior Kylie Coen, who’s continued to bring reliable consistency through the regular season into the postseason.
Coen’s pair of 9.900s at regionals is reflective of the 10 other scores she earned this season that average out to a solid 9.843. As she matched her season high in both beam sets this past weekend, the Texas native played a significant role in re-harnessing momentum for the team.
Lexi Zeiss was another asset to the Tigers during both the second round and final of the regional, in the same way she’s been all season. Sitting in the second spot after Coen, the sophomore has competed on beam 12 times this year, 11 of which have seen scores of 9.800 and above.
While sometimes overlooked at the beginning of the lineup, Zeiss’s scores have proven to be imperative in helping build momentum down the line.
On the other side of the lineup, Chio sits as the No. 1 beam performer in the nation and for good reason. Not only has she earned five perfect 10s on the event this season, but the sophomore holds an average score of 9.975 across all regular-season competitions.
During the regional, Chio scored her season-low of 9.875 in the second round, but rebounded with a 9.975 in the final. Not only has the gymnast made history for the program, but she has also become an invaluable asset to the team’s success.
Floor
The LSU floor lineup struggles to see any standout performer solely due to the consistency that is apparent across the board.
Top scorers like Kaliya Lincoln and Chio have put together a collective four perfect scores on the event and are both ranked in the nation’s top five for their performance at every meet.
Amari Drayton is close behind with an average score of 9.796 across 12 regular-season meets. This is part of a seven-meet stretch where the junior didn’t receive a score below 9.900.
Since she stepped into this rhythm in early February, Drayton has carried consistency into the postseason, where she found an additional pair of 9.950s over the regional weekend.
LSU’s roster depth is undeniable, and the consistency that has been carried into the postseason at every point in the lineup is proving to be crucial to the Tigers’ success.
