LSU Gymnastics upsets top-ranked Oklahoma in thrilling showdown

BATON ROUGE, La. — In a high-stakes face-off that had fans on the edge of their seats, the No. 2 LSU Gymnastics team defeated No. 1 Oklahoma 198.050-197.675 on Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The victory was particularly thrilling for the Tigers, who emerged victorious in front of a roaring crowd of 13,386, marking the third-largest attendance in program history.

LSU’s performance was bolstered by impressive season-high scores in both the vault and floor exercises. The vault team achieved a score of 49.600, while the floor team scored 49.700. Freshman Kailin Chio once again shone brightly, claiming her third consecutive all-around title with an exceptional score of 39.725.

The Tigers got off to a strong start, with senior KJ Johnson and senior Aleah Finnegan both scoring 9.875 on vault. Freshman Kaliya Lincoln followed up with a career-high 9.95, and Chio anchored the rotation, matching that score just before senior Haleigh Bryant secured a 9.95, concluding the vault rotation on a high note. The early lead proved crucial as Oklahoma struggled in the uneven bars, totaling 49.425 against LSU’s 49.600.

Head coach Jay Clark praised his team’s resilience throughout the contest. “We had to fight through some things on bars and then really rev it back up on balance beam, and then finally, put a fairly complete floor rotation together,” Clark said. “We’re still rounding into form in spots, but it’s certainly a great night for our fans and for our team.”

Oklahoma managed to tie the meet at halftime, with strong performances on vault led by junior Faith Torrez, who scored 9.975. However, the Sooners fell short in the beam rotation, where Davis’s 9.825 and Wells’ 9.575 contributed to a total of 49.250. This inconsistency allowed LSU to maintain a slight edge heading into the final rotation.

The excitement peaked in the final event as LSU sought to reinforce its lead on the floor. Lincoln opened with a career-high 9.925 and Ballard matched it shortly after. Chio followed with an impressive 9.950, and Drayton also delivered a 9.950. Bryant’s strong finish with another season-high score of 9.95 sealed the win and marked a significant triumph for the Tigers.

This victory has been noted as LSU’s first win over a No. 1-ranked team in the regular season since defeating Oklahoma in 2016. Chio’s performance continued to establish her as a standout in collegiate gymnastics, achieving a total of 11 event titles this season, solidifying her place as a team leader.

Oklahoma will face another formidable challenge next Friday when they host No. 3 Florida at the Lloyd Noble Center. Meanwhile, the Tigers are ready to face No. 8 Kentucky on February 21 as they aim to build on this landmark victory.