The national championship defense for LSU gymnastics is still alive. The top-ranked Tigers won at the University Park Regional in State College, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night, with a 198.1. Arkansas finished second at 197.55, while Michigan (197.05) and Maryland (196.825) were eliminated from the tournament.
There was little drama as to whether LSU was set to advance. In addition to being the top overall seed in the tournament, the Tigers had room for error; the top two teams advanced to Saturday's regional final. Still, LSU didn't leave it to chance.
The Tigers took a slim lead after the first rotation, but the Razorbacks closed the deficit after the second. After the third, LSU extended its lead to over half a point and never looked back, ultimately extending the lead one final time.
Team performance
The Tigers had entered coming off a hot streak, scoring at least 198 in each of their past four meets. Through the first rotation, LSU scored a 49.55 on the floor, putting the Tigers ahead of the pace for a fifth consecutive 198. That pace kept up with scores over 49.5 on both the vault and the uneven parallel bars. It momentarily slipped to start the balance beam, but LSU pulled through late to keep the 198 streak going.
Top individuals
Freshman Kailin Chio stepped up in her first NCAA Tournament, becoming the only Tiger to score four 9.9s on Thursday: 9.9 in the vault, bars and beam, as well as a 9.925 on the floor. Although she didn't win any individual events, her consistency tied her with teammate Aleah Finnegan for the all-around title at 39.625.
Finnegan, meanwhile, won two individual events in addition to the all-around: a 9.925 on the floor and a 9.95 on the beam.
