In an exhilarating evening at Dickies Arena, the No. 1 ranked LSU Gymnastics team saw their 2025 season come to a close, finishing third in the NCAA Championship Semifinals with an impressive score of 197.5250. The atmosphere was electric as LSU competed fiercely, but they fell just short behind Utah (197.7625) and UCLA (197.7375), who both advanced to the final round.
The Tigers started strong in their opening rotation on the beam. Freshman Lexi Zeiss kicked things off with a solid score of 9.9000, setting the tone for a rotation that saw contributions from junior Ashley Cowan (9.8125), fellow freshman Kailin Chio (9.8250), and senior Aleah Finnegan (9.8500). Sophomore Konnor McClain followed up with a 9.8750, and senior Haleigh Bryant anchored the rotation with another stellar 9.8750. This performance earned them a total beam score of 49.3250, putting them in third place after the first rotation, trailing UCLA and Michigan State.
The second rotation saw LSU compete on the floor, where graduate student Sierra Ballard opened with a strong 9.8750. Kicking off the team’s momentum, Chio continued to impress with a score of 9.8750, while McClain upped the ante with a 9.9000. However, a fall from the beam by Finnegan resulted in a reduced score of 9.2250, bringing their rotation score once again to 49.3250.
By the end of the second rotation, LSU had amassed a total score of 98.6500, remaining in fourth place behind Michigan State, Utah, and UCLA. But the Tigers weren’t done yet.
In the third rotation, the team showcased their skills on the floor, with McClain once again taking the lead with a score of 9.8625. Ballard contributed with a 9.8250, and Chio kept her momentum strong, earning a 9.8875. Amari Drayton followed with a confident 9.9000, and Finnegan capped the performance with a remarkable 9.9375. Bryant then anchored with an outstanding 9.9125, vaulting LSU’s total for this rotation to 49.5000, which placed them second overall heading into the vault.
The final rotation saw LSU take on the vault, where KJ Johnson opened with a score of 9.8375. Zeiss followed with a 9.8000, and Finnegan earned a 9.8500. Drayton’s score of 9.8125 set the stage for Chio, who executed a near-perfect Yurchenko one and a half for a spectacular 9.9750, clinching the title of NCAA Vault Champion. Bryant closed the night strong with a score of 9.9000, bringing LSU’s final rotation score to 49.3750. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the top two, eliminating them from the finals.
Individually, Kailin Chio’s exceptional performance on the vault not only earned her the title but also made her only the third freshman in LSU’s history to win an individual national championship, joining the ranks of fellow Tigers Haleigh Bryant and Kennedi Edney. Additionally, Finnegan and Bryant delivered top performances, with Bryant finishing fifth on vault and tenth on floor, while Finnegan placed fifth on floor. Chio rounded out her impressive debut by tying with Bryant for sixth in the all-around competition in her first nationals appearance.
While LSU’s third place finish marks the end of a remarkable season, it was one filled with milestones, including their regular-season championship, a coveted sixth SEC Championship title, the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed, and their 15th regional championship. Unfortunately, this also almost certainly ends the career of internet star Olivia Dunne. As a senior, she will likely go full time into social media as her husband, Paul Skenes, plays Major League Baseball. The Tigers may have come up short at the semifinal stage, but there’s no doubt that they are a force to be reckoned with heading into the future.
