LSU made a bold statement on Saturday, competing in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad meet in Oklahoma City against some of the nation’s top teams.
Despite facing setbacks, including injuries to key athletes Haleigh Bryant and KJ Johnson, LSU finished second with a score of 197.650, just behind No. 1 Oklahoma who won the event with a 197.950.
No. 6 California finished third with a 197.275 and No. 4 Utah rounded out the afternoon session with a 196.800.
LSU senior Aleah Finnegan and freshman Kailin Chio tied for second in the all-around competition, while Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers took home the individual title.
LSU started strong on vault with impressive performances from freshmen Lexi Zeiss and Chio, as well as fifth-year senior Chase Brock. They continued their momentum on bars with standout routines from Ashley Cowan and Konnor McClain. On beam, Sierra Ballard redeemed herself from last week’s fall with a score of 9.850, while Bryant made her season debut after recovering from injury. However, it was Finnegan’s stellar performance that helped LSU achieve a team beam total of 49.250.
As it entered the final rotation, floor exercise, LSU trailed slightly behind Oklahoma but knew it had a chance to win if it could deliver standout routines. Unfortunately, small mistakes from Ballard and Brock prevented them from catching up to Oklahoma’s lead as they scored 9.825 each.
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