LSU gymnast Kailin Chio looks back on her perfect night

It was one of those nights in the PMAC where the routine kept getting better and the scores kept climbing.

For Kailin Chio, it ended with three perfect 10s and a performance that will live in LSU gymnastics lore.

Chio posted perfect scores on vault, balance beam and floor exercise as the Tigers closed the regular season with a dominant performance against Arkansas. But when the meet ended and she spoke on the SEC Network broadcast, the LSU standout said the night never felt like a record chase.

“I had no idea,” Chio said on the SEC Network when asked if she realized what was unfolding. “We came in here celebrating our seniors and we always talk about honoring each other with our actions. That’s exactly what not only me, but everyone else did tonight, and I’m just super proud.”

The milestone put Chio in rare company in college gymnastics. Her three perfect scores came while competing in just three events, making the accomplishment even more unusual.

It also connected her performance to another iconic LSU moment. Chio became the first Tiger to record three perfect 10s in a single meet since Haleigh Bryant accomplished the same feat against West Virginia in March 2023. Bryant now serves as an assistant coach on LSU’s staff, giving the program a direct link between two of its most memorable performances.

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Kailin spoke glowingly about her Haleigh. “Having her as a teammate and now as a coach is really full circle. She’s been by my side through everything and I go to her for anything. She always reminds me not to duplicate anything from the past and to treat each meet as a reset.”

For head coach Jay Clark, Chio’s night was the product of the consistency she has shown all season.

“Chio’s doing amazing quality gymnastics consistently week after week after week,” Clark said. “A month ago we were asking if she was ever going to get one on vault because she was just planting vaults every week. Now she’s had a couple.”

Clark said the Tigers even made the decision to manage Chio’s workload earlier in the meet to help keep her mentally fresh.

“There’s such a mental difference between doing three events and four,” Clark said. “It’s not as much the physical part as it is the mental and emotional energy that goes into being that focused.”

The performance capped a regular season that has already been historic for Chio. The sophomore now has nine perfect 10s this season and 10 in her LSU career, setting the program’s single-season record along the way.

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Despite the accolades, Chio said the team’s focus quickly shifts to what lies ahead.

“This is the regular season. That’s phase one of our climb,” Chio said. “Going into SECs next week, that’s the next phase. We’re just going to keep pushing and keep grinding in the gym, compete free every night, have fun and see where we end up.”

If Friday night was any indication, the Tigers’ ceiling may still be rising as the postseason begins.

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