Almost a year ago to the day, the LSU gymnasts hopped on a somber bus ride after a tough conversation with coach Jay Clark.
LSU exited the NCAA regionals in 2022 suddenly. Clark told his gymnasts that he had failed them. He called the moment one of the most difficult he’s faced in 32 years of coaching, then made a resolution — they’ll figure it out, he said, and they’ll be back.
Fast-forward 365 days. Now LSU is back, right where the last road ended. The No. 6 Tigers are headed to Denver for the second round of the NCAA gymnastics championships. At 3 p.m. Friday, the Tigers will compete with No. 11 Oregon State, Georgia and Nebraska. They’ll need to outscore two of those teams to vanquish last year’s defeat and advance to Sunday’s regional final. The regional will stream online at ESPN+.
Before the SEC championships, Clark said his team’s rash of injuries had prepared it for the postseason.
“The situation we were in early in the season,” he said, “we were feeling as much pressure going into every meet as you would feel in any postseason situation because there were so many unknowns that could’ve occurred. And they’ve handled it.”
Three Tigers have suffered season-ending Achilles tears. Cammy Hall, a transfer from Utah, tore hers before the season started. Then star all-arounder Kiya Johnson ruptured hers in the second meet of the year. Kai Rivers felt hers rip while warming up for the penultimate meet of the regular season.
Three more contributors also have missed extended time. A stress reaction in Olivia Dunne’s leg sidelined her for eight weeks. Freshman Bryce Wilson fell off the balance beam in Lexington, Kentucky, entered concussion protocol and missed six meets. And star sophomore KJ Johnson is still out with a fractured foot. She suffered that injury while celebrating LSU’s win over Florida.
Despite the adversity, LSU ranks sixth in the country in overall National Qualifying Score (197.840), with top-10 marks in all four events. Haleigh Bryant, the nation’s fourth-ranked all-arounder, brought her game up a level. And sophomore Aleah Finnegan scored perfect 10s in four straight meets as part of a breakout season.
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