LSU Gymnastics Cruises Past Penn State

Tigers fail to reach season-high scores in victory over Nittany Lions

Feb. 7, 2026 at 11:55am

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The #3 LSU gymnastics team defeated #14 Penn State 197.525-196.125 in a meet at the PMAC on Friday. While LSU picked up the win, the team's performance was not as strong as it has been in previous meets, with the Tigers failing to reach season-high scores on several events. Penn State had a solid showing, but struggled on vault and beam.

Why it matters

LSU is a perennial gymnastics powerhouse, so any meet where they don't reach their full potential is noteworthy. The Tigers were looking to build momentum at home ahead of a big matchup with Auburn next week, but this uneven performance raises some questions about their form heading into the latter part of the season.

The details

LSU set a new season-high score on vault, led by Lexi Zeiss' 9.875 on her Yurchenko 1.5. However, the Tigers had some uncharacteristic struggles on bars and beam, posting season-low scores on those events. Penn State's 49.175 on floor was a solid performance, but the Nittany Lions' 48.775 on vault was a season-low. LSU's Kailin Chio continued her strong season, winning the all-around title with 10 career event titles, tying her for 18th all-time at LSU.

  • The meet took place on Friday, February 7, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The players

LSU Gymnastics Team

The #3 ranked LSU gymnastics team, a perennial powerhouse in the sport.

Penn State Gymnastics Team

The #14 ranked Penn State gymnastics team, facing off against LSU.

Kailin Chio

An LSU gymnast who won the all-around title and tied for 18th all-time at LSU in career event titles.

Lexi Zeiss

An LSU gymnast who scored a 9.875 on vault, helping the Tigers set a new season-high on the event.

Jay Clark

The head coach of the LSU gymnastics team, who seemed frustrated with his team's uneven performance.

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What they’re saying

“Head coach Jay Clark seemed quite irritated in his post-meet press conference because of how they performed in this meet compared to how well they practiced.”

— Jay Clark, Head Coach, LSU Gymnastics

What’s next

LSU will host Auburn next week, looking to bounce back with a stronger performance. Penn State will return home to University Park for a meet on Sunday.

The takeaway

While LSU picked up the win, this uneven performance by the Tigers raises questions about their form heading into the latter part of the season. The team will need to regroup and refocus ahead of their upcoming matchup with Auburn.