LSU's Kailin Chio Aims for Historic NCAA Sweep

Freshman gymnast looks to become first to win all five individual NCAA titles in a single season.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:53pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a gymnast performing on the balance beam, with sharp geometric shapes and planes of color representing the dynamic movements and tension of the routine.Kailin Chio's quest to become the first gymnast to sweep the NCAA individual titles will require her to stay focused and execute flawlessly under intense pressure.Baton Rouge Today

LSU freshman Kailin Chio has dominated the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season, emerging as the top-ranked gymnast in the country on vault, bars, beam, floor, and the all-around. As the NCAA Championships approach, Chio has a chance to make history by sweeping all five individual titles - a feat that has never been accomplished before.

Why it matters

Chio's potential sweep would cement her status as one of the greatest college gymnasts of all time and further elevate the profile of the LSU gymnastics program. However, the deep field of challengers at nationals means Chio will have to be at her absolute best to achieve this unprecedented accomplishment.

The details

Chio has been nearly unstoppable this season, posting the highest NQS scores in the country on vault (9.980), bars (9.955), beam (9.995), floor (9.995), and the all-around (39.795). She has only a handful of scores below 9.900 all year, showcasing remarkable consistency. While Chio is the heavy favorite in most events, she will face stiff competition from gymnasts like Maggie Slife (Air Force), Skye Blakely (Florida), Jordan Chiles (UCLA), Kaliya Lincoln (LSU), and CaMarah Williams (Georgia).

  • Chio won the NCAA vault title in 2025 with a 9.9750.
  • The 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships will take place on April 16-18.

The players

Kailin Chio

A freshman sensation at LSU who is the top-ranked gymnast in the country across all five individual events.

Maggie Slife

An Air Force junior who is an All-American on bars and has the same bars NQS as Konnor McClain.

Skye Blakely

A Florida sophomore with the best bars NQS in the country at 9.955, including a perfect 10 score.

Jordan Chiles

A UCLA senior who leads the nation on floor exercise with a near-perfect 9.995 NQS.

Kaliya Lincoln

An LSU sophomore tied for second nationally on floor exercise with a season-high 9.975.

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What they’re saying

“It's entirely possible that Kailin has a monster day and gets massive scores which nobody surpasses.”

— Ben Schluter, Author

“When she's locked in, she is unstoppable.”

— Ben Schluter, Author

What’s next

The judges in the individual event finals on April 18 will determine whether Kailin Chio can make history by sweeping all five NCAA titles.

The takeaway

Chio's potential sweep would cement her status as one of the greatest college gymnasts of all time and further elevate the profile of the LSU gymnastics program. However, the deep field of challengers at nationals means Chio will have to be at her absolute best to achieve this unprecedented accomplishment.