Just 3 months ago, the NCAA gymnastics judging was under fire by the fans after an Oklahoma gymnast was awarded 9.8 despite fans alleging the video showed her “Feet FULL ON touched the mat.” Fans couldn’t believe this was real. This time, however, something different happened at the NCAA semifinals. While Kailin Chio entered the NCAA semifinals as the nation’s top gymnast, LSU suddenly found itself in a battle that went beyond just the competition.

At the first NCAA gymnastics semifinal session between LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Stanford, there were reports of some lengthy judging delays, reportedly hurting momentum and threatening to ruin LSU’s run at the worst possible moment.

LSU did eventually make the cut thanks to a sensational performance from Kailin Chio in Rotation 4, but things looked dicey for a small period, likely thanks to those delays. It did surprise a few fans, including journalist Michael Cauble, who reported that the LSU Tigers looked off their usual pace.

“LSU has been a victim of very lengthy delays in both the vault and now the beam,” Cauble wrote on X. “Not sure if it’s judge-related or television holding for routines, but there is no pace to LSU’s competition. It feels like it’s sucked the energy out of the team.”

One of the delays happened when the judges clustered together after Kaliya Lincoln’s routine because she had a connection piece that didn’t work.

That came as a shock, especially after the LSU Tigers’ performance in Rotation 1, where they finished first with a 0.0125 lead over second-place Florida Gators. That was after sensational performances from Kaliya Lincoln and Kailin Chio, as both women scored 9.9625 on the vault. The two LSU stars were backed by a 9.8500 from Lexi Zeiss, a 9.8250 from Konnor McClain, a 9.7250 from Victoria Roberts, and a 9.8750 from Amari Drayton.

But as Cauble mentioned, that was despite lengthy judging delays for McClain’s vault, which may have affected the team as the Tigers struggled in Rotation 2. They were performing on the bars, which had been their poorest event this season, and things looked even worse. McClain stepped up again with a 9.9125, but the Tigers posted only a 49.1875, which marked their lowest in the discipline this term, as even Chio struggled, scoring a 9.800.

That, for the unversed, is one of her lowest scores of the season, and in response to that, both Georgia and Florida upped their performances, notching great scores. It sent the Tigers down into second, albeit with a healthy lead over third-place Georgia. And then tragedy struck as LSU struggled yet again in Rotation 3 on the beam with Kaliya Lincoln’s delay at the heart of things.

She scored a 9.4250, albeit due to problems during her routine; she attempted it twice. Things didn’t improve, although the delay occurred in between her two attempts, which knocked momentum out of the Tigers. It left things to McClain and Chio, especially after Georgia surged ahead of LSU, sending them into third for the moment at the end of Rotation 3.

And the two women delivered, scoring 9.95 and 9.8875 to give the Tigers a chance before Chio sealed the deal in Rotation 4. The Florida Gators sealed their spot thanks to an equally impeccable performance from Selena Harris-Miranda, but it was Kailin Chio who stole the spotlight in the floor exercise.

While her teammates delivered, Chio came in at the fifth spot and produced another 9.9625, topping Drayton’s 9.9375. That, combined with Lincoln’s 9.9125 as the anchor, ensured that LSU finished second to qualify for the NCAA Championship final. They made it with inches to spare, registering a final score of 197.4375, while Georgia GymDogs were in third with 197.2625.

It also means that ahead of Session 2, which will feature Jordan Chiles, Kailin Chio leads the race for the all-around title with a score of 39.6125, alongside the race for the vault (joint with Lincoln) and the floor titles. And yet, even that probably won’t shock LSU Head Coach Jay Clark, who lauded her reliability ahead of the semifinals.

Head coach Jay Clark praises Kailin Chio’s reliability 

After all, Kailin Chio entered the NCAA Championship semifinal and final as the number one gymnast in the country. To put that in perspective, she remains the odds-on favourite to win the all-around title after a dominating performance that saw her register twelve perfect 10s in the season. Even Jordan Chiles and her perfect 10s streak couldn’t match that, as the Olympian finished with an 8 and eventually lost the top spot during the regular season to the LSU sophomore.

However, what’s been even more impressive is Kailin Chio’s ability to come up clutch in key moments for the Tigers, something that was showcased superbly during the semi-final. And it has happened in the past, including against Arkansas, where she earned three perfect 10s, and against Auburn in mid-February, where she finished with a 39.875, her best score of the season at the time.

And LSU Head Coach Jay Clark touched upon that in an interview, admitting that her mere presence on the team changes things.

“I think [Chio’s reliability] is immense,” Clark said as per Forbes. “It causes everyone to settle in and to know that she’s later in the lineup. She is a calming and reassuring presence.”

Not only that, what impressed him more than her “uncanny” ability to consistently land vaults and arguably one of the greatest seasons in college gymnastics was just how grounded she is.

“She’s just very grounded and understands her process,” Clark further added. “She understands that her contribution, while it garners most of the press clippings, is just one cog in the wheel of a team.”

And if the semi-final was anything to go by, even Kailin Chio’s brilliance might not be enough to offset the external factors that nearly derailed LSU’s run. But with the final still to come, the Tigers will be hoping their star sophomore can once again rise above the chaos and deliver when it matters most.