Forget the actual Super Bowl. It’s time for the real Super Bowl. Kidding…kind of.
This marquee matchup brings together star-studded veterans, freshman phenoms, and the last two national champions for a showdown in Norman. In one corner stands the dynasty of NCAA gymnastics: the Oklahoma Sooners. While this season hasn’t fully matched their typically dominant standard, Oklahoma is chasing its fourth consecutive 198-plus score, signaling a return to form. Addison Fatta enters as the nation’s top vaulter and is coming off her first career perfect 10, while Faith Torrez remains among the top-ranked beam workers in the country. Torrez has yet to compete on floor this season, but with the stakes at their highest, don’t be surprised if head coach KJ Kindler unveils her strongest possible lineup.
In the other corner are the LSU Tigers, fresh off the program’s first national title. Their season, like Oklahoma’s, has featured some inconsistency, but tying a program record on floor last time out provides valuable momentum heading into this road test. Kailin Chio has been a model of consistency and is coming off her second perfect 10 of the season. With a stick-ready Yurchenko one-and-a-half, she’ll be a key factor again. For LSU to secure the win, it must replicate its complete performance against Auburn across all four events and capitalize on any openings Oklahoma provides.
Get your snacks—and maybe an emotional support blanket—ready. This one has all the makings of a classic.
The meet will be on ESPN2, with scores on Virtius.
Lineups are online! So far, it looks like Konnor McClain might get the night off of beam and Madison Ulrich is slated to compete in the anchor spot in her first appearance on beam since the Georgia meet. Lexi Zeiss also isn’t slated for beam, the lead off spot goes to Kylie Coen. No major changes from Oklahoma, Torrez is slated to vault for the third meet in a row.
Rotation 1: Oklahoma VT, LSU UB
Blessey (OU): FHS pike half, solid height and distance, low chest on the landing, but kept her feet still to get the stick.
Zeiss (LSU): Nice first handstand, Maloney to Pak, her usual. FTDT dismount, some leg separation in the air, tiny hop on the landing. 9.850
9.975 on the first vault of the night. So THAT’S the night we’re having here.
Pederson (OU): Late switch for Wells here. Y 1.5, nice controlled step forward on the landing. 9.900
Cowan (LSU): Ray to immediate overshoot, nice straight arms on the catch, some flexed feet in the air, DLO dismount with a stick. 9.900
Torrez (OU): Y 1.5, nice block off the table, lacked some distance, underrotated and had to take a hop back. 9.850
Ulrich (LSU): Pretty first handstand, Maloney to Pak, the tiniest leg separation throughout, good final handstand, double layout dismount with another stick. 9.900
Estep (OU): Y 1.5, really beautiful form in the air, nice form in the twist, hop forward on the landing. 9.900
Chio (LSU): Maloney to bail to handstand, nice tight position in the handstand. Khorkina looks really good, double layout dismount with a stick! 9.925
Mueller (OU): Y 1.5, came up short on the landing but took the step forward instead of backwards. Nice form in the air, not bad on distance. 9.875
Blackson (LSU): HOLDS that first handstand, arches it to keep from falling. Bail to handstand, Khorkina was absolutely gorgeous and really high above the bar. Some fight on the dismount with an arm swing and some foot movement. 9.800
Fatta (OU): Y 1.5, big height and distance, hop forward on the landing. 9.925
Jeffrey (LSU): Maloney to bail, some leg separation throughout. FTDT dismount, lots of height, deep squat in the landing, but gets the stick. 9.850
AFTER ONE: Oklahoma 49.575, LSU 49.425
Not a bad start for either team! Oklahoma got its top score on the leadoff vault with Elizabeth Blessey getting the only stick of the rotation. The form throughout was clean, but the Sooners will want to dial in on those landings the rest of the night. LSU caught the stick bug early in the bars rotation but is 0.150 behind heading to the second rotation.
Injury Update: Konnor McClain is out for tonight’s meet after suffering a forearm injury in bars warmup.
Rotation 2: LSU VT, Oklahoma UB
Zeiss (LSU): Y 1.5, her legs were a little straighter than normal, still some knee bend and foot form in the air, hop forward on the landing. 9.850
Pederson (OU): Ray to open, nicely done. Beautiful Pak salto, finishes the half pirouette on top of the bar, perfect handstand on the low bar, double layout dismount with a stick. 9.950
Blackson (LSU): Y 1.5, some soft knees in the air, bent elbows on the block, step backward on the landing. 9.775
Murphy (OU): Gorgeous first handstand, Maloney to Pak, really nicely done. Pretty final handstand, full pirouette to double tuck dismount with another stick. 9.900
Roberts (LSU): FHS pike half, nice straight arms on the block, good distance from the table, hop back on the landing. 9.850
Scheible (OU): little short on the first handstand, blind to straddle Jaeger, bent elbows on the catch, bail to handstand, looked short on the handstands all the way through, FTDT with a step back.
Lincoln (LSU): Y 1.5, big height and distance, little bit of leg separation toward the end, tiny step forward on the landing. 9.950
Fatta (OU): Church to Pak, straight arms on both of those catches, double layout dismount with a stick. Short and sweet and honestly, not much to take in deductions. 9.950
Drayton (LSU): Y 1.5, had a beautiful block off the table, opens up a little early and is underrotated and takes a step back.
Estep (OU): Nice first handstand, good Tkatchev. Bail to handstand was nice, maybe a little short on the final handstand, blind full to FTDT, some leg separation with a step.
Chio (LSU): Y 1.5, beautiful vault. Looked so much like every other vault she’s stuck this year. Sixth stick in a row and she gets the 10. Absolutely insane.
Torrez (OU): Ray release to open, bit of bent arms on the catch, Pak salto, some tiny leg separation, hits her final handstand, double layout with a stick.
AFTER TWO: Oklahoma 99.175, LSU 98.900
I almost choked on my nachos watching Kailin Chio get the 10 everyone’s been saying she deserves. Other than than, vault was a little lacking with only one other score going above 9.900. In a meet this close, you have to start tallying 9.900s on almost every routine. Oklahoma hits a season high on bars with four counting scores of 9.900 plus. The lead extends but the Tigers aren’t going down without a fight.
Rotation 3: Oklahoma BB, LSU FX
Fatta (OU): BHS LOSO after some choreo, solid. Side aerial was good. Hitch kick to switch side, her toes really gripped the beam after that switch. Switch leap split jump, nice 180 position in the leaps. BHS gainer full with a stick. She’s been on fire tonight. 9.900
Innes (LSU): FHS front double full, steps out of it nicely. Comes right back with back 1.5 to front layout, nice rise on the second skill. Leaps looked good, finishes with 1.5 to double stag, more controlled on the stag than I’ve seen her in the past. 9.850
Estep (OU): In for Wells here due to her being out sick. BHS LOSO, balance check after the series. Switch leap straddle quarter, tiny balance check afterwards. Cat leap to side aerial was good, RO 1.5 with a step forward.
Ballou (LSU): Double layout to open, sticks it cold and has fun showing off the landing. Nice rotation in her leap series! Front layout to Rudi, another solidly stuck pass. Best floor routine I’ve seen her do so far in her freshman season. 9.850
Murphy (OU): BHS LOSO, solid. Front aerial, nicely controlled on her finish. Slight wobble after the full turn. Beat jump to split ring, another small lean. BHS side gainer full with a stick.
Coen (LSU): FHS front double full to open, steps out of it. Front layout, front full, floaty and gets the landing perfectly. Nice straddle position in her leaps! Solid routine, should keep the scores building. 9.850
Pederson (OU): Pretty finishing position out of the full turn. BHS LOSO, spot on. Really pretty side somi. Hitch kick to switch side, nice extension above the beam. RO double twist with a step back, really that was the only deduction. 9.900
Drayton (LSU): Double layout to open, beautiful height with a controlled step back. Switch ring to switch half, nice extension in the air. Front tuck through to double tuck, had to pull it around to make sure she didn’t hop out of bounds, but a big hit! 9.925
Mueller (OU): Brings her BHS LOSO right to the end of the beam but nails it. Turns out of the side aerial to cover a balance break. Solid extension on her leaps, RO 1.5, some loose knees in the air but a stick on the landing. 9.950
Chio (LSU): FTDT to open, fakes it til she makes with the control on the landing because I thought she was going to lean. Switch ring to tour jete half, really nice extension in the air. 2.5 twist to punch front to close it out, looked as good as her 10 did last week!
Torrez (OU): Her wolf jump is absolutely gorgeous. Side aerial layout step out, balance check after the second skill. Switch leap straddle jump, another lean after the that. BHS gainer full dismount. Definitely not the best she’s ever done it, but still a clean routine. 9.875
Zeiss (LSU): First career appearance on floor coming up. Whip half to double twist, moves her foot ever so slightly but recovers well. Had some looseness in the twist though. Nice rotation in the leaps. Back 1.5 front layout to close it out, really needs a 9.900 to keep LSU in it, but not sure if that’s going to do it. 9.925. Welp. Guess I was wrong.
AFTER THREE: Oklahoma 148.675, LSU 148.375
LSU has a three-tenth deficit to overcome heading to beam. Not an impossible task but with Oklahoma heading to floor at home, it’s going to be a tough task. Beam wasn’t the cleanest, you can definitely tell Wells would’ve been a big hit routine to have here, but it’s another score above 49.500 and on 198 pace heading into the final rotation.
Oh cool, Oklahoma breaks a program record in attendance. Sure wish it looked like this all the time. Anyone checked on the popcorn machines lately though?
Rotation 4: LSU BB, Oklahoma FX
Coen (LSU): Front aerial to beat jump, really nicely done. BHS LOSO, fights through a balance check to stay upright. Switch leap split jump, looked like everything was at 180. RO double twist with a stick, really nice routine to open up this rotation! 9.875
Pederson (OU): FHS front double full with a controlled step forward. RO 1.5 step out through to double twist, that was a whole bunch of stuff and somehow she nails it perfectly. Insane. Really solid rotation on her leap pass! 9.900
Innes (LSU): Front aerial to BHS, good movement throughout the series. Cat leap to side aerial, nice finish. Switch leap to straddle quarter, really pretty extension and her toe point is just immaculate. RO 1.5 twist with a stick. 9.900
Murphy (OU): Front tuck through to double tuck, lot of height on that double tuck. Leap series had nice high extension and good rotation! Back 1.5 to front layout, really nice rise on the layout. I miss the days when Oklahoma had dynamic tumbling though. 9.900
Drayton (LSU): Switch half, nicely done. BHS LOSO, lots of height with a solid landing. Switch leap split jump, maybe lacked a little split but it’s kind of hard to tell. RO double twist with a hop back. 9.850
Estep (OU): Front layout front double full, nice step out of it. Lacked a little bit of control on her leaps but makes it work. RO 2.5 twist as her final pass, really nicely done! 9.875
Lincoln (LSU): Front aerial to BHS, nice job keeping her arms moving throughout! Switch half to beat jump, that was no question at a 180. Pretty full turn, switch leap split jump spot on. BHS 1.5 with a stick! Really wish we would’ve seen her on floor but a great way to end her night on beam! 9.925
Fatta (OU): Front full through to 2.5, her foot was close to that line but looks like she stayed in. Solid rotation on her leaps. FHS front double full second pass, nails it. One of the best floor routines she’s done all year. 9.875
Chio (LSU): Solid on her mount, BHS LOSO nicely done. Front aerial to split jump, split was right at 180. Switch leap split jump, really nice. She’s been spot on all night, a 9.875 wins the all-around for her. RO 1.5 twist with (another) stick.
The boogeyman…really?
Mueller (OU): Solid opening pass, was a little interrupted with Chio’s second 10 of the night, but gets her double tuck nice and high. FLO to Rudi, lands a little sideways but stays on her feet. Needs a 9.750 to secure the win for the Sooners. Nice extension on the leaps. 9.900, Sooners get the win.
Ulrich (LSU): BHS LOSO, solid. Tigers are pushing for a really high score on beam here. Hitch kick switch side, nice amplitude above the beam. Needs a 9.925 for the 198, should be doable with a solid landing. BHS 1.5, arm swing with a hop forward. Not sure if they’ll get the 198 but we will see. 9.825, will not hit 198.
Pawlak (OU): Double pike to open, nice and high with a solid landing. Back 1.5 to front full, big step sideways with a low landing but stays on her feet. Will likely be the drop score but Sooners well over 198 without it. 9.650
FINAL: Oklahoma 198.125, LSU 197.925
VT: Chio (LSU) – 10.000
UB: Fatta (OU) & Pederson (OU) – 9.950
BB: Chio (LSU) – 10.000
FX: Chio (LSU), Drayton (LSU) & Zeiss (LSU) – 9.925
AA: Chio (LSU) – 39.850
Regardless of who was going to win this meet, both teams could not have asked for a better night. There were zero falls on either side, and all counting scores were 9.850 or higher. Like we said in The Mount, this came down to the very ending and that’s exactly how a one versus two matchup should be.
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