Man, it’s good to be again within the swing of issues.
LSU gymnastics opened their season to the general public Friday evening with their annual Open Mike Night intrasquad meet. A document crowd of 4,472 piled into the PMAC for an exhibition, a quantity which might’ve been ok for 15th if averaged over all the 2025 season and which was larger than all however 18 faculties pulled at any meet in 2025. In that exhibition, LSU showcased 43 totally different routines in some type. I had 4 questions coming into the meet. Here’s how I feel they bought answered, after which I’ll add extra ideas on the finish that didn’t match neatly.
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1: How do the transfers look?
Two of them appeared okay, however the third was improbable. First, I’ve to apologize for being very flawed about Madison Ulrich’s vault. She does a entrance pike half, not a Yurchenko. Her general meet showcased the place she matches in proper now. She was robust on bars and beam, and he or she was not nice on vault and ground. Her ultimate cross on ground was dangerous, and her vault appeared a bit wonky. Her bars and beam routines had been improbable and appeared prepared for primetime.
Emily Innes didn’t have an ideal evening, however that might’ve been the results of nervousness. Her beam routine included a stability break, her ground routine was nice, and her vault, a Yurchenko Full, was off. This was a observe meet, nevertheless it was 8 days from the primary meet of the season. I’m prepared to offer some good thing about the doubt as a result of this wasn’t what she’s able to.
Courtney Blackson was one of many studs of the meet. She completely crushed her Yurchenko 1.5 and drilled her bars routine. She’s wanting pretty much as good as ever and as assured as ever.
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2: How do the freshmen look?
Elyse Wenner and Zoe Miller didn’t compete as precautionary measures due to their accidents.
Nina Ballou was the primary freshman to point out off her stuff Friday, and he or she didn’t appear to be she was lineup prepared on any occasion besides bars. The major problem together with her ground routine is the amplitude on her passes. LSU’s ground is legendary for being very bouncy, they usually bought a brand new ground that’s even bouncier. She landed her passes with a low chest every time, and it received’t look higher on a much less forgiving ground. Her Y1.5 had type points all through. Her bars routine was nice. She fell on her triple sequence on beam, although she nailed it the second time. The beam fall may’ve been due to nerves, however the execution points on vault and ground must get fastened.
Molly Brinkman was nice. One of her finest occasions is vault, however she didn’t do a vault for some cause. Her beam routine was okay and her ground routine was not nice, both. She appeared tough across the edges, however that’s nice.
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Haley Mustari had the very best meet of the freshmen. Her beam routine appeared ok to make lineups, and her bars routine was improbable. When evaluating an intrasquad, I deal with what’s occurring earlier than the touchdown. Haley had improbable gymnastics earlier than every touchdown.
3: How are the folks getting back from damage?
Chase Brock didn’t compete. Also, Leah Miller was on crutches. She wasn’t getting back from damage, however that data didn’t match elsewhere.
Alexis Jeffrey, getting back from a again damage, did an ideal bars routine. She’s some of the constant folks on bars, so it’s very good to see her return to type.
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Konnor McClain has accomplished her restoration from her Achilles damage and is again doing all 4 occasions, however she didn’t vault Friday. She did very nicely on every of her routines, and her bars routine appeared excellent till the dismount. It seems to be like she’s again to being among the finest gymnasts within the nation once more.
Kaliya Lincoln is prepared for an outstanding sophomore season after getting via her decrease leg soreness. She did a Yurchenko Full onto a raised floor as a substitute of a Double onto a tough floor to maintain her as wholesome as potential. Her beam routine, an occasion she hasn’t accomplished in competitors, was beautiful. Her ground routine was additionally simply pretty much as good. She goes to be among the finest gymnasts on LSU’s staff for the 2026 season.
Kathryn Weilbacher, a switch from Bowling Green within the 2025 offseason, made her PMAC debut after lacking the 2025 season on account of a concussion. Her beam and ground routines had been good. Both are ok to leap into the lineup if wanted. Her Yurchenko Full would’ve been higher if she hadn’t tried too onerous to stay it. Instead, she bent an excessive amount of. Still, her efficiency was a welcome shock.
4: What’s new?
As I discussed within the preview, Lexi Zeiss debuted a brand new beam dismount. Her routine was competitors prepared. Tori Tatum did the primary beam routine I can bear in mind seeing her do in an enviornment, and it appeared prefer it nonetheless wanted some polish.
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5: What else is there?
Sophomore Victoria Roberts had an excellent meet. Heer worst occasion was beam as a result of she virtually fell, however her approach on the remainder of the routine was excellent. Her entrance pike half vault was barely underrotated, nevertheless it was higher than any vault she’s accomplished in an enviornment. Her bars routine was an incredibly good routine. If that’s how she seems to be 90% of the time, she ought to make lineups in the course of the season.
Amari Drayton had an excellent meet on the three occasions she did. Vault, beam and ground went very nicely, and that’s a promising signal for 2026. Kylie Coen was nice on beam and ground, too. Ashley Cowan fell on her bars routine, however she’s apparently been below the climate lately.
Lexi Zeiss had a strong meet on bars and beam. Vault and ground had been okay, however each routines had type points. She is likely one of the finest gymnasts when she does tucked expertise. Unfortunately, she tends to tuck her legs when she does a structure. It is a built-in deduction to her vault and to her tumbling passes. There are tucked vaults that earn a ten.0 SV resembling a Khorkina and a Podkopayeva, however doing these vaults would require an offseason of coaching. If she will be able to straighten her legs in her layouts, she may be among the finest vaulters within the nation and a robust scorer on ground.
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Conclusion
After watching this, I feel bars is LSU’s strongest occasion adopted by ground, vault and beam. Kailin Chio didn’t do a lot, however she’s in all probability going to do the all-around in West Valley City. Coming into the offseason, beam was the occasion of highest concern. Emily Innes is right here as a result of she will be able to do a superb beam routine, and Madison Ulrich is nice, too. Despite that, it’s nonetheless the occasion with the least quantity of strong depth in the meanwhile. The struggles from this showcase are nice as a result of it’s higher to have them now than in a meet that counts.
The common season begins with a large check. The third annual Sprouts Collegiate Quad is again in West Valley City, and can pit LSU in opposition to Oklahoma, UCLA and Utah. LSU completed beneath the opposite three groups, so that they’ll start the meet on ground.