LSU Gymnast Kailin Chio claims her 9th SEC Freshman of the Week Honor
Tina Howell • March 18, 2025
It's another week and another honor for LSU Gymnastics freshman Kailin Chio, who has just won her ninth career SEC Freshman of the Week honor. This breaks the previous single season record by any freshman in the conference since the award began in 2009.
Chio shares the Week 11 honor with Oklahoma’s Addison Fatta after both freshmen put up a 39.650 in the all-around last Friday. Chio now has the most SEC Freshman of the Week honors in SEC history, breaking the previous record of eight set by Florida’s Kayla DiCello’s in 2023. Chio also holds the LSU record for the most SEC awards by a gymnast in their first season. She surpassed Haleigh Bryant’s previous record of five in 2021.
Chio recorded her first career perfect 10 in the Tigers regular season finale against No. 14 Auburn last Friday. She became the first freshman in the country to earn a 10 this season after her flawless yurchenko one and a half on vault and her 10 on vault was only the third in the country so far this season.
She put up a strong performance to add to LSU’s season high road victory last Friday, recording scores of 9.900 on bars and 9.925 on floor on top of her perfect 10.0 on vault. She took home the vault title on the night, her 20th title this season and sixth on the event, winning at least one title in all but one competition so far this year.
In only her first year as a Tiger, Chio has earned a spot among the top five gymnasts in the nation for four straight weeks, currently ranking No. 5 in the all-around with her NQS of 39.670. She also sits in the top 10 nationally in the vault and beam rankings, including the No. 1 spot on vault with her NQS of 9.955 on the event.
A quick share helps us a lot!
After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine. This win moved NOLA Gold into 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings. Coach Danny Lee said of the team's response to the delay, “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly.” NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7. Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14. Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24. The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough. With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walked away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens their postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East. Their next match will be on the road against the San Diego Legion on May 4th at 4:00 PM CT. For tickets and more details, please visit www.nolagoldrugby.com
The 10th annual Covington Antiques & Uniques Festival will be held this Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, at the Covington Trailhead Museum. This two-day, juried festival features over 60 vendors offering an eclectic mix of antique furnishings, period collectibles, architectural salvage, and vintage-inspired fine crafts, as well as a live auction, car show, good food, music, and more. The Covington Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to preserve the city’s culture, character and community. Founded in 2015, the festival is coordinated with the support of the City’s Department of Cultural Arts and Events. As the festival grows and evolves each year, their goal remains the same- to offer a first-class juried event that reflects the unique charm and history of the city of Covington. The festival is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. For more details, please visit https://www.covingtonheritagefoundation.com/