Latest news with #KailinChio
Forbes
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
ESPN Announces Return Of Sprouts Collegiate Quad To Utah In 2026
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 11: Kailin Chio of the LSU Tigers celebrates in the Sprouts ... More Farmers Market Collegiate Quad at the Paycom Center on January 11, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.(Photo by Reagan Cotten/LSU/University Images via Getty Images) On the morning of the 2025 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Semifinals, ESPN announced that the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad will return to the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, in January 2026. The meet will host two quad meets on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Session I will air live on ABC at 4 p.m. ET, with Session II slated for primetime on ESPN2 at 8 or 9 p.m. 'We are thrilled to return to Utah for the third annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad,' said ESPN Events director Kristen Shaver. The event sponsor states a shared commitment to the competition's goals. 'Sprouts is on a mission to empower women both on and off the mat, whether it's fueling performance through nutrition or partnering with organizations who are changing the game in women's sports,' added Nick Konat, president and COO. The 2025 edition, held in Oklahoma City, drew national attention as one of the premier regular-season events of the NCAA gymnastics season. It was also one of the most competitive, with all eight participating programs going on to appear in this year's postseason competition. Five of those eight teams will compete in today's national semifinals, with defending National Champion No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 4 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 8 Michigan State all bidding for a national title. These five will join No. 5 California, No. 9 Kentucky, and 2021 NCAA Champion Michigan on the 2026 roster. 'To have all eight teams make a postseason appearance with five advancing to the National Championship speaks volumes to the stature of this early-season event,' Shaver said. 'We believe strongly in the power of women's sports and are committed to furthering the growth of gymnastics." After garnering groundbreaking viewership numbers in its 2024 and 2025 editions, the meet will return to primetime television in 2026. ESPN reports that the first two years of the event stand as the 'most-watched live, regular season collegiate gymnastics meets ever' aired on ESPN platforms. While the meet doesn't serve as a postseason qualifier, organizers argue its execution sets the event apart from other regular-season meets. 'The teams at ESPN working on the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad treat it as if it were the national championship,' said Hannah McSwain, an Associate Manager for ESPN Events. FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 15: The crowd watches the action during the Division I Women's Gymnastics ... More Championship held at Dickies Arena on April 15, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) 'From the podium and the equipment the athletes compete on to the on-air broadcast featuring our postseason talent – we aim for the event to have a postseason feel at the beginning of the season.' Upon launching the event and gymnastics as a new sports category for ESPN Events in 2024, McSwain says the team's first year was 'a learning experience' as they familiarized themselves with the sport. 'We familiarized ourselves with the sport, including the nuance, precision, and passion,' she attests. 'We work with our experienced production team, hire two meet directors with more than 40 years combined experience, and seek input from the participating schools to ensure we are building the best event for these athletes.' The event's organizers key that the meet's success is part of a greater pattern in women's gymnastics and women's athletics – one that will play out at this week's championship. 'We've seen with a lot of growth sports, especially women's sports,' said Mallory Kenny, Director of Programming. 'If you create a consistent programming strategy – such as SEC Network's Friday Night Heights – and find new ways to showcase the stories of these incredible athletes, fans will not only come to watch, but they are likely to return.' Kenny and the ESPN events team have the data to support their commitment to growing the sport. 'In only three years, we have nearly doubled the programming hours of women's gymnastics across our platforms, making the sport more accessible to more fans." As for ESPN's winning strategy, Kenny credits the commitment to outreach and accessibility for fans. Our production team and commentators do a great job of making these events accessible to both the die-hard gymnastics fan and the casual gymnastics fan who may be tuning in for the first time," she adds. 'Through our new NCAA media rights agreement and our relationship with our conference partners, we have a lot more options in terms of new events and new storytelling opportunities within this sport." ESPN's original content series, Game On, directly responds to these budding opportunities. AUBURN, ALABAMA - FEBRUARY 2: (EDITORS NOTE: This is an in-camera multiple exposure image) Anna Hill ... More of the Auburn Tigers warming up on the vault at Neville Arena on February 2, 2024 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by) 'One of the keys to further expansion of women's gymnastics coverage is expanding our audience and connecting with younger fans through marquee events, enhanced production, and activating across our digital and social platforms," Kenny says. This Saturday's ABC broadcast of the national championship is a prime example – and it's just the beginning. Amanda Gifford, ESPN's Senior Vice President of Production, attested to the meticulous execution of Thursday's semifinals and Saturday's finals. ESPN is 'always looking to raise the bar in our presentation,' Gifford shares. 'We think there are a lot of opportunities regarding innovation with gymnastics.' In 2024, the ESPN events team debuted a new scoring tower to display results, dubbed a 'game changer' by coaches, media, and fans. This weekend's broadcast will introduce a new feature designed to highlight the gymnasts' explosive power and technique: 4-dimensional replay, available for vault and uneven bars. 'Each apparatus has 30 cameras surrounding it and will help us display the true athleticism and dynamic performances of these gymnasts," Gifford says. The new addition to 2025's broadcast is one of many steps intended to increase accessibility and enjoyment for viewers. For new viewers, 'gymnastics is challenging,' Gifford and her team admit. 'It's on us to educate the viewer and find ways to make understanding the sport as easy as watching it. As the sport continues to grow, and we find new ways to make gymnastics accessible and available, we have to continue to evolve in our storytelling and presentation.' Gymnastics coverage has come a long way, and ESPN's work is no exception. Gifford tells me that witnessing the sport's progress has been "special.' 'We've gone from a small number of live televised meets to more than 70 – aided by the launches of both SEC Network and ACC Network – and grown our coverage to include multiple conference championships, NCAA regionals, a pre-championship preview show on ABC, ESPN Events' creation of the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, and more,' she shares. The team that works on this sport is so passionate about gymnastics," she adds. "Some are lifelong fans, former gymnasts or dancers, or have just grown to love the sport over the years they've worked on it at ESPN. Coming in new to the sport this year, the energy of the ESPN team behind the scenes is exciting to be part of, and I think that translates to our coverage.' Fans can witness the innovation for themselves, beginning with the two national semifinals on Thursday, April 17, broadcast live on ESPN2. The National Championship, dubbed 'The Four On The Floor," will be broadcast live on ABC on Saturday, April 19. Detailed scheduling and streaming can be found here. Full details regarding timing and commentary for the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate quad will be announced at a later date, with tickets going on sale this Fall. Fans eager to book their trips can secure pre-sale access by signing up for the event mailing list at
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU gymnastics is back in the national championship. When do the TIgers take the mat?
LSU gymnastics is back in the national championship. When do the TIgers take the mat? Following the regional competitions, LSU Gymnastics heads the NCAA championships starting with the seminal round on April 17 in Fort Worth, TX. The top-seeded Tigers face off against No. 4 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 8 Michigan State in its third-straight national championship appearance. They claimed their 15th regional title on Saturday after posting a team score of 198.050. Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, and Alabama make up an All-SEC second semifinal group. The top two teams from each semifinal will advance to the championship meet on April 19. LSU will aim to defend its 2024 title following a standout showing at the Penn State regional on Saturday. Aleah Finnegan claimed the floor individual title and shared the balance beam title with SEC Freshman of the Year Kailin Chio as each scored a 9.950. Haleigh Bryant is also on a quest to defend her all-around title from 2024. She posted three scores of 9.9 or better in Saturday's regional, a strong showing in her fifth and final season representing the Tigers.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU gymnast Kailin Chio wins SEC Freshman of the Year
LSU gymnast Kailin Chio wins SEC Freshman of the Year LSU Gymnastics' Kailin Chio was named SEC Freshman of the Year. She also earned places on the 2025 All-SEC team alongside three of her teammates and the All-Freshman team. Chio is the fourth gymnast in program history to win the award. She follows Haleigh Bryant (2021), Kiya Johnson (2020), and April Burkholder (2003). Bryant, Aleah Finnegan and Konnor McClain join Chio on the All-SEC team. In her historic debut season, Chio competed in the all-around in every meet for the Tigers. She recorded season highs of 10 on vault, the first perfect score of the season by a freshman, 9.950 on bars and beam, and 9.975 on floor. Her season-high of 39.800 in the all-around is the best by a freshman in LSU history and nationally this season. Chio ranked top-10 nationally for eight out of 12 weeks of competition, even claiming the top spot on vault for two weeks. She currently ranks in the top 20 with a 9.9 or better in every event. Her nine wins for SEC Freshman of the Week set the conference record. In the 2025 SEC championships, Chio finished in the top 10 for three of four individual events and the all-around. She placed second on the floor with a 9.950 and fourth in the all-around with a 39.650.
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU Gymnastics claims share of SEC regular season title
LSU Gymnastics claims share of SEC regular season title LSU Gymnastics clinched a share of the SEC regular season championship with its win over No. 14 Auburn on Friday. It is the third time in program history that a share of the conference title is coming back to Baton Rouge and the first time since 2018. The No. 2 Tigers' 7-1 SEC record is tied with No. 1 Oklahoma, making them co-champions. After starting the conference slate 1-1 with a loss at No. 17 Arkansas, LSU rattled off seven-straight victories, including a record-setting upset over the top-ranked Sooners. The Tigers now set their sights on the SEC Championships, which start on March 22 in Birmingham, AL. Kailin Chio scored a perfect 10 on vault to start the meet, the first of her career. Haleigh Bryant claimed titles on bars and in the all-around with a 9.95 and 39.775, respectively. Aleah Finnegan won the floor with a 9.975 as LSU swept all five titles.
