LSU Gymnastics sophomore Kailin Chio was named a finalist for the Class of 2026 Honda Sport Award for gymnastics, according to an April 27 announcement by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards presented by Honda.
Chio is one of four finalists selected for this year’s award. The other finalists are Jordan Chiles from UCLA, Anna Roberts from Stanford University, and Faith Torrez from the University of Oklahoma. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in women’s collegiate gymnastics and is part of the CWSA’s ongoing effort to honor top female athletes across twelve NCAA-sanctioned sports.
The selection process involved a panel of experts and coaches from the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association. Voting will be conducted by senior women administrators representing more than 1,000 NCAA member institutions following the NCAA Final Four. According to the announcement, “LSU’s Kailin Chio secured the first finalist spot as she was the No. 1 all-arounder during the regular season based on NQS.” Faith Torrez received her nomination as this year’s NCAA All Around Champion, while coaches voted on nominees for two additional spots.
Chio earned eight All-America honors in 2026 and helped LSU achieve an NCAA national runner-up finish with only their second finals score above 198 points in school history. She became LSU’s first gymnast to score a perfect ten at nationals and set several program records during her sophomore season. “She finished her sophomore season with 13 perfect scores, the most by any LSU gymnast in a single season and the second most tens in a single season by any NCAA gymnast since 2019,” according to Monday’s release.
The winner will become a finalist for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and compete for the Class of 2026 Honda Cup at an event scheduled to air live on July 27 at 6 p.m. Central Time on CBS Sports Network.
