Nina Ballou Commits to LSU

LSU landed the top remaining uncommitted recruit in the 2025 class Wednesday when 5-star Nina Ballou announced her commitment. Ballou is ranked 4^th overall in College Gym News’ 2025 rankings.

Ballou began her level 10 career in 2019 at American Twisters Gymnastics in Coconut Creek, Florida. She won the team title for her division at the 2019 Sand Dollar/Whitlow Invitational, her first Level 10 meet. She opened the 2021 season with a 9.975 on vault and a 38.800 AA score, both top 100 scores in the nation. That year, she made her Nastia Liukin Cup (NLC) debut in the Junior division at which she finished 3^rd on beam and tied for 4^th in the all-around. She had three top 100 floor scores with a high of 9.900 that was 2^nd at the Region 8 championships.

In 2022, Ballou broke the 39-point barrier in the all-around with a 39.125 at the Atlanta Centennial Classic that finished tied for 26^th in the nation at the end of the year. She made her debut in the Senior division of the NLC that February at which she finished 8^th in the all-around and top 10 on all events but bars. She dominated the Florida State Championship and missed out on the clean sweep on with too low a beam score. She was in the Junior C division for Level 10 Nationals at which she won the AA and floor titles. Her floor score of 9.825 matched her floor score from the Atlanta Centennial Classic, both of which were top 100 scores.

In 2023, Ballou scored her second 39+ AA score in her career at the Presidential Classic with a 39.050. She finished 2nd in the Junior F division of regionals in the AA and tied for the bars title. At Level 10 Nationals, she finished 2nd in the AA and tied for the floor title with the #2 recruit in the nation. She finished with two top 100 bars scores and three top 100 floor scores with a high of 9.925 that tied for 16^th in the nation.

Ballou chose LSU over Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA, though it had been her dream school since 2021. She visited the same day as Elyse Wenner.