Tag: LSU Gymnastics

Olivia Dunne calls out controversial scoring following Arkansas loss

LSU gymnastics star Olivia Dunne called out questionable scoring after the Arkansas loss

Following No. 2 LSU gymnastics’ loss to Arkansas on Friday, [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] took to social media to voice her opinion on the judge’s scoring.

In her position with a large following of “casual fans,” Dunne says she has a “unique position” when it comes to receiving feedback on the regulations of gymnastics. She received many questions following Friday’s questionable scoring, and it led to her post.

Dunne says fans don’t want judges to nitpick routines but rather rework the scoring system to reward gymnasts who attempt and land difficult moves.

“Fans are confused,” Dunne said.

Dunne’s post comes after the Tigers’ first loss of the season and outrage online about controversial scores during the meet against the Razorbacks.

In the meet’s final two rotations, the Tigers earned individual scores of 9.100 on the floor and 9.575 on the balance beam. They lost the meet by .275 so every point mattered in the loss.

However, Dunne’s comments transcend the scoreline and reflect concerns about how the sport can draw more attention, thus benefitting female student-athletes.

“I care deeply about the growth in women’s sports, especially in the NCAA,” Dunne said. “If you want fans to enjoy the sport and increase viewership, you have to look at what makes the crowds go crazy!”

How Livvy Dunne performed in LSU gymnastics’ loss to Arkansas

How did LSU’s Olivia Dunne score in the Tigers’ loss at Arkansas?

On Friday, LSU gymnastics suffered its first loss of the season as it fell to No. 14 Arkansas.

[autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] represented the Tigers on the floor. The fifth-year senior led off her team’s third rotation with a 9.70. Haleigh Bryant’s 9.875 in the anchor spot was the highest score for LSU in the event.

The 9.70 is the lowest score Dunne has posted this season in any event. She’s logged appearances on the balance beam and bars through LSU’s first three meets of the year.

The Tigers claimed three event titles in Fayetteville, AR. Aleah Finnegan claimed the bam title with a 9.925 while Kailin Chio and Konnor McClain scored above 9.9 on vault and bars, respectively.

Finnegan came up short in the all-around behind Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson, who posted a 39.350. The former stepped out of bounds on the floor before posting a strong meet-ending performance on the beam.

After opening the meet with strong scores on bars and vault, the Tigers went to the floor. Bryant’s performance gave her team the lead heading into the meet’s final rotation at the beam.

Bryant and Finnegan ended the meet with 9.8 and 9.925, respectively, but LSU didn’t score high enough early in the event to seal the win. It will look ahead to a matchup with No. 11 Missouri on Friday in the PMAC.

How Livvy Dunne performed in LSU’s thrilling win over Florida

Here’s how TIgers star Olivia Dunne performed in the third meet of the season

LSU gymnastics opened its SEC schedule with a win over No. 7 Florida on Friday in the PMAC.

The No. 2 Tigers recorded a season-best 49.525 score on the balance beam. They trailed heading into the final two passes of the night, coming down to floor routines by Aleah Finnegan and Haleigh Bryant.

Finnegan’s 9.95 meant Bryant needed at least a 9.85 to give LSU the win. She posted a 9.90 to seal the victory in a huge night for the graduate student. Bryant’s 9.5 on the beam marked her first event win of the year.

Olivia Dunne was back in action, too. She was in LSU’s floor lineup, going second for the Tigers. She posted a 9.85 and a 9.90 for a total score of 9.875 on the night. That was a step up from the 9.725 score she posted in the event last week.

Finnegan tied for first in the all-around with the Gators’ Selena Harris-Miranda. Both gymnasts totaled a 39.500. Finnegan matched her season-high on the vault with a 9.950 to start the night then rounded LSU’s bars rotation with a 9.825. She scored a 9.775 on the beam then finished the dual on the floor.

Thirteen gymnasts competed for head coach Jay Clark’s team.

How Livvy Dunne scored in LSU Gymnastics’ weekend invitational

Here’s how Olivia Dunner fared in LSU gymnastics’ second meet of the season

LSU Gymnastics placed second in Saturday’s Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad Meet with a score of 197.650. The No. 2 Tigers finished behind No. 1 Oklahoma, which finished with a 197.950 score.

Fifth-year senior [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] saw action in three events. She recorded a 9.725 in her first appearance on bars of the season. Ashley Cowan led the Tigers on bars, matching a career-high 9.95 and helping them to a 49.425.

On the balance beam, Dunne ranked second on the team with a 9.775. [autotag]Haleigh Bryant[/autotag] made her first appearance of the season on the beam, scoring a 9.75. The graduate student and 2024 NCAA all-around champion is working her way back from an injury that held her out of the Tigers’ season opener last week.

LSU finished the invitational on the floor, where Dunne posted her best score of the day. Her 9.85 was third on the team behind Kailin Chio’s 9.925 and 2024 NCAA floor champion Aleah Finnegan’s 9.975.

Up next, the Tigers face Florida on Friday at 6:30 PM CT inside the PMAC.

What LSU team is most likely to win a championship in 2025?

Which LSU sports team has the best chance at a national title this year?

LSU sports have won their fair share of national titles in recent years.

In 2019, LSU football won its third national championship since 2000. Only Alabama has more in that span.

2023 was a year to remember.[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and Angel Reese led LSU women’s basketball to a title in April. Later that year, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews led LSU baseball to a College World Series title.

In 2024, another trophy was added to the case. LSU gymnastics won its first national title in program history. Head coach Jay Clark finished the job, building on the foundation built by legendary coach DD Breaux.

It begs the question — Who is next?

Several teams will have a chance to continue the trend, including some of the ones already mentioned. Jay Johnson and LSU baseball are ranked No. 2 in Perfect Game’s preseason poll. Mulkey has a talented group, too.

Let’s take a look at what chance LSU’s major sports have of winning a national title over the next year.

5. LSU Softball

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

LSU softball is perennially in the top 25, but it’s been a while since LSU made a trip to Oklahoma City. Head coach Beth Torina had a good team last year, but LSU fell to Stanford in the Super Regional round.

Another talented group, led by Sydney Berzon, is back in 2025. The SEC is even tougher with the arrival of Texas and Oklahoma, but LSU is capable of playing with the best teams in the sport on a good day.

The trouble is figuring out how to be elite on a consistent level. LSU is far from a title favorite, but crazier things have happened.

4. LSU Football

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Football is the front porch. When you think about LSU, you think about the football team.

Brian Kelly and staff know the pressure is on, hence the Tigers’ aggressiveness in the transfer portal.

Transfer additions along with the return of talented quarterback Garrett Nussmeier have LSU fans excited for 2025. Contending for a national title is on the table.

When opening odds are released, LSU should be among the top group of contenders.

3. LSU Women’s Basketball

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU is learning how to live without Angel Reese in 2025. The Tigers legend is in the WNBA, but LSU still has star power with Flua’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow.

LSU’s first conference test is at Tennessee on Thursday night. The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start in SEC play, but the Vols are ranked. We’ll learn a lot about where this LSU team stands.

It’s not clear if LSU has the talent to reach the top of the sport again. South Carolina and Texas look strong atop the SEC, but Mulkey is a veteran coach and will get the most from her squad.

LSU remains in the national picture.

2. LSU Gymnastics

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

LSU gymnastics got its 2025 season going last week. The Tigers are looking to defend last year’s national title and have the pieces to do so.

Haleigh Bryant remains day-to-day with an injury, but when healthy, she’s the best gymnast in the country and the top athlete on LSU’s campus.

Fresh off a deep postseason run, this team is battle-tested and doesn’t shy away from the moment. Maturity and talent can be a lethal combination. LSU has it in 2025.

1. LSU Baseball

Jun 3, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Louisiana State Tigers Jared Jones (22), Tommy White (47), Michael Braswell III (10), and Steven Milam (4) wait on the field during a pitching change in the first inning against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Div. I NCAA baseball regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Camarati-USA TODAY Sports

Jay Johnson may be the best recruiter in the country. LSU continues to sign the nation’s top talent — at the high school level and in the transfer portal.

The talent level in Baton Rouge isn’t quite at the level it was in 2023, but we may never see a team that talented in the sport again. This one is pretty good, though. A mix of returnees, portal additions, and blue-chip freshmen have LSU ready to compete for another national title.

The standard at LSU doesn’t change. It’s get to Omaha. Once there, the Tigers expect to win.

LSU baseball is LSU’s best chance at a national title in 2025.

Jay Clark reveals injury status of star gymnast Haleigh Bryant

LSU may be without one of its top athletes when gymnastics opens its season this week

LSU’s top gymnast may be sidelined with an injury for the foreseeable future.

Head coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag] reported on Monday that [autotag]Haleigh Bryant[/autotag] is dealing with an elbow injury. She is considered week-to-week and is unlikely to compete in the Tigers’ season opener this weekend.

No. 2 LSU is slated to host Iowa State in Baton Rouge on Friday for its season opener. The Tigers come into the season as the reigning national champions, the first national title in program history.

The 2024-25 season is Bryant’s fifth with the Tigers, and she is one the most decorated athletes in the sport. Through four seasons, she has 94 individual titles, 27 All-American nods, and 18 perfect 10s. The latter two marks are the most in LSU history.

In 2024, Bryant won the NCAA All-Around title and was named SEC Gymnast of the Year. As a junior, Bryant competed in the all-around for every meet and became the first LSU gymnast to average a 9.900+ for all four events in a season. She burst onto the college gymnastics scene in 2021 and ended it as one of the most decorated freshmen in school history, punctuated by an NCAA vault title.

Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera commits to LSU gymnastics

The future of LSU’s gymnastics program is in good hands.

The defending national champion LSU gymnastics team could be poised for a repeat with the top gymnast in the nation, [autotag]Haleigh Bryant[/autotag], returning for one final season in 2025.

But even when Bryant and other stars move on, the future of the program seems to be in very good hands.

On Thursday, coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag] and the Tigers picked up a massive commitment from Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Hezly Rivera[/autotag], a current high school junior who competed as a member of the Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this past summer.

Rivera ultimately did not compete as part of the team final, where the United States won gold, but she still received a gold medal as a member of the team while competing individually in the bars and beam.

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“I am so blessed & excited to announce that I have verbally committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) on a full athletic scholarship,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “thank you Jesus for this wonderful blessing! thank you to my family, coaches, and teammates for helping me throughout this process. I also want to thank all the girls, coaches, and staff at LSU for everything”

Rivera is only 16 and has her sights set on a return to the Olympics when they’re hosted in Los Angeles in 2028. In the meantime, she will look to keep LSU among the ranks of elite gymnastics programs.

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LSU gymnast Aleah Finnegan has ‘no regrets’ following Olympic debut

Though it didn’t end exactly how she hoped, Aleah Finnegan’s dream of becoming an Olympian came true this weekend in Paris.

Aleah Finnegan’s dreams came true this week in Paris as the LSU gymnast made her Olympic debut at 21 years old, representing the Philippines as an individual.

Though things didn’t exactly go as she hoped as she failed to qualify for the women’s all-around final with a finish of 32nd in the qualifying event on Sunday, she said she’s proud of what she accomplished and to have been able to represent the Philippines, according to One Sports.

“We finished all the way through and on the back side, being really proud of myself for how I did today. But on the other side, a little disappointment in myself because I know what I’m capable of,” Finnegans said. “No matter what, I’m walking here with my head held high; I have no regrets, and I’m just proud to represent the Philippines on the stage.”

Finnegan is a rising senior at LSU and played a major role in leading the program to its first national title this past spring. As she returns for her final year fresh off an Olympics appearance, she’ll look to help the Tigers defend that crown.

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