OLIVIA DUNNE CELEBRATES LSU GYMNASTICS’ CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH: ‘FINAL 4 BOUND’

Olivia Dunne and the Lady Tigers aren’t done yet.

LSU’s gymnastics team has advanced to Saturday’s NCAA Championship Final following a dominant performance Thursday in the semifinal at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, posting a score of 198.1125 — the program’s second-highest at NCAA Championships.

Dunne did not take part in the competition, though video shows her warming up with teammates.

LSU’s Haleigh Bryant led the way with a 39.7125 all-around score.

“Final 4 bound,” Dunne, 21, exclaimed Thursday in an Instagram Story, where she added a purple heart and ring emoji.

LSU will now square off against California, Utah and Florida in the championship matchup.

“We’re obviously thrilled to be back in the finals again for the second year in a row.  It never gets old to advance to this point. I’m proud of how this team has done all year long,” Tigers head coach Jay Clark said, according to the program’s website.

“They took the lessons learned and the attributes needed from last year and used them this year to be consistently successful.”

LSU finished fourth at the NCAA Championship last spring.

Leading up to Thursday’s semifinal event, Dunne — who boasts a whopping 13 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok — posted a selfie as she awaited the start of the meet.

“Geaux time,” she captioned the pic on her Instagram Story.

Earlier in the week, Dunne reunited with her childhood hero, former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who is serving as a commentator for ESPN’s postseason gymnastics coverage.

“Guys … I just touched Aly Raisman again!” the New Jersey native exclaimed in an Instagram Story.

She previously met Raisman, a six-time Olympic medalist and three-time gold medal winner, in 2012, the same year the now-retired gymnastic competed at the London Games.

It’s been a celebratory spring for Dunne, whose Lady Tigers captured their fifth conference title last month at the SEC Championships.

“100% chance of purple reign,” the social media sensation shared on Instagram.

Perhaps Dunne will cap off her senior year at LSU with a national championship victory.

The NCAA Championship Final will air Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on ABC.

2024-04-19T15:27:46Z dg43tfdfdgfd