The LSU gymnastics team has a clear goal in mind. And it is to win another NCAA championship. But for Olivia Dunne and her teammates, the journey hasn’t been smooth. Week four of the NCAA season brought a tough loss for the No. 2 Tigers, who fell to No. 17 Arkansas in a close SEC showdown, 196.875 to 196.600. Despite strong performances—like freshman Kailin Chio’s 9.950 on vault and Konnor McClain’s 9.925 on bars—injuries to key gymnasts left LSU struggling.

Some stars were sidelined, while others could only compete in limited routines. Olivia Dunne, who typically shines on bars, opened LSU’s floor rotation with a 9.700, while Haleigh Bryant made her floor debut with a solid 9.875. But even with solid individual scores, the Tigers couldn’t overcome the challenges. Still, there’s hope on the horizon. The coach recently hinted that the team could be getting some much-needed reinforcements in the next meet.

Assistant coach Garrett Griffeth provides injury updates on key gymnasts

After LSU’s recent NCAA meet, LSU’s Assistant Coach of the Year Garrett Griffeth joined a press conference, which was featured on LSU’s YouTube channel. He provided updates on key gymnasts battling injuries, including Haleigh Bryant, KJ Johnson, and Kaliya Lincoln. Speaking about Bryant, he shared, “We are going to try to go over the vault table today. I can’t guarantee what the timeline will be for her, but she is going to try that and see how she responds. She’s doing really well and is in a good spot, so hopefully, if we can add that third event, we’ll be good.”

Bryant, who strained her ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) during LSU’s Gymnastics 101 exhibition meet on Dec. 16, has already returned to floor and beam but has yet to compete on vault. Griffeth also mentioned that Johnson, who suffered an ankle injury on the road in Oklahoma, might be ready to vault this week. Meanwhile, Lincoln, who tweaked her foot and withdrew from the U.S. Championships last year, is progressing well.

“Kaliya Lincoln is doing full floor routines on the rod floor. Hopefully, she’ll punch the spring floor this week and see how her body handles it,” he added. While some of these gymnasts have already returned in limited routines, their full comebacks could be on the horizon—giving LSU a much-needed boost as the season heats up.

Olivia Dunne and teammates fall short against Arkansas

Last week, on January 24th, LSU Gymnastics headed to Fayetteville for their first road conference meet of the season but ended up losing to Arkansas. The Tigers were pumped for a new challenge away from their home arena and kicked things off strong on bars, with Konnor McClain leading the way with a 9.925.

Tori Tatum made her season debut on bars, scoring a 9.250, and Kailin Chio nailed a personal best 9.950 on vault. While Haleigh Bryant was still sidelined from her injury and didn’t compete on vault, the team could keep things going, with Chase Brock contributing a solid 9.900. As the meeting continued, things got a little shaky on the floor and beam. Olivia Dunne stepped in for Sierra Ballard on the floor, earning a 9.700, while Bryant made her floor debut with a strong 9.875.

On the beam, it was a tough rotation, with McClain scoring a 9.575 and Chio posting a 9.850 as the highest score. Despite some standout individual performances, LSU couldn’t pull it together on beam. And ended up 0.500 points behind Arkansas and losing their winning streak. They’re now focused on bouncing back and getting ready for their next meet against the Missouri Tigers on January 31.