Tearful Olivia Dunne Pens Emotional Note After LSU Tigers’ Iconic Senior Night

As the NCAA Gymnastics 2025 regular season comes close to an end, the LSU Tigers celebrated their Senior Night in an iconic way. But it wasn’t as eventful for a senior as she would have imagined! Yes, a very easy guess, we are talking about fifth-year senior Olivia Dunne here! She had taken an extra year using the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver to help LSU defend its title and make more memories. From securing All-America honors on uneven bars in her freshman season to being named SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2022, 2023, and 2024 to also being honored as WCGA Academic All-American in 2024, Olivia has definitely left a mark on LSU Gymnastics. However, a series of unfortunate events turned her 2025 season upside down! She could not compete in LSU’s last home meet! But she was present in the Senior Night celebrations. And now she has delivered a message! What’s the message, and for whom?

Livvy Dunne looked all teary-eyed after receiving the send-off and took to Instagram to share the reel and pen down a beautiful message for her fans after the Senior Night on March 7. She wrote,  “Tiger fans, you’ve been so good to me!💜” The popular influencer and Tigers fifth-year senior played a very important role in LSU winning its first gymnastics national championship last season by recording a career-high of 9.900 on the floor and scoring multiple 9.8+ on bars and floor. However, her final year at LSU doesn’t seem to be ending on a high note. Dunne could only cheer for her teammates from afar due to a sustained knee injury.

The said reel showed an emotional Lizzy holding flowers in one hand and hugging the coaching staff, and teammates while waving at the crowd. It also featured a 10.00 plaque and a picture with Aleah Finnegan probably celebrating her perfect 10 on the night on the beam. And the song? Well, the background score of the said clip was ‘Five More Minutes’ by Scotty McCreery with the lyrics, “And I cried man next time to get in here, I’ll have to buy a ticket. Can’t you give me five more minutes?” Goosebumps, right? We must say, the song perfectly captured her emotions. In the clip, we could clearly see Olivia Dunne barely stopping herself from tearing up! And honestly, we can’t blame her.

After all, it was her last year with LSU Tigers and the very last home meet. Also before the meet, the 22-year-old senior took to Instagram to share details about her latest injury and was heartbroken about not being able to compete. Dunne revealed that she has been dealing with an “avulsion fracture of her patella.” Her last competition was on January 24 against Arkansas Razorbacks, where she bagged a decent 9.7 on the floor. Missing the meet against Georgia was her sixth absence this 2025 season.

While Dunne has ruled herself out for Friday’s meet against Auburn, her status for the rest of the season still remains a doubt. With key competitions like SEC Championships and NCAA tournaments, Dunne’s potential return from injury will be crucial for LSU to maintain its status as a top-ranked team. Guess the fans will have to wait for her announcement and just keep supporting the team till then. Though she may not have had the senior night she envisioned, her heartfelt message and unwavering support for her team show the true spirit of a champion.

Olivia Dunne shares special moments with her teammates on her final senior night at LSU

The Tiger gymnast couldn’t compete on senior night due to injury, but she still made sure to soak in the special moments with her teammates. Dunne posed in her competition leos for one last time at home, standing side by side with her fellow seniors and capturing the night through photos and memories. The caption on her Instagram story read, “one last time in the pmac with my sistas 💜.”  Dunne also shared a sweet picture alongside her close teammates Haleigh Bryant, Sierra Ballard, and Chase Brock, capturing the bond they’ve built over the years.

Following that, she posed in a leotard duo shot with Bryant, showing off their iconic friendship in style with a caption “(goat emoji) 4ever”. Not just that, even Haleigh Bryant posted a picture in her Instagram story with the caption, “till the end (heart envelope emoji)(fingers crossed emoji) @livydunne”. Thus, it’s proof that these seniors may be saying goodbye to the team but it’s not a goodbye to their friendship!

Though Dunne was unable to take the floor one last time, her presence on senior night was still deeply felt. Despite her absence from the mat, Dunne participated in the Senior Night festivities and shared an emotional hug with LSU assistant coach Garrett Griffeth, knowing that it could well be the last time. Her impact on the program and her connection with her teammates will undoubtedly remain a cherished part of her legacy.