“I’m optimistic that it’ll be sooner than later,” said coach Jay Clark while speaking about Haleigh Bryant after the Tigers defeated Iowa on January 3. Tigers fans saw a glimpse of that return with Bryant’s lukewarm balance beam routine receiving a 9.750 at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. However, despite not featuring on the lineup until the last moment, Clark’s decision to include Brant against Florida proved instrumental.

One of the greatest gymnasts to ever wear the Tigers colors showed just how well she is recovering from her elbow injury on the floor exercise at Maravich Center. “Haleigh Bryant a late replacement for Chase Brock on floor. She will anchor now, moving Finnegan up to No. 5,” reported Scott Rabalais. Clark’s decision would prove to be genius, as Bryant’s routine made the difference.

“LSU was trailing Florida, who finished the contest with a 197.450 total. “LSU needed a 9.85 or better from Bryant to win. I think she nailed it,” posted Rabalais. Well, it turned out that despite the injury, Haleigh Bryant indeed nailed the routine, going beyond what was needed. Haleigh Bryant, everyone. The senior anchors with a 9.90!” posted the official LSU Tigers page.

It was exactly what LSU needed to edge out Florida. Bryant’s anchoring floor exercise pushed the Tigers’ total to 197.550, helping them edge out Florida for the win at Baton Rouge. However, Bryant wasn’t the only star on the night for the Tigers against the Gators. If Bryant took them across the finish line, then the ever-reliable Aleah Finnegan closed the gap.

Finnegan scored 9.950 on both the uneven bars and the floor exercise; she also scored 39.000 during the all-around. And while Finnegan has already established herself as one of the best on the Tigers roster, newcomer Kailin Chio continued to shine as she scored above 9.9 on multiple apparatuses. However, seeing Haleigh Bryant shine after so long was a treat for the fans and even the gymnast herself.

Haleigh Bryant on finally making her comeback

Shortly after the LSU triumphant outing at Baton Rouge, the defending NCAA All-Around champion spoke about finally making a proper comeback. While Bryant had performed on the beam during the Tiger’s last competition, this is the first time she performed on the balance beam and floor exercise in 2025. “I’m just so honored to be back out here with my team,” said Bryant.

“They really helped me through kind of this dip I had in the preseason, and they were just by my side every step of the way,” added the NCAA All-American. However, Haleigh Bryant’s teammates were there for her every step of the way, even during the gymnastics icon’s clutch performance. The whole stadium cheered, and every LSU gymnast screamed as the fifth-year senior completed her routine.

Bryan described how emotional she felt hearing everyone inside Maravich Center cheer for her. “Just hearing them at the end, and my teammates screaming for me was just literally everything I could have asked for and more,” added the Bryant. However, Jay Clark is still being cautious with including the SEC Gymnast of the Year in every apparatus.

So far, Haleigh Bryant has only performed on apparatuses that do not involve putting too much staring on her elbow joint. Neither Clark nor the medical team at LSU wants Bryant to push too hard while recovering from an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury. They would rather have a slow and gradual return than jeopardize Bryant’s final year with the Tigers.