2024 has been nothing short of legendary for LSU. The Tigers gymnastics team finally snagged their first-ever NCAA title, ending a drought that left fans wondering when the heck they’d get their shot at glory. After four agonizing second-place finishes, the team pulled off a spectacular performance—thanks in large part to the fierce efforts of Savannah Schoener and Aleah Finnegan—scoring 198.225 to take down California, who finished with 197.850.

The LSU squad, staff, and a raucous crowd of 7,684 fans at Dickies Arena erupted in pure jubilation. As Olivia Dunne posted on Instagram, sharing the team’s celebration, “Special team, special players.” The Tigers had done it—they’d finally broken the curse. But just when they thought they’d savor the win, LSU was back at it again, making history once more.

Olivia Dunne’s alma mater, LSU, rejoices over incredible NCAA accomplishment

LSU celebrated a brilliant achievement on November 20th as the NCAA released the Graduate Success Rate report. This report attempts to accurately assess the success of student-athletes academically. The newly released list pertains to the batch of 2014-2018. The college earned a rating of 89 for the first time since 2017. They are only one of four schools to achieve this, which include Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Southern California.

What made LSU’s year even more jaw-dropping was the fact that 10 of their sports teams scored a perfect 100 in the report. Yep, 10! Leading the charge was the ever-popular gymnastics team, coached by Jay Clark, but they weren’t alone. Men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s tennis, women’s basketball, softball, beach volleyball, and volleyball all scored perfect marks too.

Walt Holiday, executive director of the Cox Communications Academic Center, couldn’t hide his pride, saying, “We are extremely proud of our student-athletes who continue to excel in the classroom, in competition and in the LSU community.” He went on to add, “Our continued success is based on the collective efforts of many.” And he’s right—this is a win for the whole LSU family. It’s also the kind of achievement that’s bound to draw top-tier talent to Baton Rouge, though let’s be real—recruitment hasn’t exactly been an issue for LSU lately.

LSU recruits show promise for the future

LSU Gymnastics is already gearing up to make history again with some jaw-dropping moves in the recruitment game. Just five months after their epic NCAA victory, they snatched up Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera for their 2026 squad in September—talk about a major win. Hezly, widely regarded as the top prospect in the country, is set to be a game-changer for the Tigers.

But LSU wasn’t done making waves. They followed up with three more massive signings for next year’s roster: Haley Mustari, Nina Ballou, and Elyse Wenner. These three are no slouches either. Haley, a four-time national champion from Oklahoma, shocked the gymnastics world when she committed to LSU instead of sticking with her home-state team, six-time champion Oklahoma.

When asked why LSU, she shared on Instagram, “I chose LSU because of the team culture, the incredible fan base, and because the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like home.” Then there’s Nina, a five-time national champion from Florida with a personal best score of 39.150, placing her among the world’s best level 10 gymnasts. Elyse Wenner, a regional champ and No. 3 recruit, boasts a personal best of 39.175 in all-around. Together, these stars will join Hezly on the 2026 team, and let’s just say—another title might be just around the corner for LSU’s Lady Tigers!