Olivia Dunne and LSU Gymnasts Welcome Haleigh Bryant Back After Announcement

“I’m back for year 5,” said a gleeful Haleigh Bryant, and understandably, celebrations are off. While Olivia Dunne’s return to the LSU campus is still under heavy speculation, the “gym slam” winner has disclosed her intentions recently and her teammates are having a tough time suppressing their ecstatic emotions. As the Tigers lifted their first-ever NCAA title, fans took a nosedive into debating whether seniors Bryant and Dunne would come back to utilize their additional year of eligibility to help the team defend the honor.

And now, it looks like at least one of the seniors will be returning. With the revelation, fans and LSU gymnasts alike have come together to express their joy on the matter and their delight is not unjustified either.

Haleigh Bryant’s stunning announcement

Haleigh Bryant has been nothing but phenomenal throughout the entire season. The LSU Tigers ended their regular season with an impressive 31-3 overall record and then went on to win the SEC and NCAA Championships. In all those accomplishments, Bryant has been a driving force with her consistently high scores in almost every meet. From recording several Perfect 10s to achieving a coveted title, she has done it all. And now, in the latest Instagram post by the official LSU Gymnastics page, Braynt’s future intentions have been made clear.

Captioned, “@_haleighbryant is here with the answer you’ve all been waiting for“, the post shows a beaming Haleigh having a difficult time holding back her smile. After thanking everyone who has supported her during her time with the Tigers, Haleigh said that being an LSU athlete made her who she is today. And that’s exactly what has prompted her to decide to come back for another year.

On the way to the top of the country, all of LSU came together to make sure that the seniors were given a farewell which they’d remember for their entire lives. However, it seems like Bryant is interested in pushing her luck further, making sure the NCAA title doesn’t leave Baton Rouge just yet.

Olivia Dunne joins others to celebrate the occasion

“YAY“, is what LSU’s national sensation Olivia Dunne had to say about her teammate’s decision to return to LSU for her fifth year. She also posted the clip in her Instagram story. Bryant started the regular season with an impressive 39.675 against Ohio State, and justifiably, Livvy hopes that the same score is mirrored in Haleigh’s next run. At the Podium Challenge in March, against Auburn, Bryant picked up two Perfect 10s, making it to the elite Gym Slam club, and the two-time PAC-12 All-American athlete from LSU Cammy Hall commented “happy for you hay hay!“, hoping that the former makes mountains move in the upcoming season as well.

The thing that makes Bryant’s gym slam even more commendable is that she achieved the feat within one season, and her teammate Ashley Cowen can’t hold back the thrill of seeing her back in action. “WHOOO,” glistened her livid emotions in the comment section of the post.

Aleah Finnegan made sure to hold her ground even with the likes of Livvy Dunne and Haleigh Bryant on the team. And she’s just as thrilled at the news. “THE BEST TO DO IT,” remarked Finnegan about the latest post. And why not? Bryant won the NCAA all-around individual title during the national semifinals, joining Susan Jackson (2010) as the only gymnast from LSU to do so. She ranks ninth in NCAA with 18 career 10.0 scores. And Bryant seems to be eyeing more as is evident from her statement.

“I wasn’t ready to be done yet,” Haleigh Bryant said. Freshman Amari Drayton, could not agree more as she wrote, “I TOLD U U CANT LEAVE ME.” It remains to be seen what new heights Bryant will achieve in another season with the LSU.