The sporting world is awaiting a fantastic NCAA gymnastics season. Indeed, the anticipation is up in the sky, and most of the attention is locked on the defending champions, Louisiana State University. However, the college that boasts stars like Olivia Dunne in its name has recently faced a serious challenge, as one of its senior gymnasts has suffered a season-ending injury.

So who’s the person that’s affected by this? Obviously, the entire team is under pressure after they got to know about Haleigh Bryant’s elbow injury. LSU will be opening its season against Iowa State on January 3, 2025, and there’s no hope for their senior gymnast’s return to the mat. Owing to this problem, the squad’s coach has come clean and given a concerning update prior to their season opener.

Coach going straight to the point

Jay Clark is the man behind LSU in the 2024-25 season. Previously, he has shown his interest in taking his team to the top step of the podium and has contributed valuable feedback to his gymnasts. While he is no stranger to challenges, he currently has numerous responsibilities to manage. The campaign has a ton of anticipation from the audience, and not having a senior gymnast on the team will put the other athletes under a ton of pressure, including someone as experienced as Olivia Dunne.

Talking to The Advocate, Clark clarified Bryant’s injury, stating, “We had imagery taken of the elbow. There’s no fracture or break or anything. It’s a UCL strain. I don’t know the specific diagnosis, but it sounds like it aggravated what she did before.” While the gymnast won’t be going through any particular surgery, she definitely has to be away from her regular training and any kind of competition that would put her elbow under strain. Indeed, the team has already commenced their final preparations for their upcoming matchup against Iowa State, and she is not included in the squad.

“I don’t anticipate her competing in the first several meets at this point, but I don’t know for sure. Not unless I get hit with a surprise, which has happened before with her. She had the plantar fascia (foot injury) several years ago. I was told it would be weeks and it was four days. We’re not starting the season where I would like us to be but we’re still in a relatively good spot,” said Clark. Indeed, there are mixed feelings from the LSU coach, owing to the situation he and his team are going through.

As the defending champions, the competition will be tougher for LSU. Clark wanted his gymnasts to be fully ready, and even though most of them were already up for the season, the team was hit with the injury of one of their ace players. Now, the pressure would fall on the other team members, especially someone as senior as Dunne. It’s her final year with LSU, and she’s looking forward to a successful campaign, but she knows that there will be a lot of challenges. However, does she have any fear of facing these challenges? Absolutely not!

Olivia Dunne starring at the LSU preview

Before every NCAA season, there’s the Gymnastics 101 that brings in a glimpse of what’s about to come in the future. Since it’s Olivia Dunne’s final season, donning her LSU leotard, many eyes were locked on her. And how did she perform? Given the moniker of the “benchwarmer,” she knew he had to prove her critics wrong. Her performance was featured on the official X profile of the university, and it saw the audience in awe at the way she moved on the mat.

The Baton Rouge campus saw the fifth-year senior tackle all the apparatus except the vault and absolutely deliver. Furthermore, she excelled in her floor routine, transitioning from a front tuck to a double tuck with only a slight step out. Everything attempted by the LSU star was perfect, and she nailed a solid double pike to close her performance. Indeed, this was a statement from Dunne about the potential she possesses, just waiting for the right opportunity to unleash it.