As Olivia Dunne Heads Into Last LSU Year, Who Will She Face First in the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Tournament?

The LSU Tigers are currently on Cloud 9 and for good reasons. Bringing home their 5th SEC Championships title, Olivia Dunne & Co. couldn’t have asked for a better start to their NCAA journey, especially with the high stakes at hand. While Livvy is dropping hints of retiring after her final year with the Tigers, the action might not be over just yet.

The NCAA Championships are around the corner, and, understandably, Dunne wants to go out with a bang. While this may be the last time we see her in the purple leotard, here’s who can make her final NCAA year worthy of remembrance from the start.

A recent post by Gymnastics Now on Instagram has shed light on the competition brackets for the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships 2024. “The women’s #NCAAgym 2024 tournament bracket is set!“, reads the caption of the post with the accompanying image, enabling fans to pick out their most anticipated matches for themselves.

According to the post, Olivia Dunne and the Tigers may face either Boise State or BYU in their first round. Considering the Broncos’ 20-5 overall record this season (and this being their 16th straight NCAA entry), they aren’t likely to give a free hand to the Tigers, and Dunne.

On the other hand, the Big 12 heavyweights BYU Cougars haven’t had as good a season as they’d hoped for. Understandably, they’ll come hot with all guns blazing to turn things around. Boise State and BYU will lock horns on April 3 in the first round of the NCAA Regional Championships. However, the LSU squad also looks fairly charged.

A team waiting to take charge of the situation

The LSU Tigers finished their regular season with a 19-3 overall record. With a 12-match winning streak, Olivia Dunne and her teammates have made sure to assert their NCAA aspirations with gusto. Over the season, Tigers senior Haleigh Bryant has established her dominance, with achieving the coveted “gym slam” being the highlighting moment of the season. On the other hand, Livvy’s 9.900 in the floor routine during the Quad Meet from earlier this month only bolstered her standing in the country’s collegiate circuit.

Read more: Olivia Dunne’s Mesmerizing Floor Routine Lifts LSU to Victory in Quad Meet Spectacle

The rest of the Tigers squad, including KJ Johnson, Kiya Johnson, Aleah Finnegan, and others, also achieved multiple season-high scores throughout the entire season. With LSU head coach Jay Clark making it a point to put the athlete’s mental health before anything else, it remains to be seen if his holistic approach gives the team a boost in the NCAA Nationals, slated to kick off April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Read more: NCAA Gymnastics News: Tiger’s Head Coach Unveils His ‘Holistic’ Approach to Balance Athletes’ Mental Wellbeing Ahead of LSU vs Alabama