"Memories you are never gonna get back" - Olivia Dunne makes her feelings known on what she'll treasure most from her LSU journey

Olivia Dunne is cherishing her fifth year at Louisiana State University. The LSU Tigers women's gymnastics team kicked off their NCAA gymnastics season on Saturday against Iowa State. The Tigers scored an impressive 197.300, with Dunne leading the scoring on the floor and balance beam.

Speaking in a post-meet interview following LSU's win over Iowa State, Dunne said she would cherish the memories of being a collegiate athlete for the rest of her life.

"It's definitely a challenge to be a D1 athlete no matter what sport you're in and I just think that the daily grind is something that I'm going to cherish forever as a D1 athlete and I'll look back at it," she said [9:30 onwards].

The 22-year-old further added that she would miss the morning practices and late-night travel to gymnastics meets with her LSU teammates, who she claimed were very close to her.

"It's just the early mornings with the team and the late nights and travel meets those are the memories you are never gonna get back so I can actually get emotional over it but it is such a special time and it's something I'll never forget," she said.

"I'm just so happy to be back to experience it one last time with my best friends and this is probably the closest a team has been at least I feel I'm the closest to these freshmen and the group of girls and it's just going to be a blast going on the travel meets and competing with them this year," Olivia Dunne added.

Dunne competed on the floor and balance beam during LSU's season-opening win over Iowa State, scoring 9.875 and 9.825 respectively. She tied for third place on the floor and second on the balance beam among her teammates.

Olympian Aleah Finnegan topped the scoring in the all-around competition, scoring an impressive 39.725 as LSU posted 197.300 to register a comprehensive win against Iowa State, which scored 194.100.

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"One of the best decisions I’ve ever made" - Olivia Dunne on returning to LSU for the fifth year

Iowa State v LSU - Olivia Dunne in action (Source: Getty)

Olivia Dunne joined LSU Gymnastics in 2020 and alongside making a name for herself on social media, she continued to impress with her athletic prowess before clinching her maiden national title in 2024.

While most end their collegiate careers after four years, Dunne had an opportunity to extend it to five years due to an extra year of COVID eligibility and she did. The 22-year-old said winning the national title had rejuvenated her love for the sport, and now that she did return on Saturday, she is over the moon.

“The best way I can describe it was complete joy. I had a blast and I feel like the decision to come back was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made," she said during the aforementioned interview [2:56 onwards].

Dunne competed on floor and uneven bars during the 2024 season, averaging 9.857 and 9.838 respectively. The two-time Academic All-American recorded career-high scores in both events during last season.