Olivia Dunne drops 2-word reaction as teammate Kailin Chio sets SEC freshman awards record

Louisiana State University Gymnast Olivia Dunne shared some words of appreciation for fellow teammate Kailin Chio, who recently broke the record for the most conference awards by a freshman in a single season. Dunne and Chio both compete for the LSU Tigers Gymnastics team, with Dunne representing the Tigers for her fifth and final season. Kailin Chio joined the Tigers for the 2024-25 season and was named SEC Freshman of the Week after making her collegiate debut.

Olivia Dunne has been instrumental for the Tigers, helping them win their first-ever NCAA Gymnastics Championship in 2024. She was also a part of the LSU Tigers team that achieved the highest score in program history (198.475) during a meet against Arkansas in 2025.

In an Instagram post shared by Kailin Chio and the official LSU Gymnastics handle celebrating her record, Dunne wrote:

"Oh yes @kailin_chio."

Dunne congratulates Chio on her record-breaking achievement (Source: @lsugym, @kailinchio/Instagram)

The previous record for most SEC Freshman of the Week Honors was held by Florida's Kayla DiCello who had eight in total. Chio surpassed her and broke the record with nine SEC Freshman of the Week Honors. Chio also holds the LSU record for the most SEC awards by a gymnast in their first season. She broke Haleigh Bryant’s previous record of five in 2021.

Olivia Dunne and Kailin Chio are both set to compete next at the SEC Championships on March 23 as the Tigers will look to defend their championship.

---

Olivia Dunne became the No. 1 ranked female athlete in terms of endorsements

Dunne is the #1 ranked female athlete in the NCAA for endorsements - Source: Getty

American gymnast Olivia Dunne is one of the most prominent names in the NCAA. The 22-year-old has over five million followers on Instagram and eight million followers on TikTok. According to On3's Top 10 On3 NIL Valuations in Women's NIL 100, Dunne is a top-ranked female athlete with the highest endorsements brought in.

Dunne has gained a considerable presence online and has reportedly made $4.1 million in endorsements in 2025. Dunne is represented by WME Sports and has an exclusive brand partnership with Vuori Clothing as well as a multi-million dollar partnership with the platform Passes last May.

Dunne recently remembered her first encounter with social media, and how the pressure of a large following made her nervous. Olivia Dunne told ESPN,

"I was 18 years old when everything changed, and I felt like I couldn't breathe, I felt like I couldn't make a mistake."

"But something you learn on social media is you will get hate and you will get people that are bitter towards you, especially when you have success. But I think that having the eyes on me has been such a blessing in my life, and I feel like it's translated over into eyes on the sport of gymnastics, which was a huge deal to me and a huge reason why I kept coming back for more. ... Watching the growth of the sport, and women's sports overall, has meant so much to me."

Olivia Dunne highlighted that the sport of gymnastics has grown thanks to her large following now, and said she also loves to use her platform to promote LSU.