Olivia Dunne shares fun-filled glimpse with teammate from the NCAA Gymnastics Championships Arena ahead of her last appearance

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Apr 17, 2025 01:43 GMT

2025 LSU Archive - Source: Getty — Olivia Dunne during the SEC Women's Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo via Getty Images)

Olivia Dunne recently shared a few fun-filled pictures of her practice with the LSU Tigers at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, ahead of the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics semifinal round. The second-to-last round of the championships is scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

The Tigers will compete in the second session of the semifinal against Michigan State, UCLA, and Utah, from which the top 2 teams will compete at the finals. Dunne, who returned to the Tigers for the fifth year this season after winning the historic title, shared a few glimpses before entering into the final showdowns of championships this year.

Donning a white LSU t-shirt paired with black tights, she posed for a boomerang for an Instagram story, she wrote:

"Nattys baby!"

She further posed for a picture with teammate Alyona Shchennikova, where both gymnasts were seen hugging each other at the venue of the meet.

The LSU Tigers are entering the final few rounds as the defending champions after winning the program's first title in 2024 with 198.2250 points. They defeated California, Utah, and Florida, who scored 197.8500, 197.8000, and 197.4375, respectively.

The Tigers have reached the semifinal round after scoring 198.050 points and surpassing Michigan State, Kentucky, and Arkansas, who posted 198.000, 197.625, and 197.375 points, respectively, at the Penn State regional final.

Olivia Dunne shares glimpses of her last practice session with the LSU Tigers at the home arena

Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers smiles during the SEC Women's Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo via Getty Images)

Olivia Dunne recently got emotional while she shared a video of her last practice session in LSU's home arena. Having graduated from LSU, Dunne was awarded an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 protocols.

As the graduate student attended the last practice session at the home arena, she shared a video on social media that featured fellow graduate student Haleigh Bryant and wrote:

"How can this be our last practice🥲 #gymnastics #lsu #college #tumbling #sports #flexibility #studentathlete"

The Tigers also collected the SEC Championships this year after collecting 198.200 points. This marked their second consecutive and sixth overall SEC Championship title. If the Tigers settle in the first two places in the semifinal round, they will be seen competing in the ultimate showdown, which will be held at the same arena on Saturday, April 19, 2025.

About the author

Janhavi is a Sports Management graduate working as a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking before creating content, relying on multiple sources including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.

She has competed in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event at the national level alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, which further fueled her passion for the sport.

Abhinav Bindra is her favorite Olympian, and she particularly cherishes his and Neeraj Chopra's gold medal victories as they revolutionized Indian athletes' mindset towards achieving sporting excellence.

If given the opportunity to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, she would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Apart from reporting on the latest news in the world of Olympics, she likes to immerse herself in reading, painting, and traveling.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua