Olivia Dunne discusses her potential return for a fifth year at LSU
Highlight Olivia Dunne enjoyed the team’s triumph despite not competing in the final, as LSU’s gymnastics team created history on Saturday by winning their first-ever NCAA title in an exciting victory. As her colleagues achieved the historic victory, the senior gymnast, who had been instrumental throughout the season and had been named the SEC Gymnast of the Week, watched.
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While Dunne had always expected her senior year to be her final, the COVID-19 epidemic has provided her with a fifth year of eligibility due to unusual circumstances. Dunne stated during her appearance on TODAY that she hasn’t made a final decision about her career in athletics and that she is currently concentrating on the team’s victory.
“It definitely makes me want to come back, but I haven’t quite thought about it completely,” Dunne stated. “I’ve just been focused on the now and winning this national title, so I’ll definitely start thinking about it.”
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After three rotations, LSU was in a precarious position, just ahead of third-place California and a razor-thin gap behind Utah in a thrilling race. But the squad came back in the last rotation, driven by teammates Aleah Finnegan, Kiya Johnson, and senior Sierra Ballard, who all had outstanding games. With a final score of 198.2250 and the coveted NCAA trophy, their beam routine set a new record and ensured LSU’s triumph.
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As always a helpful teammate, Dunne was spotted yelling with excitement both during and after the match to show her shock at the team’s success.
After LSU’s victory, Dunne is still ecstatic.
“It is still feeling just unreal,” Dunne stated. “I’m still trying to get my voice back from cheering so loud. It was an unforgettable experience, and I’ll probably be thinking about it for the rest of my life.”
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Dunne’s impact goes beyond what she does on the mat; she is one of the most well-known characters among collegiate athletes in the field of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Dunne has an astounding eight million TikTok followers and more than five million Instagram followers. According to On3.com, Dunne has an incredible NIL valuation of $3.7 million.
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Industry insiders predict Dunne’s NIL worth will skyrocket if she decides to continue competing in gymnastics for another year, thereby cementing her place as one of the biggest names in collegiate sports.
