OLIVIA DUNNE joined jubilant celebrations as LSU won its first NCAA gymnastics title after four near misses.
The Tigers were just behind Utah going into the final event but finished with a roar on the beam to earn their stripes in front of 7,684 fans at Dickies Arena in Texas.
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Their total was the highest in NCAA history and when final performer Aleah Finnegan stuck her landing, the squad erupted with joy.
Dunne, 21, was front and centre for the party and shared clips on her Instagram story.
“Best day ever,” posted the popular athlete.
“Natty champs baby!” Dunne later added.
“I think the only words I said for the first five minutes after Aleah landed was, ‘Oh my God, Oh my God,'” fifth-year student Kiya Johnson told ESPN.
Tigers fans packed the arena and chants of “L-S-U” rang out as the gymnasts celebrated.
Tigers coach Jay Clark said he was “speechless” over the triumph.
“Every team was out there fighting for their lives and all four teams, it could have gone any of four ways out there today,” he added.
“I think as much as I feel for what happened to Oklahoma in the semifinals, I think it made for a championship that became so packed with emotion because every team out there believed they could do it, and it was just tremendous.”
It is likely Dunne’s final event at LSU and the college star will now plot her next moves.
With over 13million followers on TikTok and Instagram, the opportunities are virtually endless.
One of the country’s most lucrative college athletes, Livvy was a millionaire by the age of 18.
She is currently dating MLB prospect Paul Skenes – a former pitcher for LSU.
Skenes was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year.
He has since impressed in the minor leagues with his sizzling 100 mph fastball.
DUNNE AND SKENES’ SUMMER OF LOVE
Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes managed to keep their relationship a secret before finally going public last summer.
The pair met at LSU, but it’s not clear when they started dating.
Rumors of a romance began when Dunne watched LSU win the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska last summer.
And Dunne then posted selfies from Fort Myers in Florida, where Skenes was playing.
He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and began his pro career by playing in minor leagues in the Sunshine State.
The final clue came when Dunne posed in a Pirates cap before the pair finally went public.
But Skenes said he had no idea when he might be headed to MLB when asked about his prospects in a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I’ll be honest, guys,” the Pirates pitcher said on Friday.
“You know just about as well I do about when I’m going up.”
In addition to the wait for his MLB debut, Skenes expressed frustration over his limited workload after playing just a third of the total innings against St. Paul.
“I wasn’t happy,” the right-hander said.
“But it’s over [Indians manager Miguel Perez’s] head. It’s over my head.”
“Just have to compete. There’s nothing I can do. It’s just about competing and executing.”
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