OLIVIA DUNNE RECEIVED THE FIRST ANNUAL COACHES AWARD SHORTLY AFTER LSU'S 2024 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS WIN
LSU Gymnastics bestowed on Olivia Dunne the Coaches Award for always being a team player. This special honor came shortly after LSU won the 2024 NCAA Championships on April 20, 2024.
Olivia Dunne, 21, had started off her season posting a remarkable 9.875 on the floor exercise, in LSU's stellar season opener against Ohio State. Throughout the NCAA season, the LSU Tigers have been on top of their game, entering every meet as the top seed. Under Head Coach Jay Clark's tutelage, the team lifted their first Championship trophy in program history. They posted a total score of 198.225 to beat the California team, which ended up with 197.850.
Dunne, though not a part of the final four on the last day of the event, was a constant, cheering on her girls from the sidelines. Her dedication towards her team and potential to go to any limit for LSU was highly appreciated by the University.
In an Instagram post, LSU Gym broke the news of Dunne receiving her first Coaches Award. It flaunted their star gymnast Olivia Dunne's gorgeous floor maneuver as they paired it with the caption:
"The ultimate team player. @livvydunne received the first annual Coaches Award for always being prepared at any moment and delivering when her team needed it!"
The Tigers' team etched history again on the final competition day, as the accumulative beam score of 49.7625 was an NCAA Championship record and also the highest in program history. This was especially relevant when Aleah Finnegan, the last LSU performer of the night, posted a 9.95 on the beam, which resulted in LSU finishing on top.
Besides this, senior Haleigh Bryant walked home with the 2024 NCAA Champion trophy in the All Around, which made her one of the most decorated NCAA gymnasts. The seniors, including Olivia Dunne, have a chance to return for the fifth year.
Olivia Dunne earns more than her coach Jay Clark
Dunne's eligibility for the Coaches Award was decided by the administrative body, which coach Jay Clark is a part of. Though she was chosen capable of this honor, her coach agreed that Olivia Dunne earns 10 times more than him, all thanks to her lucrative NIL deals.
Emily Giambalvo, a journalist for the Washington Post, welcomed Clark for an interview. Speaking about tutee Dunne, he shared an instance of a gym practice day when the former wasn't able to display top-notch performance. He had remarked:
"'How do you want me to handle this? Since you make 10 times what I make."
With a very light-hearted tone, Clark asserted that these banters are common when girls are train in a serious environment.
2024-05-07T03:02:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd
