| Olivia Dunne's calendar is pretty full. When she's not shooting a commercial or heading to some exotic location as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, she's in Pittsburgh watching boyfriend and former LSU ace Paul Skenes pitch for the Pirates. And then there was a recent trip to the Hamptons to hang out at an A-list party with former LSU stars Joe Burrow, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja'Marr Chase. Dunne is not ready to be a former LSU star, though. The Tiger gymnast/social media superstar announced Monday that she is returning for a fifth season in 2025, a decision sure to lift the spirits of LSU fans everywhere. Dunne's decision isn't make or break for LSU's hopes of repeating as NCAA champion in 2025, but it certainly does bolster the lineup. With Dunne returning, the only gymnasts who contributed in a significant way in 2024 who won't be back are senior Kiya Johnson, the SEC floor co-champion, and Savannah Schoenherr. Schoenherr was out of eligibility, while Johnson could have returned but decided to go out on a high note and get on with her life after dealing with some significant injuries. In addition to returners like Dunne, NCAA all-around champion Haleigh Bryant (who won the Corbett Award on Monday as Louisiana's top female college athlete) is also back for a fifth year. Also returning is NCAA floor champion and 2024 Olympian Aleah Finnegan and SEC co-floor champ KJ Johnson. The Tigers also get back Alyona Shchennikova for a sixth year and bring in a talented recruiting class led by U.S. Olympic alternate Kaliya Lincoln. The future looks pretty bright for LSU despite some injury issues, chiefly a ruptured Achilles tendon of SEC beam champion Konnor McClain, who if healthy might well have made the U.S. Olympic squad. McClain hopes to start the season on bars and beam but that's all, another significant reason why having Dunne back helps the Tigers. Dunne said she will be in the Dallas area next week, watching Skenes pitch (hopefully for him) in the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. That's on Tuesday. Monday is LSU's day at SEC football media days in downtown Dallas. For that the SEC revealed its lineup of three players per team who will be joining their coaches at the big event. LSU's lineup is ... ... Sorry, you're just going to have to give us that click. Much obliged. Tuesday marks 17 days until the Olympic opening ceremony, so naturally Olympic rosters are getting finalized. The Australian men's basketball roster will feature former LSU center Duop Reath, who recently signed a three-year deal with the Portland TrailBlazers. Meanwhile, check out our updated Olympic tracker with all the LSU athletes competing in the Games. While you're at it, check out our LSU baseball transfer tracker, too. Well, that was a lot of stuff for early July. Thanks for reading and subscribing, and we'll do this again later this week. Scott Rabalais | 
