LSU Tigers' Haleigh Bryant at The Gymnastics 101 Exhibition in Pete Maravich Assembly Center 2024 LSU Archive - Source: Getty

"Turning the page and not settling in"- LSU Tigers' Haleigh Bryant makes her feelings known on team's approach for 2025 season

Modified Jan 18, 2025 17:59 GMT

LSU’s gymnastic icon, Haleigh Bryant gave an incredible performance and helped the Tigers steamroll the Gators. Her intact routine was received well and she also revealed what the mindset of the team was after the win.

An NCAA vault champion Haleigh Bryant is emerging as one of the brightest talents across the NCAA and LSU Tigers’ gymnastic team. She has garnered multiple accolades and is still on the verge of collecting many more. The gymnast after the win at Pete Maravich Assembly Center shared via ESPN.

“It was absolutely amazing. I’m just so honored to be back out here with my team. They really helped me through this little dip I had in the preseason, and they were just by my side every step of the way. So, I could not have done it without them. But, I’m so, so excited to be back out there with them because they are the best and I want to do it for them and everybody in this room.”

She further continued,

“I think just doing what we do every single day in the gym. Because, like we said, we competed against a very good SEC team. And we know that, we knew that coming in. So kind of just celebrating it. Obviously, it’s a big win, but turning the page and not settling in to where we are because there’s always room to improve. So, we’re going to take one step forward and work towards Arkansas now because this one’s in the past.”

Bryant went on to score 9.900 points and with her delivery took the No. 2 LSU Tigers to a win over No. 7 Florida. The 2024 NCAA All-Around Champion turned heads with her performance and is now looking forward to claiming victory over the Razorbacks.

Haleigh Bryant and her journey of inspiration and overcoming challenges

Haleigh Bryant at Athleta Power of She Luncheon - Source: Getty

Haleigh Bryant after winning the championship, talked about her inspiration. She further shared how her head coach made her realise the depth of the opportunities.

“I think yes for sure, cuz just Jay always says like there's always little girls in the stands looking up to you and trying to give you or trying to do what you're doing and it's just being grateful for the opportunity that we're getting to compete in the purple and gold cuz only 22 girls get the opportunity to compete at this college. So just being grateful is something he always talks about. We want to set up just like an example for all the little girls and just that all their dreams can come true. They never give up and just work so hard.” [onwards 8:14]

She further continued,

“There was definitely some days throughout my career, not even just in college but before I got here that I just wanted to quit. I just wanted to give it up be a normal student, just enjoy my life and just do all those things, but my mom always said like you can't quit on a bad day, because that's normally when it happened. I would have a bad day at gym and then I'm like, Okay, I'm done. I'm never doing this again, but she was always right. She always encouraged me to stay with it and I'm so thankful that I did and I'm just so, so grateful and so are all the LSU fans. Thank you. You know, thank God that you stuck with it.” [onwards 8:56]

The 2024 NCAA women’s gymnastic championship was clinched by LSU Tigers under the head coach Jay Clark. The championship was their first in the history of their program. Last year, Haleigh Bryant also went on to win the Honda Sport Award for gymnastics.

Haleigh Bryant was also the recipient of the AAI Award which recognized her as the nation's best female senior gymnast. She is one of the top four gymnasts in the country to achieve multiple NCAA accolades.