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LSU Gymnast Haleigh Bryant Makes Program History With 3 Perfect Scores

The NCAA athlete nailed her bars, vault and floor routines last Friday.

Ananya Panchal

Haleigh Bryant of LSU competed during a PAC-12 meet against Utah.

Haleigh Bryant of LSU competed during a PAC-12 meet against Utah.

The No. 6–ranked LSU Tigers had a phenomenal end to the team’s regular season last week and are heading into the Southeastern Conference Championships this Saturday. However, it wasn’t just their win against West Virginia University that made the night special—LSU sophomore Haleigh Bryant made program history on March 10 with a trifecta of perfect scores across her bars, vault and floor routines.

The 21-year-old has a total of 10 perfect 10s throughout her college gymnastics career, placing her No. 1 on the list of most perfect scores in LSU history. She is the fifth gymnast in NCAA history to perfectly nail three separate routines in one meet, and the first athlete to do so since 2002.

In a press room interview following the meet, a reporter asked Bryant if she felt like she had achieved all her goals. She explained that while it was an “honor” to have accomplished what she did earlier that day, she and the Tigers were “not done yet.”

“I said, ‘Just do what you do every single day, go on autopilot and do what you do day-in and day-out at the gym,’” she said about how she prepared herself before each routine. “It paid off. I’m just so proud of this team and so proud of where we’re going.”

Coach Jay Clark said that he has been in the sport for years and what he has watched Bryant accomplish is incredible.

“To get three 10s in one meet, that’s insane,” he said proudly. “She’s an all timer, y’all. You’re witnessing absolute greatness and I’m glad she’s on our team. I tell her that all the time.”

He added that the team is full of “great kids” and he believes that Bryant is a “steadying force that calms everyone down.”

“That’s not always fair to Haleigh, but she handles it with such poise and grace and humility,” he continued. “I’d be hard pressed to be more proud of an athlete in my coaching career.”

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. 

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