LSU Gymnastics welcomed back its first team banquet in three years at the L’Auberge Casino. Along with assistant coaches Ashleigh Gnat, Garrett Griffeth and Courtney McCool-Griffeth, Head Coach Jay Clark honored the gymnasts of the 2022 season with awards ranging from the classroom to the arena.
Everyone was welcome to attend the event if they purchased a $40 ticket. Staff members of LSU athletics, family and friends of the coaches and athletes, and several boosters joined the team to commemorate last season. They also welcomed the newcomers, which included freshmen and a transfer student, for the upcoming season.
The three freshmen introduced were Annie Beard, Ashley Cowan and Bryce Wilson. The single transfer, Cammy Hall, came from a four-year stint at Utah and will be a graduate student this year. The five graduates of the program last year were also welcomed back, which included Christina Desiderio, Reagan Campbell, Sarah Edwards, Sami Durante and Bridget Dean.
After introductions, the banquet kicked off with the presentation of letterwinners, an honor to recognize athletes for their hard work and dedication. Twenty gymnasts were named letterwinners for their performance last season.
Sixteen gymnasts were recognized for their academic excellence in the classroom when they earned SEC Honor Roll for achieving a 3.0 or higher. Ten gymnasts earned WCGA Academic All-American honors for achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher, moving LSU’s total number of NCAA Academic All-Americans to 183.
Next, the banquet awarded select gymnasts for their performances in the arena. McCool-Griffeth presented the Dee-Dee Fulmer award first. Former coach DD Breaux pioneered the way for gymnastics and women’s sports during her career at LSU.
Her actions impacted not only LSU, but the entire nation. The award honors a gymnast who demonstrated a strong commitment to both academic and athletic excellence. The award was given to Haleigh Bryant, who had an even more successful sophomore season following her star breakout as a freshman.
Presented by the National L-Club, Leighann Westfall awarded Desiderio and Kiya Johnson with the L-Club Captain Award. This honor recognizes Desiderio and Johnson for their pivotal role of leadership and commitment to excellence for the team. The banquet also recognizes the team’s athletes for their involvement with the community. 2022 graduate Sami Durante was awarded with the SEC Community Service Award.
Last season wrapped up with the team having two All-SEC performers: Haleigh Bryant and KJ Johnson. The pair received All-SEC honors after finishing in the top two scores on an event at the SEC Championships. The sophomore finished with a 9.95 on beam while the freshman finished first on vault at 9.90.
Bryant also received the Returner of the Year Award for utilizing her off-season time this summer to ensure her body was fit to compete. It also honored the three perfect 10s she scored on vault within her sophomore season alone. After a breakout freshman season, Johnson received the Newcomer of the Year Award. The Texas native set career highs of 9.95 on both vault and floor.
This past season also featured Bryant, Durante and Kiya Johnson becoming NCAA All-Americans for their consistency of excellence on the floor, which raised the number of All-Americans within the program to 261.
Named after former gymnast Olivia Gunter for her selfless characteristics, The Eye of the Tiger Award was awarded to Lexi Nibbs this year.
Finally, the last award of the night, the MVP award, was earned by Kiya Johnson for putting the most points on the board every time she competed in the 2022 season.
The Tigers will make their first public appearance during the exhibition meet on Dec. 12 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The 2023 season will officially kick off on Jan. 6 against The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.
