“I’m just truly honored to have worn the purple and gold for five years,” Haleigh Bryant said, her voice steady but heavy with emotion. Just moments after LSU’s crushing semifinal exit from the NCAA Championships, the 2024 NCAA All-Around Champion stood tall. Not in celebration, but in reflection. LSU carried so much promise, and 23-year-old Haleigh Bryant came back for one final ride, defying injury and expectations to help her team go back-to-back—but it all ended differently than they had hoped.
“It was kind of a bittersweet moment,” she added. And truly, there’s no legacy quite like hers. A five-year cornerstone of the program, Bryant’s resume sparkles with individual titles and team triumphs, including anchoring LSU’s first-ever national championship win. Even in the sting of defeat, her pride in what they built spoke louder than the final score. LSU gave it everything they had, posting a strong 197.5250 in the NCAA championship semifinals, but it just wasn’t enough to surpass UCLA and Utah, who edged them out for the final spots.
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