Livvy Dunne takes center stage this weekend in Utah as LSU headlines a star-studded college gymnastics event featuring several powerhouse programs.
Two-time defending national champion Oklahoma — which enters the weekend ranked first in the country — is the favorite to win the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, ESPN’s first-ever owned-and-operated invitational.
Utah (ranked 2nd), LSU (5th), UCLA (12th) and Michigan State (14th) are among the other elite contenders participating in the two-day event featuring 12 teams.
While Dunne might be the most famous athlete competing, LSU’s stacked rosters also features a pair of Olympic hopefuls for later this summer in Paris. 18-year-old freshman Konnor McClain — who originally was planning on taking the year off from college gymnastics to train full-time — is a former U.S. national all-around champion but is on trying to return to top form following a rash of injuries.
Also competing for the Tigers is Aleah Finnegan, a three-year member of the U.S. national team but who failed to qualify for the Olympic trials. However, Finnegan, whose mother is from the Philippines, began representing the Asian country in several world events and in the fall, became first female gymnast representing the…
