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Ten Wolverines Named CSC Academic All

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ten student-athletes from the University of Michigan were named to the 2024-25 Academic All-District At-Large Team, selected by College Sports Communicators on Tuesday afternoon (June 17). To receive the honor, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of classes and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average while hitting […]

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Ten Wolverines Named CSC Academic All

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ten student-athletes from the University of Michigan were named to the 2024-25 Academic All-District At-Large Team, selected by College Sports Communicators on Tuesday afternoon (June 17). To receive the honor, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of classes and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average while hitting various participation requirements.

Six female student-athletes were honored in Carly Bauman (women’s gymnastics), Katie Easton (rowing), Logan Roeder (rowing), Abby Tamer (field hockey), Leia Till (rowing) and Kasey Umlauf (water polo). On the men’s side, Josh Eernisse (ice hockey), Josh Heindselman (wrestling), Rithik Puri (men’s gymnastics) and Hunter Thomson (men’s golf) were honored.

Carly Bauman

Bauman ended the 2025 season as the NCAA Regional Co-Champion on uneven bars with a score of 9.950 after being named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Northeast Regional Gymnast of the Year. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native was a first team All-Big Ten honoree for the second straight season and was a three-time Big Ten Specialist of the Week. Bauman won 14 individual event titles across three events and posted 19 scores of 9.900 or better in her fifth season.

Katie Easton

Easton’s Academic All-District honor is the second of her career, following three CRCA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honors. She graduated this spring with a degree in public health. A team captain and program record-holder on the erg, Easton has been rowing in U-M’s 1V8 since the postseason of her freshman year and helped the boat place 12th at the NCAA Championships this year. The Melbourne, Australia, native is a three-time All-American and secured second-team honors in 2025. Her leadership and on-water contributions have been critical to U-M’s speed throughout her career, leading to her fourth Big Ten medal with the 1V8 in 2025. She has also been part of two Big Ten Championship teams at Michigan and is a three-time All-Big Ten honoree.

Logan Roeder

As coxswain, Roeder has helmed the 2V8 and 1V8 boats throughout her three years with the Wolverines while working toward her degree in psychology. Her first career Academic All-District honor in 2025 follows a season when she and her boatmates earned a bronze medal at the Big Ten Championships en route to an 11th-place national finish. The season earned Roeder honorable mention All-American recognition. As a member of the 1V8 through the entire 2025 season, Roeder’s leadership on and off the water has been vital to the success of the boat and team. The Chicago, Ill., native is a two-time CRCA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Abby Tamer

Tamer earned NFHCA All-America first-team honors and unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team after leading the Wolverines in scoring in 2024 with 38 points on career highs in goals (12) and assists (14). Tamer returned to the U-M lineup after redshirting the 2023 season while training with the U.S. women’s national team before representing Team USA in Paris, where she led the red, white and blue in scoring with two goals. Named the NFHCA’s 2024 Division I National Scholar-Athlete, she graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in applied exercise science and will pursue a master’s in sport management in 2025-26. She is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and has earned NFHCA Scholar of Distinction honors three times.

Leia Till

Till, a graduate student who transferred to U-M before the 2024-25 season from Virginia, made an immediate impact in the lineup while working toward her master’s degree in movement science. Rowing in the 1V8’s first four seats throughout the season, Till proved to be an important addition to the roster on its way to an 11th-place team finish at the NCAA Championships. She captured a bronze medal in her lone appearance at the Big Ten Championships. Till is a five-time CRCA Scholar-Athlete (four at Virginia, one at Michigan) and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in her lone season as a Wolverine.

Kasey Umlauf

Umlauf is a graduate student who earned her master’s degree in human genetics after completing her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. Umlauf started all 30 games for the Maize and Blue and tallied a career-high 22 goals in her final season in Ann Arbor. Umlauf was named to the CWPA All-Tournament team in 2025 and is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Josh Eernisse

A junior on the U-M ice hockey team, Eernisse played in all 36 games this season and had 11 points for the Wolverines. He has been named Academic All-Big Ten in both seasons that he was eligible and is a two-time recipient of the Carl Isaacson Award, a team award presented to the player with the highest scholastic average. A 2024 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Eernisse helped the Wolverines to the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four.

Josh Heindselman

Heindselman earned All-America honors for the first time in his collegiate career with a seventh-place finish at heavyweight at the 2024 NCAA Championships. He boasted a team-best 26-6 record despite joining the Wolverines at the semester and earned bonus points in 16 matches, including 12 technical falls, to rank among the national leaders. Having already earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in health care law, Heindselman completed several classes in Michigan’s School of Social Work and will enroll in medical school back in his native Oklahoma this fall.

Rithik Puri

A senior on the men’s gymnastics team, Puri competed in nine of the team’s 10 meets. A biomedical engineering major, he helped lead the Wolverines to their fifth straight Big Ten championship and seventh NCAA championship. The Chicago, Ill., native finished sixth on the still rings at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors with his second-highest score of the season (13.966). Puri is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a 2023 Big Ten Scholar of Distinction.

Hunter Thomson

A unanimous All-Big Ten first team and two-time All-America selection, Thomson concluded his U-M career as the program’s all-time scoring leader with a 71.53 average after breaking his single-season record with a 70.24 per-round average. He became the second Wolverine to lead the team in scoring average for four straight years. Thomson paced U-M in 13 of 14 events, including the final nine tournaments, and recorded 10 top-10 finishes, with seven in the top five. A PING All-Midwest regional selection, he won three individual titles, including the Canadian Collegiate Invitational (202, -14), the Boilermaker Invitational (203, -10) and the NCAA Urbana Regional (203, -10).

CSC Release

College Sports

Eric Podbelski – Baseball Coach

Eric Podbelski is in his first season as the associate head coach of the Bears’ in 2026. With nearly three decades of collegiate head coaching experience under his belt, Podbelski came to College Hill in July 2025 to join Frank Holbrook’s staff, who was one of his former players at Wheaton.   Podbelski served as […]

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Eric Podbelski is in his first season as the associate head coach of the Bears’ in 2026. With nearly three decades of collegiate head coaching experience under his belt, Podbelski came to College Hill in July 2025 to join Frank Holbrook’s staff, who was one of his former players at Wheaton.
 
Podbelski served as the head coach at Wheaton for the first 28 years of the program’s existence, starting with its inaugural season in 1998. During his tenure, he posted an 817-342-5 overall record, the 15th-most wins among active Division III coaches as of 2025, while his .704 winning percentage was seventh-best among active coaches. The Lyons also never had a losing season during that time, qualifying for all 25 NEWMAC postseason Tournaments, three 40+ win seasons and 14 campaigns with at least 30 victories.
 
A model of consistency and excellence in his 28 seasons, Podbelski’s squads captured at least a share of 21 NEWMAC regular season titles, 17 tournament championships, made 18 NCAA Tournaments, and four trips to the Division III College World Series, including a pair of national runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2012. Wheaton earned at least a share of the NEWMAC regular season crown 17 years in a row, with Podbelski earning 12 NEWMAC Coach of the Year/Staff of the Year honors, six NEIBA Coach of the Year honors, and was selected as the regional coach of the year five times.
 
Podbelski coached 114 All-NEWMAC selections, as well as 132 all-region honorees and 21 All-Americans. Sixteen of his players were also named NEWMAC Players of the Year. Nine of his former players went on to sign professionally, including MLB veteran Chris Denorfia.
 
Podbelski graduated from Brandeis in 1991 where he finished among the school’s career leaders in wins with 23. He played one summer in the Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores.

HEAD COACHING RECORDS





Seasons School Overall Pct. Conference Conf. Pct.
1998-2025 Wheaton 817-342-5 .704 297-75 .798

COACHING TIMELINE







Season School Title
1993-1997 Brandeis Assistant Coach
1998-2025 Wheaton Head Coach
2026-present Brown Associate Head Coach



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Recap | Penn State athletes take on FISU World University Games | Penn State Sports News

Penn State’s sports seasons have been long over for most, but some athletes continued their performances far into the summer. Ten Nittany Lions showcased their talents last week at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany, as they competed in events ranging from gymnastics to track and field. Spencer Burke – USA fencing Spencer […]

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Penn State’s sports seasons have been long over for most, but some athletes continued their performances far into the summer.

Ten Nittany Lions showcased their talents last week at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany, as they competed in events ranging from gymnastics to track and field.

Spencer Burke – USA fencing

Spencer Burke competed in men’s foil for the United States, but lost 5-1 in pool play. He then fell to Álmos Bálint 15-9 in the Table of 64.

Burke also competed for the men’s foil team, and although he won his bout against Mateusz Karol Kwiatkowski 5-2, the United States lost to Poland 45-43 in the Table of 16.

Yaroslav Muruhin – Ukraine fencing

Yaroslav Muruhin suited up for Ukraine in the men’s foil, going 3-3 in pool play. He earned a win in the Table of 64 with a 15-10 victory over Korea’s Hyeokjun Choi, but fell to Italy’s Tommaso Martini with a 15-14 loss in the Table of 32.

Muruhin came back for the men’s team foil on Saturday, and like the other two Penn Staters, opened the round. However, he lost 5-3 to Hungary’s Albert Bendegúz Bagdány as Ukraine fell 44-37.







NCAA Fencing Championship, Skeete Riposte

Penn State Fencer Kamar Skeete competes in men’s saber during round four of the NCAA Fencing Championship at the Multi-Sport Indoor Facility in University Park, Pa, on Friday, March 21, 2025.




Kamar Skeete – USA fencing

Kamar Skeete took the strip for the United States in the men’s sabre individual and team sabre, losing early in both with a 2-3 performance in pool play.

After the pool, Skeete was matched with Hong Kong’s Pak Lam Hugo Ho, who defeated him 15-11 in the Table of 64.

In the team competition, the United States faced Italy in the Table of 16. Skeete competed first against Cosimo Bertini, who took an early 5-0 lead for Italy, with the Italians ultimately winning 45-27.

Darius Smallwood – USA track and field

Darius Smallwood ran a season-low 1:52.68 in his sole race at the University Games.

Smallwood finished fifth in his heat — missing the automatic qualifier by one place — and finished 32nd overall.

Hayley Kitching – Australia track and field

After missing the entire 2025 spring season due to injury, three time Big Ten champion Hayley Kitching returned to the track last week.

Kitching finished in sixth place in the 800-meter prelims on Tuesday with a time of 2:03.35. In the semifinals on Wednesday, she ran 2:04.47 for 15th place, missing the automatic qualifier by four places and the time qualifier by 2.34 seconds.

The following day, Kitching competed as part of Australia’s 4×400-meter mixed relay. Kitching’s team ran 3:20.61 for fifth place and an automatic qualifier. Australia wound up finishing fifth in the finals with a 3:20.51.

Zoey Goldstein – USA track and field

Although Zoey Goldstein graduated in May, she took the track for Penn State on Thursday for a medal.

Goldstein competed in the mixed 4x400m with a 3:23.23 for sixth place in the prelims, followed by a 3:17.91 for bronze.







Zoey Goldstein Running




Jake Palermo – USA track and field

Freshman phenom Jake Palermo continued his breakout season in the University Games, where he competed in three events over the week.

Palermo opened the track competition with the men’s 400m prelims on Monday, where he ran a 46.56 for second in his heat and fifth overall. In Tuesday’s semis, Palermo ran 46.62 but was disqualified.

The Rochester, New York, native didn’t run in the prelims for the mixed 4x400m or the men’s 4x400m, but did participate in the finals, where he earned bronze with Goldstein.

Vitoria Santana – Brazil basketball

After one season suiting up for the Lady Lions, rising senior Vitoria Santana suited up for Brazil this summer.

Brazil went 0-3 in the preliminary round, losing to Hungary, Japan and Lithuania.

In the women’s 9-16 placing game against Romania, Santana’s squad won 86-65 behind her 14 points. Brazil lost 84-64 to Germany in the 9-12 placing game, and ultimately fell 83-78 to Chinese Taipei in the 11th place game.

Despite a 1-5 record throughout the tournament, Santana totaled 50 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, two blocks and a steal.







PSU Men's Gymnastics vs. William & Mary, Kacper Garnczarek chalk

All around gymnast Kacper Garnczarek applies chalk during the Penn State men’s gymnastics meet against William & Mary on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 in Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Griffins with a team score of 295.900.




Kacper Garnczarek – Poland gymnastics

Kacper Garnczarek competed in all but one apparatus for Poland.

Garnczarek had his best placement in the horizontal bars, where he finished 23rd with a 13.000. He finished 24th in floor with a 13.133.

Ian Raubal – Switzerland gymnastics

Ian Raubal was the most successful of the two gymnasts, earning a bronze medal with Switzerland, which scored 239.162 points.

Raubal led the team with a 13.500 in the rings and tied with 13.866 on the parallel bars.

Individually, Raubal finished fourth in the parallel bars with a 13.900, competing 5.400 difficulty with 8.400 execution and a 0.100 bonus. He placed 19th in the all-around.

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What does President Donald Trump’s ‘Saving College Sports’ executive order mean for college athletics?

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday introducing new financial restrict…

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Kai Trump makes joke about president in ad through NIL deal with Accelerator Active Energy

Already one of the biggest names in high school girls golf, Kai Trump is getting ready for her senior season at North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School. From there, she will head to Miami, and she’s already cashing in on the NIL front with multiple deals. Trump – who has a $1.2 million On3 […]

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Already one of the biggest names in high school girls golf, Kai Trump is getting ready for her senior season at North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School. From there, she will head to Miami, and she’s already cashing in on the NIL front with multiple deals.

Trump – who has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation – recently announced a partnership with Accelerator Active Energy, adding to her growing portfolio. She released a new ad Tuesday as part of the NIL deal, and she made a joke about her father, President Donald Trump.

The president is known for his love of Diet Coke, even putting a button on the resolute desk in the Oval Office to signal he wants one. That was part of the ad, when Kai Trump had to decide between an Accelerator drink or a Diet Coke.

“Sorry, Grandpa,” Trump said as she took the Accelerator beverage.

Trump joined LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne as athletes to sign endorsement deals with Accelerator when the two sides announced their partnership July 15. Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce is also a brand ambassador for the brand.

Trump signed her first NIL deal in January with Leaf Trading Cards last year, and the pack of cards sells for $199.99. Each contains one random autograph card, per the description. She also has an agreement in place with TaylorMade.

Trump will be featured in Accelerator campaigns and the energy drink will be woven into her social media. She joined Accelerator as an equity partner alongside Dunne.

“An energy drink with natural caffeine like Accelerator is so important to ensuring I stay focused and have extra energy when I’m in the gym, on the golf course, studying, traveling or as part of my daily routine,” Trump said in a statement. “Accelerator has an inspiring group of athlete partners that I look up to and it’s an honor to join the team. I can’t wait to jump in with Accelerator and I’m looking forward to what the future holds in our partnership.”

With a rising social media profile and commitment to Miami, Trump has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. The valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

Pete Nakos contributed.





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Zhou focused on 2025 elite season, ready for collegiate career • USA Gymnastics

Fresh off her win at the American Classic in June and uneven bars bronze at the U.S. Classic Presented by Saatva in July, Alicia Zhou has her sights set on the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships August in New Orleans and preparing for the collegiate lifestyle at Stanford University. By Sarah Firth, USAG Creator Program Fresh […]

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Fresh off her win at the American Classic in June and uneven bars bronze at the U.S. Classic Presented by Saatva in July, Alicia Zhou has her sights set on the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships August in New Orleans and preparing for the collegiate lifestyle at Stanford University.

By Sarah Firth, USAG Creator Program

Fresh off her win at the American Classic in June and uneven bars bronze at the U.S. Classic Presented by Saatva in July, Alicia Zhou (USAG bio) has her sights set on the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Championships August in New Orleans. But further than that, Zhou is preparing for the collegiate lifestyle at Stanford University, where she will compete under head coach Tabitha Yim come 2026.

“Stanford’s a great school and I’ve always wanted to go there,” said Zhou. “When I visited, it had a beautiful campus, I loved the girls and the coaches were so sweet. I had a great time there, and that helped me make the decision.”

It’s been a while since Zhou has been in a traditional classroom setting. She’s participated in online schooling since sixth grade and is enrolled in Texas Connections Academy, an online public school option offered by the state of Texas.

“I haven’t gone to [in-person] school in a long time and I’m not sure what to expect in college, but I’m excited,” Zhou said.

Between a new learning environment and moving across the country to California, Zhou is expecting a lot of big transitions in the coming years. She has lived in San Antonio, Texas, her whole life, but is ready to adjust to life in Palo Alto.

“I think California’s going to be a lot livelier, probably a lot more crowded and more city life than I’m used to,” said Zhou.

Part of that change means Zhou will be leaning on her family for support, and she will certainly have it in a family full of athletic talent and collegiate experience.

At Love Gymnastics in San Antonio, she is coached primarily by her parents Jing Zhou and Wenjing Wang, both of whom were top gymnasts in China. Her mother, Wenjing, competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics for China, and her dad, Jing, also competed for the Chinese national team.

Her parents moved to the United States in the 1990s and worked as coaches before opening their own gym. Her mother coaches beam and floor, while her dad coaches vault and bars and helps out on floor. At home, her family speaks Chinese, and her parents sometimes coach her in Chinese as well.

Zhou’s older brother David, a Texas A&M graduate with a degree in electrical engineering, will likely be a staple in helping her navigate the college landscape. Though she hasn’t settled on a specific major at Standford yet, Zhou is considering studying a business-related field.

As of now, Zhou is the only elite gymnast training at Love Gymnastics. According to Zhou, she splits her time between training with Level 10 athletes and training alone. After such an individual experience, Zhou is interested to see how she fares in a team environment.

“The team [at Stanford] is a lot bigger than what I’m used to,” Zhou said. “But [college gymnastics] seems fun and exciting and I am looking forward to the new atmosphere.”

A recent member of the U.S. Senior National Team and the 2025 Winter Cup uneven bars champion, Zhou is sure to be a strong contributor at Stanford in the years to come. She intends to take a pause from elite gymnastics upon starting college – at least for the time being.

“I think I’m probably going to focus on college, but I don’t know how I’m going to feel when I’m there,” she said. “I might change my mind.”

However, for now, Zhou is all in on the U.S. championships in Louisiana. Closing out this season and starting off 2026 strong at Winter Cup are her top priorities as she prepares for Stanford in the fall.



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Donothan Bailey Joins Cal Men’s Gymnastics Staff

Bailey returns to Cal to continue his successful coaching career, which follows several years as an elite gymnast with Team USA. MGYM7/29/2025 11:31 AM | By: Cal Athletics Former Golden Bear Team Captain, Team USA Member Returns To Berkeley Golden Bear alumnus and former Team USA member Donothan Bailey […]

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Donothan Bailey Joins Cal Men’s Gymnastics Staff

Bailey returns to Cal to continue his successful coaching career, which follows several years as an elite gymnast with Team USA.


Former Golden Bear Team Captain, Team USA Member Returns To Berkeley

Golden Bear alumnus and former Team USA member Donothan Bailey has joined the California men’s gymnastics staff as an assistant coach, head coach Bryan Del Castillo announced Tuesday. Bailey, a three-time All-American at Cal and a U.S. pommel horse champion, joins the Bears from Kinetic Gymnastics in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he has spent the past two-and-a-half years as team coach of its boys’ and girls’ programs.
 
“I’m incredibly excited to have Donothan on our coaching staff,” Del Castillo said. “He brings elite gymnastics experience, energy and the kind of leadership that will have a meaningful impact on our student-athletes and culture. As an alum of this program, Donothan understands and shares our values – he is ready to help guide our student-athletes toward success in both the gym and the classroom.”
 
Bailey’s tenure at Kinetic Gymnastics has resulted in his gymnasts collecting over 40 individual state titles, as well as eight individual regional championships and an individual national title. During that time, he also spent one year (April 2024-25) as an athlete fellow with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), where he created five Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs for National Governing Bodies and was selected as the USOPC ambassador for the Chinese Olympic Committee’s Ninth Annual Youth Camp in Beijing. Bailey acted as interim head coach (and later assistant coach) for the USA Gymnastics Resident Team from 2021-22, with his gymnasts earning two national team berths, a national title and a Pan American title.
 
He competed as a professional gymnast through 2021, which included several international assignments for Team USA. In Bailey’s first post-collegiate season, he took bronze on pommel horse at the Winter Cup and went on to represent the United States at the FISU World University Games, earning gold on pommel horse while finishing fifth in the all-around, before taking pommel horse silver at the U.S. Championships. The next year, he improved his pommel horse finish at both the Winter Cup (silver) and the U.S. Championships (gold). He also medaled for Team USA at the 2017 World Championships, taking bronze on high bar, and claimed two runner-up finishes (parallel bars, high bar) at the 2018 U.S. Championships.
 
Bailey attended Cal from 2010-14 and helped the Bears to three consecutive top-five team finishes at the NCAA Championships (2010-12), also earning individual All-America honors in 2011 (pommel horse) and 2014 (all-around, pommel horse) while earning bronze with Team USA at the 2011 Pan American Games. He is the most recent Cal gymnast to win an MPSF title on pommel horse, doing so in 2012 and again in 2014. As a senior in 2014, he was named a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, which is presented each year to the nation’s finest senior collegiate gymnast. Prior to his collegiate career, Bailey was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team from 2007-09 and a three-time national champion on pommel horse (2006-08).
 
“I’m very excited for the opportunity to come back to Berkeley and work alongside a lifelong friend and teammate in Bryan,” Bailey said. “Bryan is someone I’ve looked up to and learned from since I was a junior gymnast, so it feels like I’ve come full circle to get to coach with and learn from him again. I think what this team is doing is special, and it is truly a privilege to be part of its story and witness its greatness. This sport gives me so much joy, and I hope to share that passion with the young men that come through this program.”
 
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For complete coverage of Cal men’s gymnastics, please follow the Bears on X (@CalMGym), Instagram (@CalMGym), Facebook (@Cal Men’s Gymnastics) and TikTok (@CalMGym).
 





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Olivia Dunne Reveals Adorable Paul Skenes Coincidence: ‘Invisible Strings Are Real’

Olivia Dunne is convinced fate has been on her side all along. The former LSU gymnast and content creator shared an adorable TikTok with fans this week, recounting a coincidence that left her speechless. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images “Invisible strings are real,” the 22-year-old began. “So right now I’m in Jersey, and my mom is […]

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Olivia Dunne is convinced fate has been on her side all along. The former LSU gymnast and content creator shared an adorable TikTok with fans this week, recounting a coincidence that left her speechless.

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes

Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images

“Invisible strings are real,” the 22-year-old began. “So right now I’m in Jersey, and my mom is moving stuff out of my house in Louisiana for me. And as we know, I was in college for five years, I have a lot of stuff in my house, and then my mom finds this.”

She included a screenshot of a ticket to a baseball game she attended at LSU in Feb. 2021, more than two years before she and her boyfriend, MLB star Paul Skenes, began dating.

“It’s a ticket to the LSU versus Air Force baseball game, and Paul was on Air Force’s team, and that was my first college baseball game ever. And I didn’t know him. That is crazy,” she continued. “I always knew he played LSU, but I never thought I was at the game… I don’t know, it was meant to be.”

The sweet story ties back to the couple’s college roots. Dunne, who retired from NCAA athletics this year, helped lead the Tigers to their first NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship title in 2024. She met Skenes through mutual friends on campus in 2023.

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, who was drafted first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and later named 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, quickly won her over. “Our first and second date, I was like, Oh, I really like him,” she recalled in a GQ article they were featured in together.

The pair was first romantically linked when the three-time SI Swimsuit model wore the 23-year-old’s jersey to the College World Series in June 2023, sparking relationship rumors online.

Their love story has only grown from there. Dunne frequently gushes over her boyfriend’s support, telling us earlier this year, “My boyfriend is probably one of the most confident people I know, and supportive. It helps me be confident. It’s just a very good dynamic that benefits me as well.”

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes poses side by side in Baton Rouge..

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes during the ROY 2024 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award Announcement in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in November 2024. / Lucas Casel/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Beyond their relationship, both athletes have continued to dominate in their respective fields. Dunne landed a coveted SI Swimsuit annual issue cover after her 2025 photo shoot with Ben Watts in Bermuda, cementing her status as a cultural force in sports and media.

“This is my third time in the issue, and I feel like my confidence over the years has grown so much from my first shoot,” the New Jersey native said. “It’s so special to be back for year three.”

XANDRA’s Crochet Bikini Look Is a Boho Dream (and the Accessories Seal It). XANDRA’s Crochet Bikini Look Is a Boho Dream (and the Accessories Seal It). dark. Next





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