Burkholder’s dynamic days at LSU magnified support for powerhouse gymnastics program

By News Staff on Monday, June 30, 2025
  • APRIL BURKHOLDER — Competed at LSU from 2003-06, graduating as the school’s most decorated gymnast and still ranking nearly two decades later among the elite in the program’s rich history. A 14-time All-American, she won 108 individual titles to set a school record, including the 2006 NCAA beam title with a score of 9.9125. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
    APRIL BURKHOLDER — Competed at LSU from 2003-06, graduating as the school’s most decorated gymnast and still ranking nearly two decades later among the elite in the program’s rich history. A 14-time All-American, she won 108 individual titles to set a school record, including the 2006 NCAA beam title with a score of 9.9125. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)

    By: HARRISON VALENTINE Written for the LSWA Before there was Haleigh Bryant, Sarah Finnegan or Ashleigh Gnat, there was a 14-time All-American at LSU. An NCAA beam champion, and an SEC Gymnast of the Year, who was setting the foundation and helping vault LSU gymnastics into a perennial power. That was April Burkholder, a native of Houston, but an LSU Tiger through and through. Just ask her le…