LSU Gold

Durante Named AAI Award Nominee

by Brandon Berrio | Assoc. Director of Creative and Digital Content
+0
Durante Named AAI Award Nominee

BATON ROUGE – Sami Durante has been named LSU’s nominee for the AAI Award, which goes to the top senior gymnast in the nation.

“Sami exhibits everything it means to be an LSU gymnast,” head coach Jay Clark said. “She has overcome so much in her four years, and we could not be happier that she is an LSU Tiger. The fight she has shown to be one of the most valuable people on this team is why she deserves this honor.”

A native of Athens, Georgia, Durante has been an integral part of LSU’s success over the last four years as a specialist on bars, beam and vault. Since starting her career as LSU’s bars leadoff performer, she has missed just two performances on the event and served as the team’s anchor the last two seasons. 

In her freshman season, Durante averaged a 9.846 in the opening spot of the lineup. She went on to earn a 9.842 average in her sophomore season and 9.875 during her shortened junior season. To this point in 2021, she owns an average of 9.908 and has scored a career high 9.95 twice. 

In addition to her outstanding work on bars, Durante has also been a mainstay on beam. She hasn’t missed a beam performance in more than two years and set a career high 9.925 on the event this year. Durante has filled in to support LSU’s vault lineup with her Yurchenko Full and owns a career high of 9.85. 

Durante is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. The daughter of former collegiate coach Dana Durante, Sami wants to pursue a career in coaching following her time at LSU.