Watch the Heartfelt Moment Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes Learned About Rookie of the Year Win

The gymnast took to TikTok to reveal her reaction to the news.

Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne / LSU Athletics/Getty Images

In the spring, former LSU player Paul Skenes made his debut with the Pittsburg Pirates. He had been the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and after months of playing minor league baseball, was promoted to the big leagues.

To say his early trajectory (the No. 1 draft pick to the Major League Baseball pipeline) was indicative of future success would be somewhat of an understatement. During their first year with the Pirates, he saw incredible success on the mound. So when it came time for the Baseball Writers' Association of America to decide on the National League’s Rookie of the Year, Skenes was a fan favorite. Out of the 30 votes cast, the 22-year-old won 23 first-place votes. With the win, he becomes the first Pirate since 2004 to earn the award.

There to witness the big announcement alongside Skenes was girlfriend Olivia Dunne, the fellow LSU athlete who is now in her fifth year on the Tigers gymnastics team. Following the Nov. 18 evening announcement, the content creator took to TikTok—where she has amassed a massive following of 8.1 million—to share her reaction to the news. The pair were sitting side-by-side on camera when the Rookie of the Year award was announced. And Dunne, of course, was quick to show her support for her boyfriend of about a year.

The MLB Network account on X also shared a video of the pair learning the news:

The moment Paul Skenes won the 2024 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XzldDCuKeT

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 18, 2024

The 22-year-old, who was wearing a stunning red silk dress, immediately broke into a huge smile and, clapping, turned to Skenes, who smiled slightly—seemingly less phased by the news. They shared a sweet embrace and a few words before the footage cut out.

Their respective reactions were, ultimately, very in line with how Dunne has previously described their dynamic. In October, the gymnast told People that the pair are “very opposite.” Apparently, that difference extends to their reactions to big news, too. Each time that Dunne has notched a big achievement—LSU gymnastics’s NCAA Championship title last spring, for example—her excitement can be read in her expression. Skenes, on the other hand, seems to keep his emotions close to the vest. Or, as she put it in the comments section of her TikTok, “[Skenes is] just the king of nonchalant.”

It’s those differences that have really allowed their relationship to thrive, though, according to Dunne. And, in any case, she is clearly willing and able to do enough celebrating for the pair of them.