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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Gymnastics Inks Pair of National Champions and Canadian National Team Member on Signing Day
11/8/2023 8:50 AM | Gymnastics
Utes welcome a trio of five-star recruits, which includes the nation's top recruit in Avery Neff.
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Gymnastics welcomed a trio of five-star gymnasts to the program on Wednesday morning, marking the second year in a row Utah has signed three five-star athletes in its signing class. National champions Avery Neff and Zoe Johnson, along with Canadian National Team member Clara Raposo, are set to join the team for the 2025 season.
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"I am extremely grateful for our staff and their efforts in assembling this 2025 freshman class," said head coach Tom Farden. "We are beyond excited about signing one of the finest classes in the history of Utah Gymnastics. These exceptional athletes come from standout clubs across North America and have the potential to make an immediate impact on our program. We are so excited to welcome these young women and their families to our Red Rock community."
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Zoe Johnson | Durham, N.C. | Sonshine Gymnastics
"Zoe is the complete package and what really stands out is her personal motivation to continue upgrading her difficulty on every event," said Farden. "She has the ability to compete on all four events and we can't wait to see her outgoing personality shine in the gym and community."
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Johnson won the 2022 Level 10 national championship on the uneven bars and finished fourth overall in the all-around at both the 2022 and 2023 Level 10 National Championships. At the 2020 Nastia Liukin Cup, Johnson finished as the runner-up on beam, while placing third on bars and fourth in the all-around.
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Heading into her final year of club gymnastics, Johnson is a seven-time Region 8 champion and 15-time North Carolina state champion. She has won three consecutive Region 8 vault titles and has finished in the top-three of the all-around the past three regional competitions. At the state level, Johnson has won consecutive vault titles. At the 2022 North Carolina State Championship, she won the all-around, vault and bars, while finishing second on beam and fourth on floor. She also won three state titles in 2021 (all-around, bars, and beam).
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The daughter of Cameron and Christina Johnson attends Eno River Academy and trains at Sonshine Gymnastics, which is where former Red Rock All-American Emilie LeBlanc trained. Johnson has been an honor roll student every year of high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, senior club, and yoga club.
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Avery Neff | South Jordan, Utah | Olympus Gymnastics
"Avery is hailed as the No. 1 recruit in the country and we believe she can step in as an all-arounder in her first meet with us," said Farden. "Her fierce competitive drive and remarkable achievements will bode well for her during her career as a hometown Ute. She has all the attributes it takes to be one of the very best in the NCAA."
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Neff, who is ranked the No. 1 recruit in the nation and a seven-time national champion, is coming off three national titles in 2023 after winning the all-around, beam, and floor titles at the Level 10 National Championship. She was also the runner-up on vault. Neff has won three floor titles in a row at the national championships and two of the last three all-around titles. At the 2021 Level 10 National Championship, Neff took home the all-around, bars, and floor titles.
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Neff is a Nastia Liukin Cup floor and vault champion, two-time runner-up on bars, and three-time top-three finisher in the all-around. She was the co-champion in the all-around at the 2023 Nastia Liukin Cup. Along with her success at the national level, Neff has dominated at the regional and state level as well. She is an 11-time Region 1 champion and 14-time Utah state champion. Neff claimed the regional titles in the all-around, bars and floor this past year, while claiming the state championship in the all-around, vault, beam, and floor. In 2023, she won the all-around in eight of nine competitions.
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The daughter of Brandon and Tonya Neff attends Bingham High School and trains at Olympus Gymnastics. She is coached by Ryan Kirkham and former Red Rock All-American Jessica Duke. Her father Brandon attended the University of Utah, along with both her grandmother and grandfather, and many aunts and uncles. She has two older brothers, Boston and Carson.
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Clara Raposo | Toronto, Canada | East York Gymnastics
"Clara has the talent and international style that Utah fans will love," said Farden. "She is a natural on the performance events (beam and floor), but we see her as a strong option on all four events. We are excited to support Clara in her 2024 Olympic run with Team Canada and look forward to bringing her international competition experience to Salt Lake City next fall."
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Raposo joins the Red Rocks as a five-time Canadian National Team member from Toronto. The five-star recruit was an alternate for Team Canada for the 2023 World Championships and Pan American Games. At the 2023 Canadian National Championships, she was sixth on beam and eighth in the all-around. This past year, she was the beam champion at the Elite Canada competition and fourth in the all-around.
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Raposo was the runner-up in the all-around, and on vault and floor at the 2019 Canadian National Championships. She also placed third on beam at nationals. Also in 2019, Raposo was a member of Team Canada at the Junior World Championships. At the 2019 Elite Canada meet, she was the floor champion at Elite Canada, and finished second in the all-around, fourth on beam, sixth on vault, and seventh on bars.
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The daughter of Shannon Lambert and Bob Raposo trains at East York Gymnastics. She graduated from Mississauga Secondary School in 2023 where she was an honor roll student all four years. She has an older brother Luke and younger brother Charlie.
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"I am extremely grateful for our staff and their efforts in assembling this 2025 freshman class," said head coach Tom Farden. "We are beyond excited about signing one of the finest classes in the history of Utah Gymnastics. These exceptional athletes come from standout clubs across North America and have the potential to make an immediate impact on our program. We are so excited to welcome these young women and their families to our Red Rock community."
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Zoe Johnson | Durham, N.C. | Sonshine Gymnastics
"Zoe is the complete package and what really stands out is her personal motivation to continue upgrading her difficulty on every event," said Farden. "She has the ability to compete on all four events and we can't wait to see her outgoing personality shine in the gym and community."
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Johnson won the 2022 Level 10 national championship on the uneven bars and finished fourth overall in the all-around at both the 2022 and 2023 Level 10 National Championships. At the 2020 Nastia Liukin Cup, Johnson finished as the runner-up on beam, while placing third on bars and fourth in the all-around.
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Heading into her final year of club gymnastics, Johnson is a seven-time Region 8 champion and 15-time North Carolina state champion. She has won three consecutive Region 8 vault titles and has finished in the top-three of the all-around the past three regional competitions. At the state level, Johnson has won consecutive vault titles. At the 2022 North Carolina State Championship, she won the all-around, vault and bars, while finishing second on beam and fourth on floor. She also won three state titles in 2021 (all-around, bars, and beam).
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The daughter of Cameron and Christina Johnson attends Eno River Academy and trains at Sonshine Gymnastics, which is where former Red Rock All-American Emilie LeBlanc trained. Johnson has been an honor roll student every year of high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, senior club, and yoga club.
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Avery Neff | South Jordan, Utah | Olympus Gymnastics
"Avery is hailed as the No. 1 recruit in the country and we believe she can step in as an all-arounder in her first meet with us," said Farden. "Her fierce competitive drive and remarkable achievements will bode well for her during her career as a hometown Ute. She has all the attributes it takes to be one of the very best in the NCAA."
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Neff, who is ranked the No. 1 recruit in the nation and a seven-time national champion, is coming off three national titles in 2023 after winning the all-around, beam, and floor titles at the Level 10 National Championship. She was also the runner-up on vault. Neff has won three floor titles in a row at the national championships and two of the last three all-around titles. At the 2021 Level 10 National Championship, Neff took home the all-around, bars, and floor titles.
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Neff is a Nastia Liukin Cup floor and vault champion, two-time runner-up on bars, and three-time top-three finisher in the all-around. She was the co-champion in the all-around at the 2023 Nastia Liukin Cup. Along with her success at the national level, Neff has dominated at the regional and state level as well. She is an 11-time Region 1 champion and 14-time Utah state champion. Neff claimed the regional titles in the all-around, bars and floor this past year, while claiming the state championship in the all-around, vault, beam, and floor. In 2023, she won the all-around in eight of nine competitions.
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The daughter of Brandon and Tonya Neff attends Bingham High School and trains at Olympus Gymnastics. She is coached by Ryan Kirkham and former Red Rock All-American Jessica Duke. Her father Brandon attended the University of Utah, along with both her grandmother and grandfather, and many aunts and uncles. She has two older brothers, Boston and Carson.
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Clara Raposo | Toronto, Canada | East York Gymnastics
"Clara has the talent and international style that Utah fans will love," said Farden. "She is a natural on the performance events (beam and floor), but we see her as a strong option on all four events. We are excited to support Clara in her 2024 Olympic run with Team Canada and look forward to bringing her international competition experience to Salt Lake City next fall."
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Raposo joins the Red Rocks as a five-time Canadian National Team member from Toronto. The five-star recruit was an alternate for Team Canada for the 2023 World Championships and Pan American Games. At the 2023 Canadian National Championships, she was sixth on beam and eighth in the all-around. This past year, she was the beam champion at the Elite Canada competition and fourth in the all-around.
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Raposo was the runner-up in the all-around, and on vault and floor at the 2019 Canadian National Championships. She also placed third on beam at nationals. Also in 2019, Raposo was a member of Team Canada at the Junior World Championships. At the 2019 Elite Canada meet, she was the floor champion at Elite Canada, and finished second in the all-around, fourth on beam, sixth on vault, and seventh on bars.
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The daughter of Shannon Lambert and Bob Raposo trains at East York Gymnastics. She graduated from Mississauga Secondary School in 2023 where she was an honor roll student all four years. She has an older brother Luke and younger brother Charlie.
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