Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championships on April 16, 2026 ,
Final Score
Gymnastics
vs NCAA Championships
The University of Utah Athletics
Smith, Neff Earn Big 12 Weekly Gymnastics Awards
1/22/2025 1:30 PM | Gymnastics
Red Rocks duo led Utah in two meets in a four-day span in Week Three of season
IRVING, Texas—The fifth-ranked Red Rocks won two meets last week and two standouts were rewarded for their performances with recognition from the Big 12 on Wednesday. Junior Makenna Smith was named Gymnast of the Week, while freshman Avery Neff earned her second consecutive Newcomer of the Week honor.
It marks the second week in a row that Utah Gymnastics took home two of the three weekly Big 12 awards.
Smith competed well in a win over Iowa State on Friday and then put on the best performance of her career just three days later to help Utah tie the best team score in the nation this season, en route to victory at the Best of Utah meet against BYU, Southern Utah and Utah State. Smith's all-around score of 39.725 was a career high, and tied for the second-highest all-around score in the nation this season.
Smith's stellar night included event wins on vault, with a career-high-tying 9.95, on beam with a career-high 9.95, and on floor (9.925). It marked the second meet of the week in which she shared the win on floor, following her 9.90 just three nights earlier in defeating Iowa State in the Big 12 opener in Salt Lake City. That win helped Smith to a 39.275 to place second in the all-around.
Neff, who wins Newcomer of the Week for the second week in a row, earned a career-high 9.925 on beam to help Utah to a then-season-high 197.300 in a win over Iowa State on Friday night. She also added a 9.90 on vault to win the event, as well as a 9.85 on bars.
Neff suffered an injury near the end of a strong floor performance, which kept her all-around score down, but her steady contributions through the first three rotations were significant in the Red Rocks' Big 12-opening win. She is tied for seventh on beam and tied for 25th on vault in the national rankings through three weeks of the season.
Utah travels to BYU for a Big 12 Conference clash on Friday at the Marriott Center, the Red Rocks' third meet in an eight-day span. It will be televised on ESPN+. Full meet preview here.
Â
It marks the second week in a row that Utah Gymnastics took home two of the three weekly Big 12 awards.
Smith competed well in a win over Iowa State on Friday and then put on the best performance of her career just three days later to help Utah tie the best team score in the nation this season, en route to victory at the Best of Utah meet against BYU, Southern Utah and Utah State. Smith's all-around score of 39.725 was a career high, and tied for the second-highest all-around score in the nation this season.
Smith's stellar night included event wins on vault, with a career-high-tying 9.95, on beam with a career-high 9.95, and on floor (9.925). It marked the second meet of the week in which she shared the win on floor, following her 9.90 just three nights earlier in defeating Iowa State in the Big 12 opener in Salt Lake City. That win helped Smith to a 39.275 to place second in the all-around.
Neff, who wins Newcomer of the Week for the second week in a row, earned a career-high 9.925 on beam to help Utah to a then-season-high 197.300 in a win over Iowa State on Friday night. She also added a 9.90 on vault to win the event, as well as a 9.85 on bars.
Neff suffered an injury near the end of a strong floor performance, which kept her all-around score down, but her steady contributions through the first three rotations were significant in the Red Rocks' Big 12-opening win. She is tied for seventh on beam and tied for 25th on vault in the national rankings through three weeks of the season.
Utah travels to BYU for a Big 12 Conference clash on Friday at the Marriott Center, the Red Rocks' third meet in an eight-day span. It will be televised on ESPN+. Full meet preview here.
Â
??????-???? ?????????????? ???? ?????? ????????
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) January 22, 2025
Makenna earns her first @Big12Conference honor after posting a career-high 39.725 in the all-around! ??
?? https://t.co/tcnrnSuz7l#RedRocks | @maksmith04 pic.twitter.com/ARpF813jGU
??????-???? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ????????
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) January 22, 2025
Even with some setbacks, Avery's standout performances earn her a second consecutive Big-12 honor! ??
?? https://t.co/tcnrnSuz7l#RedRocks | @AveryNeff2024 pic.twitter.com/EVCEQclKzN
Players Mentioned
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
Gymnastics Media Availability | Pre-NCAA Championships
Wednesday, April 15
Utah: 197.500 | Ala.: 197.225 | OSU: 196.375 | DU: 195.950 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Saturday, April 04
Utah: 197.400 vs. UCLA: 197.850 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 15
Utah: 197.650 vs. BYU: 196.550, West Virginia: 195.300 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 08