Photo by: University of Utah Athletics
Four Red Rocks Earn WCGA Regular Season All-America Honors
3/30/2026 11:00 AM | Gymnastics
Avery Neff, Makenna Smith, Ella Zirbes, and Ana Padurariu add to impressive resumes
SALT LAKE CITY — Four Red Rocks earned spots on the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association's Regular Season All-America Teams after outstanding performances through the 2026 season.
Avery Neff, Makenna Smith, Ella Zirbes, and Ana Padurariu either placed in the WCGA's first or second team based on the following criteria for Division I gymnasts:
First Team All-America shall be awarded to the top eight finishers, plus ties, of the NCAA regular season for all four events plus the all-around. Second Team All-America shall be awarded to the ninth through 16th place finishers, plus ties, of the NCAA regular season for all four events plus the all-around.
Neff earned a place on the all-around first team as the third (39.670) ranked gymnast in all four events per National Qualifying Scores and tied for eighth (9.925) on vault for one more first team recognition. Neff's regular season honors rounded out with two spots on the second team for bars and beam where she tied 12th (9.935) and 11th (9.935) respectively.
The Utah sophomore is now up to eight total All-America recognitions (five regular season, three NCAA) in two seasons of competition.
Smith added to her impressive resume with two second team honors on vault and floor where she tied 11th in the country (9.915) and (9.935) in both events for the 2026 season.
Smith proudly boasts 12 total All-America nods (five regular season, seven NCAA).
In her third year competing for the Red Rocks, Zirbes continued to quietly grow her accolades earning the first three regular season All-America honors of her career going second team on vault, bars, and floor. Zirbes is tied 14th on vault (9.910), tied 15th on bars (9.925), and tied 11th on floor (9.935).
Previously, Zirbes had earned three NCAA All-America recognitions during Nationals competition and now sits as a six-time All-American.
In her final season of competition, Padurariu earned her first All-American recognition of her career taking a spot on the bars second team after finishing the regular season tied 15th (9.925) on the apparatus.
Earlier this month both Neff and Padurariu were named Big 12 Gymnast of the Year and Specialist of the Year, while all four athletes made All-Big 12 Teams.
UP NEXT
No. 12 Utah and its newly minted All-Americans will head to Corvallis, Oregon this week for Regionals competition in hopes of stamping a ticket to the program's 50th straight appearance at the National Championship.
Fans can catch the Red Rocks' first round of Regionals action on Friday, April 3 at 2 p.m. MT in the Semifinals against No. 5 Alabama, No. 23 Denver, and No. 25 Oregon State.
The top two performing teams from each semifinal (four total) will then go head-to-head on Sunday, April 5th at 6 p.m. MT for the chance to compete at Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas from April 16-18. Only two teams from Sunday's competition will advance.
Fans can track all of the Corvallis Regional action on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE RED ROCKS
For an inside look at the Utah Gymnastics program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Red Rocks on social media (TikTok: @utahgymnastics |Instagram: @utahgymnastics).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
Avery Neff, Makenna Smith, Ella Zirbes, and Ana Padurariu either placed in the WCGA's first or second team based on the following criteria for Division I gymnasts:
First Team All-America shall be awarded to the top eight finishers, plus ties, of the NCAA regular season for all four events plus the all-around. Second Team All-America shall be awarded to the ninth through 16th place finishers, plus ties, of the NCAA regular season for all four events plus the all-around.
Neff earned a place on the all-around first team as the third (39.670) ranked gymnast in all four events per National Qualifying Scores and tied for eighth (9.925) on vault for one more first team recognition. Neff's regular season honors rounded out with two spots on the second team for bars and beam where she tied 12th (9.935) and 11th (9.935) respectively.
The Utah sophomore is now up to eight total All-America recognitions (five regular season, three NCAA) in two seasons of competition.
Smith added to her impressive resume with two second team honors on vault and floor where she tied 11th in the country (9.915) and (9.935) in both events for the 2026 season.
Smith proudly boasts 12 total All-America nods (five regular season, seven NCAA).
In her third year competing for the Red Rocks, Zirbes continued to quietly grow her accolades earning the first three regular season All-America honors of her career going second team on vault, bars, and floor. Zirbes is tied 14th on vault (9.910), tied 15th on bars (9.925), and tied 11th on floor (9.935).
Previously, Zirbes had earned three NCAA All-America recognitions during Nationals competition and now sits as a six-time All-American.
In her final season of competition, Padurariu earned her first All-American recognition of her career taking a spot on the bars second team after finishing the regular season tied 15th (9.925) on the apparatus.
Earlier this month both Neff and Padurariu were named Big 12 Gymnast of the Year and Specialist of the Year, while all four athletes made All-Big 12 Teams.
UP NEXT
No. 12 Utah and its newly minted All-Americans will head to Corvallis, Oregon this week for Regionals competition in hopes of stamping a ticket to the program's 50th straight appearance at the National Championship.
Fans can catch the Red Rocks' first round of Regionals action on Friday, April 3 at 2 p.m. MT in the Semifinals against No. 5 Alabama, No. 23 Denver, and No. 25 Oregon State.
The top two performing teams from each semifinal (four total) will then go head-to-head on Sunday, April 5th at 6 p.m. MT for the chance to compete at Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas from April 16-18. Only two teams from Sunday's competition will advance.
Fans can track all of the Corvallis Regional action on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE RED ROCKS
For an inside look at the Utah Gymnastics program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Red Rocks on social media (TikTok: @utahgymnastics |Instagram: @utahgymnastics).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
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