Avery Neff, the No. 1 prospect in 2024 and future Utah gymnast, was perfect in her first meet this year
In her first competitive performance in 2024, Utah gymnastics signee Avery Neff — the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class, per College Gym News — was perfect.
Competing in the California Grand Invitational in Anaheim — one of 22 qualifying meets for the 2024 Nastia Liukin Cup — Neff earned a perfect 10 on vault, to go along with a pair of 9.850s earned on floor exercise and uneven bars, as well as a 9.800 on balance beam.
Her all-around score of 39.500 was the highest score earned by any junior Olympic gymnast thus far this calendar year, and that includes strong outings by Oklahoma commit Kamila Pawlak — the No. 1 prospect in 2025 — and LSU commit Nina Ballou in the Alamo Classic and the Star Struck Invitational, respectively.
Neff, one of four gymnasts who comprise Utah’s 2024 signing class, along with fellow five-star recruits Zoe Johnson and Clara Raposo, plus Great Britain national team member Poppy-Grace Stickler, is the reigning Nastia Liukin Cup co-champion and has now qualified for the competition for one final time before embarking on her collegiate career with the Red Rocks next winter.
In a recent appearance on the “Between the Banners” podcast — hosted by a pair of current Utah gymnasts, fifth year senior Abby Paulson and sophomore Makenna Smith — Neff spoke at length about her decision to commit to and sign with Utah. She chose the Red Rocks over other premier programs such as Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma.
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“Going on the visits was so big for me, but so freaking hard,” Neff said. “I’d go to one college and think, ‘I really like it, I think I want to go here,’ and then I’d go to the next (school) and I’d be like, ‘Wait, now I want to go here.’ And it kept being the same thing at every college, so it got overwhelming.”
What eventually won Neff over, leading to her commitment to Utah, was her history with the Red Rocks. Growing up in South Jordan, Neff had always wanted to compete in the Huntsman Center, have her image on a billboard on I-15, etc.
“I always wanted to be a Red Rock,” she said. “That was my dream since I was little going to Red Rocks’ meets. It took a little faith, it took a lot. But at the end of the day there was no place I’d rather be. I wanted to be in Utah.”
