Avery Neff and Ana Padurariu were named recipients of Big 12 end of year awards following the championship meet, according to a March 21 announcement from Utah Gymnastics.
The recognition highlights the strong performances by both athletes during the season for the No. 12 Red Rocks team. These honors reflect their contributions and achievements in collegiate gymnastics within the conference.
Neff was awarded the Big 12’s Gymnast of the Year honor, marking her second consecutive major conference award after being named Newcomer of the Year as a freshman last season. This is also the second straight year that a Red Rocks gymnast has earned this distinction. In her sophomore season, Neff achieved an all-around National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 39.630, leading the Big 12. She also ranked first in individual events with NQS scores of 9.920 on vault, 9.935 on bars, and 9.925 on beam, while placing fifth on floor with a score of 9.895 in the conference.
Nationally, Neff tied for fourth place in all-around rankings, eighth on vault, tenth on bars, and thirteenth on beam. She was also noted as the first gymnast in the 2026 season to score a perfect ten during the Sprouts Farmers Market Quad event and went on to achieve two more perfect scores—two on vault and one on bars—while improving her career-highs on floor (9.95) and all-around (39.700).
Padurariu received Specialist of the Year honors for her consistent performances throughout the season, particularly on bars and beam. She tied for second place in the Big 12 on bars with an NQS of 9.925 and tied for fourteenth nationally in that event. On beam, she tied for seventh in conference standings with an NQS of 9.880 and matched her career-high score (9.95) once during this season.
Both gymnasts contributed to All-Big 12 honors earlier in the week alongside six other teammates from Utah Gymnastics.
Looking ahead, Neff, Padurariu, and their teammates will learn about their NCAA Regional placement on Monday, March 23 at 10 a.m., with coverage available via ESPNU.
