Almost five months after the injury that nearly ended her freshman season, Avery Neff still couldn’t tell you exactly what happened.
Being in an environment like the Huntsman Center had caused some nerves for her on floor in her first meet, tallying a fall. But after hitting her first two passes in the second home meet of the season, she was feeling good. As she headed into her third pass, however, that’s when things took a turn.
Lying on the floor after a punch gone wrong, the first thing Neff did was ensure her safety. Her upper body was okay, but her ankles were in the worst pain she had felt in her life.
Then, away from the crowds and with her family in the tunnels of the arena, the tears began to flow. “I was anticipated to bring so much to this team and to the legacy of Utah Gymnastics,” she recalled, “and [now] it’s probably over.”
Prior to her arrival at Utah, the former five-star recruit earned the notoriety of being the highest-rated recruit from College Gym News. Neff described it as an honor, but she didn’t want others to perceive her any differently because of it. She went on official visits to Utah, Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, and Florida– the maximum she was allowed at the time due to recruiting rules. Each program, Neff explained,…
