Arizona, Arizona State and Utah Pick Up Big 12 Gymnastics Week Three Awards

The Big 12 Conference recently recognized outstanding performances in women’s gymnastics, with Arizona State’s Kimberly Smith earning Gymnast of the Week honors. Aubrey Krohnfeldt of Arizona was named Event Specialist of the Week, and Utah’s Abbi Ryssman received the Newcomer of the Week award, completing the accolades for Week 3 of competition.

Arizona State’s Breakthrough Victory

Kimberly Smith’s performance was pivotal in Arizona State’s first win against a ranked opponent since 2024, a 196.050-195.200 victory over No. 22 BYU. Smith achieved a career-high all-around score of 39.475, and secured individual event titles on vault (9.850) and floor (9.900). She also placed second on bars (9.875) and beam (9.850). The Gym Devils’ season-high score of 49.225 on the floor exercise sealed the win.

Did You Know? Arizona State’s win over BYU marked their first Conference win since joining the Big 12 in 2024.

Arizona and Utah Shine

Aubrey Krohnfeldt of Arizona anchored the uneven bars rotation, achieving a career-best score of 9.900 to win the event. This performance helped the GymCats to a season-high 49.225 on bars and a 196.800-195.400 win over Towson. For Utah, Abbi Ryssman continued to impress, earning her second Newcomer of the Week award after strong performances in the Utes’ Conference opener at Iowa State.

Ryssman posted a career-best 9.925 on the balance beam, and her routines helped lead to a team score of 49.500 on the apparatus – the Red Rocks’ best of the season. She previously finished second on bars with a score of 9.85.

Expert Insight: The consistent high scores achieved by newcomers like Abbi Ryssman suggest a strong influx of talent into the Big 12, potentially raising the overall competitive level of the conference.

Looking Ahead

The Big 12 Conference schedule continues this week with Arizona traveling to face No. 23 BYU, and Arizona State visiting No. 14 Utah on Friday. Iowa State will compete at No. 17 Denver on Sunday, with the meet scheduled for broadcast on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. CT/3 p.m. MT. West Virginia will host Cornell and Pittsburgh on Friday, but will not be competing against another Big 12 team this week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week?

Kimberly Smith of Arizona State was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week.

Which team did Arizona defeat this week?

Arizona defeated Towson with a score of 196.800-195.400.

What was Utah’s highest team score on any apparatus this week?

Utah achieved a team score of 49.500 on the balance beam.

As these teams continue their seasons, what impact will these early conference matchups have on their rankings and potential postseason positioning?