The night was a mixture of triumph and tragedy for the Utah Red Rocks gymnastics team, as their victory over Iowa State was overshadowed by the devastating injury to freshman Avery Neff. While the team delivered a season-high score of 197.

According to Harvard Health, a Grade 3 sprain, which involves a full tear or rupture of ligaments, brings with it “severe pain, swelling, tenderness, and bruising. Considerable instability, loss of function and range of motion. Unable to bear weight or walk.” Recovery time for a Grade 3 sprain can be several months.

Neff’s injury is a big blow to Utah’s lineup moving forward. The star freshman took first on vault and beam against the Cyclones, scoring 9.9 and a career-high 9.925, respectively. Dockendorf was impressed with her team’s composure to finish the final floor routines of the meet.

U tah gymnastics star Avery Neff has released a heartfelt statement following the devastating injury she suffered during Friday night’s meet against Iowa State. The freshman phe