“Avery Neff must have Wolverine healing ability”;“Crowd reaction said it all”- Fans react to Utah gymnast's return to competitions against Arizona

Fans have shared their reactions to Utah Red Rocks' freshman Avery Neff’s return to competitions against Arizona GymCats. On her comeback event, she featured in the uneven bars, scoring an impressive 9.825 on the apparatus.

Neff, hailed as the number one overall recruit in 2024, suffered an ankle injury during the team’s meet against Iowa State on January 18, 2025, due to an awkward landing in the floor exercise event while performing her final tumbling pass.

However, what initially seemed like a major setback didn’t turn into a significant obstacle for both the Red Rocks and Avery Neff, as the promising talent returned to competitions less than a month after her injury.

After the event, Utah Gymnastics shared a post dedicated to Neff's comeback.

One fan was amazed by how quickly the 18-year-old recovered, comparing her to Marvel Comics’ fictional character, Wolverine.

“Avery must have Wolverine healing ability,” they commented on the post.

Another fan talked about the loud cheer at the Huntsman Center for Neff's comeback.

“I think the crowd reaction said it all! We love Avery!!,” they added.

Meanwhile, another fan remarked that she returned with the same energy and confidence, as if she had never been absent, writing:

“Back like she never left 🤩”

Here are some more reactions to Avery Neff’s comeback -

“SHE’S BACK!! ♥️”, one fan wrote.

“So great to see Avery back!!”, another fan chimed in.

“They did her wrong with that score!!!!”, another fan expressed their dissatisfaction with the score Neff received on her comeback.

Fans reactions. Credits - Instagram/ utahgymnastics comment section

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Avery Neff reflected on why she wanted to be part of the Utah Red Rocks

Avery Neff at Nastia Liukin Cup 2021 (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Avery Neff shared how she was inspired to become a part of Utah Red Rocks from a young age when she came across a billboard featuring the Red Rocks team. In an interview with University of Utah Athletics last month, Neff reflected on how she believed that it was where she truly belonged, saying (0:07 onwards):

“Since I was a little girl driving on the freeway, I always saw the Red Rocks up on the billboards, and I knew that that was always my dream. When I went on one of my visits, I had asked one of the girls who was already committed there, I was like, "How'd you know that you already wanted to go here?" She was like, "Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to go here." And I was like, "Well, then I know where I'm supposed to go. I'm supposed to be a Red Rock.”

She added:

“I've always wanted to be a Red Rock. I've always wanted to be on that billboard. Being in front of 15,000 fans is just insane, next level, and I've always wanted to be a part of that."

In the interview, she further mentioned that she didn’t think that she would get into the team when she was younger. However, when opportunity knocked on the door, her parents, Brandon and Tonya, encouraged her to take it by reminding her that it was something she had always dreamed of.