Kayla Smith Named to All-Big 12 Teams
March 18, 2026 03:57 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Freshman Kayla Smith of the West Virginia University gymnastics team has been named to the 2026 All-Big 12 Conference Gymnastics Teams, the league announced on Wednesday.
Smith was recognized on the All-Around Team and the All-Freshman Team, earning her first career All-Big 12 honors. She becomes the first Mountaineer to be named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman since Kirah Koshinski was honored on the Vault Team in 2016. Furthermore, Smith is the first All-Big 12 All-Around honoree since Kendra Combs in 2022.
Additionally, Smith becomes the third Mountaineer to be named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team, as well as WVU's eighth different All-Big 12 honoree all time.
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Smith earns the recognition with a 39.095 National Qualifying Score (NQS) on all-around this season, ranking No. 6 in the conference on the event. She owns a career-best score of 39.225 on all-around, while she also has tallied five 39.0+ scores this season.
Competing in the all-around in every meet so far this year, Smith's 12 all-around appearances mark the most by a Mountaineer freshman since Nicolette Swoboda in 2014. She leads the team with 467.225 points and 18 podium finishes so far this season, including nine event wins. Smith has topped the all-around podium six times this season.
Smith also received All-Freshman Team honors by a vote of Big 12 coaches. Of note, coaches were not permitted to vote for their own athletes.
The All-Big 12 Team is named and released the Wednesday prior to the Big 12 Championship, based on individuals' NQS. New last season, the all-conference team consists of the top six student-athletes on vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, as well as the top six all-around competitors.
West Virginia now looks ahead to the 2026 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. The championship will consist of two sessions and seeding was determined based on teams' National Qualifying Scores (NQS) on Road to Nationals. No. 6-seed WVU will compete in the afternoon session, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+, against No. 5 Arizona State.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Smith was recognized on the All-Around Team and the All-Freshman Team, earning her first career All-Big 12 honors. She becomes the first Mountaineer to be named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman since Kirah Koshinski was honored on the Vault Team in 2016. Furthermore, Smith is the first All-Big 12 All-Around honoree since Kendra Combs in 2022.
Additionally, Smith becomes the third Mountaineer to be named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team, as well as WVU's eighth different All-Big 12 honoree all time.
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Smith earns the recognition with a 39.095 National Qualifying Score (NQS) on all-around this season, ranking No. 6 in the conference on the event. She owns a career-best score of 39.225 on all-around, while she also has tallied five 39.0+ scores this season.
Competing in the all-around in every meet so far this year, Smith's 12 all-around appearances mark the most by a Mountaineer freshman since Nicolette Swoboda in 2014. She leads the team with 467.225 points and 18 podium finishes so far this season, including nine event wins. Smith has topped the all-around podium six times this season.
Smith also received All-Freshman Team honors by a vote of Big 12 coaches. Of note, coaches were not permitted to vote for their own athletes.
The All-Big 12 Team is named and released the Wednesday prior to the Big 12 Championship, based on individuals' NQS. New last season, the all-conference team consists of the top six student-athletes on vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, as well as the top six all-around competitors.
West Virginia now looks ahead to the 2026 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. The championship will consist of two sessions and seeding was determined based on teams' National Qualifying Scores (NQS) on Road to Nationals. No. 6-seed WVU will compete in the afternoon session, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+, against No. 5 Arizona State.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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