As it enters its third season in 2026, the Mountain West conference is brimming with talent. Some gymnasts are on the comeback trail after injuries while others are stepping onto the collegiate stage for the first time. Whether they’re all-around powerhouses or quiet contributors who deliver when it counts, these gymnasts are ones that can definitely make a splash in 2026.
Nesia Bat Yehudah, Boise State
The Metroplex Gymnastics product won the all-around at regionals in 2025 and then capped off her club career by winning the national title on floor in the senior E session. She particularly excels on that event and on bars – she has a personal best of 9.800 or higher on both events. A former three-star recruit, she is expected to be an immediate all-around contributor for the Broncos. Boise State has not put up all-arounders in recent years, but Bat Yehudah’s long, clean lines and solid skills on every event have the potential to make her a star.
Alyssa Bigler, Air Force
Bigler had a stellar freshman season. She was named all-Mountain West in the all-around and co-Mountain West freshman of the year. Her one-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko made her the only gymnast other than teammate Maggie Slife to perform a 10.000 start-value vault, and she matched the school high score on that event with a 9.925. She also shows uncommon difficulty with a full-twisting double layout dismount on bars, as well as creativity, doing a side aerial to side somi acro series on beam. Bigler has established herself as a formidable counterpart to Slife’s record-breaking performances, and will look to build on that success in her sophomore campaign.
Sydney Leitch, Boise State
As a regular three-event contributor in 2025, Leitch showed some inconsistency throughout the season. However, the senior has steadily improved season over season and notched a career high of 9.875 on bars in 2025 to match her personal bests on beam and floor. Leitch was most reliable on bars as a junior, but has also been a regular presence in the beam and floor lineups over the years. Her experience will be key for the 2026 Broncos, as they lost heavy hitters Emily Lopez and Alyssa Vulaj to graduation and welcome a talented but inexperienced freshman class.
Mia Nelson, San Jose State
The junior shared the conference titles on both vault and floor in 2024, but was stymied by a torn Achilles in 2025. As a freshman, she had an NQS above 9.800 on vault and floor and set a career high of 9.950 on floor. Her return will be especially welcome for a team that’s losing impact athletes like Madison Kirsch and Jaudai Lopes. She’s also been spotted training beam in the offseason, which she competed twice as a freshman.
Sophie Patterson, San Jose State
Hailing from British Columbia, Patterson joins the Spartans as the third Canadian on their current roster. At Canadian Nationals this year, she was fourth on beam and floor in the national open division, where she also had the fourth-highest single-vault score. She has college-ready routines on all four events, including a Maloney to Pak salto combination on bars and a three-skill acro series on beam. A former three-star recruit, Patterson should be a valuable complement to the Spartans’ steady junior all-arounder Devyn Valuch.
Alianna Valdez, Utah State
Although she saw limited competition in 2025, Valdez was very successful in 2024, when she was third in the all-around at the Southern California state championship, fourth in the all-around and second on bars at regionals, and second on bars at nationals. She was also consistent during her level 10 career, qualifying to regionals all five years and nationals three out of five years. While she shines on bars, she’s not just a specialist, boasting personal bests of 9.550 or greater on every event. Look for the freshman to be a valuable multi-event contributor for the Aggies.
Isabella Vater, Utah State
Vater was one of only two Aggies to perform an E pass on floor in 2025, and at the end of the season, the junior found herself as the floor anchor after teammate Nyla Morabito was injured. She was in the postseason lineup on beam, where she has a career high of 9.750, and she’s also regularly exhibitioned on bars, where she’s shown strong skills but struggled with consistency. However, she’s already displayed the ability to improve year after year. Her season-high score on floor in her freshman season was a 9.725; she bested that eight times as a sophomore and set a career high of 9.875.
Clara Wallace, Air Force
Wallace missed most of the 2025 season with an injury, but she was a staple of the Falcons’ lineups as a freshman, competing all-around in 10 meets. She proved herself a very steady performer, with an all-around average of 38.700 and an NQS of 38.870. She particularly shined on beam in her debut season, closing her campaign with the USAG national title on that event. While the Falcons are only losing three routines from their 2025 postseason lineups, the junior’s experience and reliability will be a welcome asset.
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Article by Diana Scroggins
