Boise State will send three gymnasts to the 2026 NCAA Regional, according to a March 23 announcement by the NCAA during its official selection show. Senior Sydney Kho qualified on beam, while sophomore Kristina Shchennikova and junior Mahleea Werline qualified on bars. The athletes are set to compete in Corvallis, Oregon on Friday, April 3.
This qualification is significant as it highlights the individual achievements of Boise State’s gymnasts and their opportunity to advance toward the national meet. The regional competition serves as a gateway for individuals whose teams do not advance collectively but who perform at an elite level.
Kho earned her spot with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 9.845 on beam, marking her best single-season score. She enters the meet with seven consecutive routines scoring 9.800 or higher, which is the program’s longest streak since assistant coach Adriana Popp ended her career with eight straight such routines in 2024. Kho matched Boise State’s top individual beam score of the year with a career-high 9.900 at Stanford on March 15 and claimed her first-career beam title earlier that month against Southern Utah.
Shchennikova secured her regional berth with a bars NQS of 9.850 and has achieved scores of at least 9.800 in seven out of eight recent meets, including a season-best and team-leading score of 9.925 at California on March 7. She also competed successfully on other apparatuses this season and was recognized as one of only three Mountain West gymnasts to earn scores above 9.900 in three events this year.
Werline also posted an NQS of 9.850 on bars to qualify for regionals, maintaining a streak of seven consecutive routines scoring at least 9.825—the longest such run since Emily Lopez recorded eleven straight from last season into this one.
The trio will participate during the second round of NCAA Regionals; should any become the highest-scoring individual performer from a non-advancing team, they would secure entry into the national championships scheduled for April 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas.
