Butts Announces Signing of Burnett for 2026-27
April 22, 2026 02:07 PM | Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University gymnastics coach Jason Butts has announced the signing of Zaara Burnett for the 2026-27 school year.
A native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Burnett will graduate from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School this spring. She trained and competed at Hills Gymnastics under coach Cynthia Smaha and will join the Mountaineer gymnastics team as a freshman in the fall, competing for WVU in the 2027 season.
Most recently, Burnett competed at the 2026 Region 7 Championships, placing seventh on beam and 12th on bars. Prior to regionals, she tallied top-15 performances on every event, including a second-place finish on bars, at the 2026 Maryland State Championships.
Burnett is a four-year Level 10 gymnast and a two-time qualifier for the Women's Development Program National Championships. She earned her first trip to nationals in 2023, following a top-10 finish on every event at the Region 7 Regional Championships. Her first trip to nationals was highlighted by a 24th-place finish on bars.
She then earned her second consecutive trip to the national championships as a sophomore in 2024. Burnett earned her spot at nationals with another excellent showing at regionals, once again placing in the top 10 on every event. Her top finish at regionals was a second-place finish on bars.
The daughter of Christopher and Kadiatou, Burnett plans to major in criminal justice at WVU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
A native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Burnett will graduate from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School this spring. She trained and competed at Hills Gymnastics under coach Cynthia Smaha and will join the Mountaineer gymnastics team as a freshman in the fall, competing for WVU in the 2027 season.
Most recently, Burnett competed at the 2026 Region 7 Championships, placing seventh on beam and 12th on bars. Prior to regionals, she tallied top-15 performances on every event, including a second-place finish on bars, at the 2026 Maryland State Championships.
Burnett is a four-year Level 10 gymnast and a two-time qualifier for the Women's Development Program National Championships. She earned her first trip to nationals in 2023, following a top-10 finish on every event at the Region 7 Regional Championships. Her first trip to nationals was highlighted by a 24th-place finish on bars.
She then earned her second consecutive trip to the national championships as a sophomore in 2024. Burnett earned her spot at nationals with another excellent showing at regionals, once again placing in the top 10 on every event. Her top finish at regionals was a second-place finish on bars.
The daughter of Christopher and Kadiatou, Burnett plans to major in criminal justice at WVU.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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