Emily Lopez didn’t place in the first meet she ever did.
“I just ran to my mom and started bawling,” the Boise State fifth-year gymnast said. “I was like, ‘When am I going to medal?’ So maybe that lit a fire under my butt or something.”
It appears so.
Lopez, who is pursuing a Masters of Athletic Leadership, is one of Boise State’s most-decorated gymnasts ever. She ranks in the top 10 all-time in career wins in three events. She added to her historic resume at the 2025 NCAA Regional Championships, tying for first place on bars with a 9.900, her 21st-career win on the apparatus.
Lopez also owns the highest uneven bar score in school history with a perfect 10.000 – but more on that later.
“She’s just a special kid,” said Boise State head coach Tina Bird trying to hold back tears. “Irreplaceable, in more ways than one. She definitely left her mark.”
Big accomplishments for Bronco Nation
Lopez came to Boise State from Wildfire Gymnastics in Tustin, California. There, she got the Broncos’ attention by winning the beam title at the Southern California State Championships and taking sixth in the all-around at the 2019 Junior Olympic Nationals.
“That’s where Boise State found me,” Lopez said. “I felt like that was probably one of my best meets. I was really proud of that because I was competing against the best girls in the nation.”
While several universities recruited Lopez, she chose the Broncos.
“We got really lucky,” Bird said.
Lopez’s first career title came in the uneven bars at Utah State on Feb. 13, 2021. She went on to become a two-time All-Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference first-teamer before breaking out junior year.
In 2023, Lopez made history. In a matchup against Brigham Young University, she recorded just the fifth perfect 10.000 score overall and the first in the uneven bars in program history.
“I felt like that was a good routine. I felt like that’s what I usually do in the gym and practice. So when I landed and I looked over and I saw one 10, I was like, ‘What the heck?’ And then I looked over and I saw the other one and I immediately just fell to the ground and started crying,” Lopez said. “I just couldn’t believe it. I think I blacked out a little bit because there was just so much going on.”
Bird added that it’s her favorite moment of Lopez’s career.
“It’s not just because she broke the record, but it was when she landed that and that score went up, it was all of ours. It wasn’t just hers,” Bird said. “So that was really a cool moment and she shared that with everybody. It was so emotional for all of us.”
Lopez capped off her banner season by becoming a two-time All-American in the uneven bars. Lopez was a regular season second-team All-American before tying for 18th at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships for second-team All-American honors there.
An unwavering team spirit
Her senior year came with adversity. A cyst in her right hand affected her grip, forcing her to withdraw mid-competition at 2023 regionals. She still managed to compete on beam — and had surgery soon after returning to Boise.
In her final year, Lopez captured 12 event titles — seven on bars, four on vault, one on beam — tying for third-most in a single season in program history. She became the 10th Bronco ever to win multiple titles at a conference meet, earning co-champion honors on both vault and bars at the 2024 Mountain West Championships. She was also nominated for the prestigious AAI Award.
Despite injuries, Lopez never missed a meet. “I’m tough,” she said. “Even with pain and injuries, I still want to go out there for my team.”
By Brandon Walton | BroncoNationNews.com