Ragan Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ragan Smith |
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Smith at the 2014 City of Jesolo Trophy
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  United States |
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| Born | August 8, 2000 Snellville, Georgia |
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| Height | 4 ft 11 in (150 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2014–18 (USA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Texas Dreams Gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Oklahoma Sooners (2020–24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | K.J. Kindler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach(es) | Elena Piskun Kim Zmeskal |
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| Choreographer | Kim Zmeskal Dominic Zito |
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| Music | The Addams Family Theme (2016–2017) These Boots Are Made for Walkin' (2017–2018) |
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| Retired | April 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Current position | |
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| Title | Assistant coach |
| Team | Iowa State Cyclones |
| Conference | Big 12 |
| Biographical details | |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2025–present | Iowa State (Asst.) |
Ragan Elizabeth Smith (born August 8, 2000) is a talented American gymnast who is now an assistant coach. She was part of the U.S. National Team five times between 2014 and 2019. Ragan also competed for the University of Oklahoma in college gymnastics from 2020 to 2024. She was the 2017 United States national all-around champion. She was also an alternate for the 2016 Olympic team, known as the Final Five.
Contents
About Ragan Smith
Early Life and Family
Ragan Smith was born in Snellville, Georgia. Her parents are Michael and Kerry Smith. She has two younger brothers. Ragan's mom was a gymnastics coach, which likely sparked her interest. Ragan started gymnastics in 2004 when she was just four years old. She lived in Lewisville, Texas, for six years. Currently, she lives in Norman, Oklahoma.
Junior Gymnastics Highlights
Ragan became a Junior International Elite gymnast in 2013. This meant she was one of the top young gymnasts in the country. She competed in the Secret U.S. Classic and the U.S. Nationals that year.
In 2014, Ragan joined the U.S. National Team. She competed internationally for the first time at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy. She also did very well at the U.S. Nationals, finishing seventh all-around. She placed second on both the balance beam and floor exercise.
Ragan continued to shine in 2015. At the City of Jesolo Trophy, she earned a bronze medal on vault and a silver medal on floor. She also won the floor exercise at the Secret U.S. Classic. At the 2015 U.S. Nationals, she finished third all-around. She won gold medals on both the balance beam and floor exercise. In December 2015, Ragan decided she would join the University of Oklahoma gymnastics team.
Senior Gymnastics Career
Becoming an Olympic Alternate
Ragan started her senior gymnastics career in 2016. At the 2016 City of Jesolo Trophy, she won silver medals in the all-around, beam, and floor events. She also won a gold medal on the balance beam at the Pacific Rim Championships. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, she performed very well on the balance beam. On July 10, 2016, Ragan was chosen as an alternate for the 2016 Olympic team.
National Champion and World Championships
In 2017, Ragan won the gold medal at the American Cup. This was a big international competition. In July, she competed at the 2017 U.S. Classic and won both the uneven bars and balance beam.
On August 20, Ragan became the 2017 U.S. National all-around champion. She won by more than three points! She also took first place on floor exercise and balance beam. She earned a bronze medal on uneven bars. This was her fourth year in a row on the national team.
Later in 2017, Ragan was chosen for the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal. She qualified for the all-around final in second place. She also made it to the floor exercise final in first place. However, she injured her ankle during warmups before the all-around final. This injury forced her to withdraw from both finals. Ragan chose to recover with physical therapy instead of surgery.
Comeback and World Team Gold
Ragan returned to competition in April 2018 at the 2018 City of Jesolo Trophy. She won silver medals in the all-around, balance beam, and uneven bars. Despite dealing with ankle injuries and other challenges, she competed at the 2018 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships.
In October 2018, Ragan was named to the team for the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She was chosen as the alternate for the team. Even though she didn't compete, she still earned a gold medal with her teammates. In December, Ragan officially signed with the Oklahoma Sooners women's gymnastics program.
Moving to College Gymnastics
In 2019, Ragan decided to join the Oklahoma Sooners women's gymnastics team for the 2019–2020 season. This meant she would end her elite gymnastics career. She confirmed her decision on Instagram.
College Gymnastics Career
Ragan joined the Oklahoma Sooners women's gymnastics team earlier than planned. She made her college debut at the 2020 Collegiate Challenge. She competed in the all-around and helped Oklahoma win first place. She also had the highest score on the balance beam for her team.
On February 6, 2022, Ragan earned her first perfect 10.0 score in college gymnastics. This amazing score was on the balance beam during a meet against Texas Women's University. She earned several more perfect 10.0s on the balance beam throughout her college career.
Perfect 10.0 Scores
Ragan earned many perfect 10.0 scores on the balance beam during her college career:
- February 6, 2022: Oklahoma vs TWU
- February 11, 2022: Oklahoma vs George Washington
- January 29, 2023: Oklahoma @ Denver
- March 18, 2023: Big 12 Championships
- March 30, 2023: Norman Regional Semifinal
- February 17, 2024: Metroplex Challenge
- February 23, 2024: Oklahoma vs West Virginia
- March 1, 2024: Oklahoma vs Michigan
- March 3, 2024: Oklahoma @ TWU
- March 23, 2024: Big 12 Championships
- April 4, 2024: Michigan Regional Semifinal
College Rankings
Ragan was consistently ranked among the top college gymnasts. She was especially strong on the balance beam.
- In 2022 and 2024, she was ranked 1st on the balance beam.
- She was also ranked 7th on uneven bars in 2020 and 18th in 2024.
- Her floor exercise ranking was 12th in 2022 and 27th in 2024.
Coaching Career
After retiring from gymnastics, Ragan Smith began a new chapter in her career. She was hired as an assistant coach for the Iowa State Cyclones women's gymnastics team. She will start this new role in the 2025–2026 season.
Images for kids
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Ragan Smith at the 2014 City of Jesolo Trophy
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Oklahoma Sooners logo
