It was a monumental evening for the Oklahoma Sooners women’s gymnastics program, posting a score of 198.3375 — the second-highest overall team score in the history of the event — to finish the season undefeated and capture the fourth national championship in program history Make it four. The Sooners go UNDEFEATED and win their fourth national title! Quick Recap: https://t.co/NQnFKpdpGk pic.twitter.com/j7IpWqoWe1 — Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 21, 2019 Oklahoma began on the uneven bars and posted a score of 49.450, which was good for second amongst the four squads. However, OU really asserted itself in the second rotation, posting an incredible 49.6125, led by a 9.9625 from NCAA individual champion Maggie Nichols. Alicia Keys hits "this girl is on fiiiiiire" as @MagsGotSwag12 is on FIRE and sticks her landing! It's a 9.9625 for the junior! — Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 21, 2019 This @OU_WGymnastics beam team is out for blood tonight. That was one of the best sets I’ve seen from them all year. — Meg McDonald (@Meg__McDonald) April 21, 2019 Oklahoma kept it going in the third rotation with a 49.6500 on the floor, as Nichols and Olivia Troutman led the way with 9.9500 scores. Senior Brenna Dowell also impressed with a 9.9375. Hey @Lin_Manuel, @brennadowell loves Hamilton, so we made her into Hamilton for our final meet of the season! She just CRUSHED her final floor routine for a 9.9375! pic.twitter.com/scTw3QwXbA — Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 21, 2019 Heading into the final routine, Oklahoma had a sizable lead on the opposition and simply needed to take care of business on the vault. They did that and much more, posting a score of 49.6250 with a big punctuation from Dowell. About as close to perfection as you can get pic.twitter.com/F9z3mbYopz — espnW (@espnW) April 21, 2019 Unfortunately, the men’s team wasn’t able to take care of business to claim the program’s 13th NCAA Championship, which would’ve been the 10th for head coach Mark Williams. Some late slip-ups on the high bars sunk the team’s hopes of claiming a fifth straight title, as Stanford ended up edging the Sooners by .7 points. The loss also snapped the program’s streak of 114 consecutive victories. The streak comes to an end in Champaign. OU takes second with a team score of 414.556 to Stanford’s 415.222. Thank you for all your support, Sooner Nation. This team will be back. Thank you seniors for some incredible careers. pic.twitter.com/XyrHoSxHM9 — Oklahoma Men's Gym (@OU_MGymnastics) April 21, 2019 Stanford - 415.222 Oklahoma - 414.556 Nebraska - 407.489 Michigan - 406.354 Illinois - 405.358 Penn State - 399.725 OU was led by Genki Suzuki, who finished third in the overall results with a score of 83.198. It’s rough for the season to end like this, but it can’t be overstated how incredible the careers have been for the program’s seniors. Yul Moldauer, who suffered a setback on the final rotation, is an Olympic hopeful, so while his OU career has come to a shocking end, his future is incredibly bright. We also need to appreciate how incredible this run has been for this program and reflect on the dynasty OU has sustained for so long. You’d best believe this team will be back for blood in 2020, so I’d fully expect the Sooners to be back on top beofre too long. Until then, hats off to this Stanford team.<doc-sep>Norman, OK (73070) Today Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.<doc-sep>After winning the women's NCAA gymnastics title in 2016 and 2017 and finishing runner-up in 2018, Oklahoma takes the stage again on Friday to begin its title hunt. Here's what you need to know about the Sooners: THE BIG STAGE When the No. 1 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team takes the competition floor this weekend at the NCAA Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, it will begin its quest for a fourth national title. The top-seeded Sooners will compete in Semifinal II at 6 p.m. CT on Friday against No. 5 Denver, No. 8 Georgia and No. 15 Oregon State with the top two teams advancing to the NCAA Four on the Floor on Saturday night. Competing on the opposite side of the bracket for a shot at the title will be No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 UCLA, No. 6 Utah and No. 7 Michigan. BACK TO WORK Coming off a spectacular season that ended in heart-breaking fashion as the Sooners finished as the 2018 NCAA Runner-Up, the 2019 Sooners entered the season refocused and ready to fight for another national championship. After beginning the season at No. 2 in the nation, OU reclaimed the top spot after week one and never relinquished its position as the No. 1 team. For the fifth consecutive season, the Sooners entered the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed and won their 10th consecutive regional championship. This weekend, OU will look to add a fourth national title to its collection. OU tied with Florida to win its first national championship in 2014, becoming just the sixth school to ever earn a title, before snagging its first outright win in 2016 and adding another in 2017. BRACKET: PDF for the 2019 women's gymnastics championships POSTSEASON PROWESS Postseason has become a strength of the Sooners under head coach K.J. Kindler. Since 2010, OU owns nine seasons in which it has captured a conference and regional championship in the same season, accomplishing the feat in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2010. The Sooners have advanced to the NCAA Championships 19 times in program history and every season dating back to 2004, a streak of 16 straight. OU has never missed NCAA competition under Kindler’s leadership. ROTATION ORDER: 1. OKLAHOMA Georgia Denver Oregon State 2. Oregon State OKLAHOMA Georgia Denver 3. Denver Oregon State OKLAHOMA Georgia 4. Georgia Denver Oregon State OKLAHOMA QUEENS OF THE HILL After starting the season at No. 2, the Sooners wasted no time taking back the top spot in the rankings, claiming the No. 1 ranking after the first weekend. OU did not relinquish its No. 1 ranking all season, marking the eighth straight year the Sooners have finished within the top two of the regular season national rankings based on national qualifying score. The Sooners entered the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed for the fifth consecutive season. TOP REGIONAL TEAM The Sooners secured their spot at nationals in dominating fashion as they won their 10th straight regional title, earning a first-place finish at the NCAA Athens Regional. For the third consecutive season, OU posted the highest regional score with a 198.475, the highest road score in NCAA history. Senior Nicole Lehrmann and junior Maggie Nichols claimed the top spot on vault (9.95), while Nichols added a regional title on bars (9.975). Sophomore Carly Woodard earned the title on beam (9.925) and freshman Olivia Trautman took home the top mark on floor (9.975). Senior Brenna Dowell was the all-around regional champion with a 39.550. INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS In addition to determining the squads competing in the Four on the Floor, Friday’s semifinals will serve to crown individual national champions. Scores will be combined from both sessions to determine the winners. In its history, OU has had five gymnasts combine for 11 individual NCAA titles. Kelly Garrison (1987 and 1988) won all-around honors twice and claimed bars and beam titles, Taylor Spears (2014) was on top of the podium on beam. Maggie Nichols and Nicole Lehrmann shared first-place honors on bars in 2017. In 2018, Nichols took home the all-around title, along with bars and floor and Brenna Dowell earned her first national title on vault. WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS: Everything you need to keep track of the NC championships SOONERS AGAINST THE FIELD Oklahoma has faced four of the seven teams in the 2019 NCAA Championship field this season. OU holds a 7-0 record against those teams, defeating Denver, Georgia, Michigan and UCLA throughout the season. The Sooners will be seeing Big 12 foe Denver for the fourth time this season at semifinals. MATCHUPS AT A GLANCE: OU Denver Georgia Oregon State NCAA Seed No. 1 No. 5 No. 8 No. 16 NQS 198.115 197.545 197.315 196.625 Regional 198.475 197.375 198.050 196.900 Average 197.808 197.175 196.838 196.320 High 198.475 197.775 198.050 197.450 ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS Seven members of the gymnastics squad combined to earn a program-best 16 regular season All-America honors from the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA). In the seven years that regular season All-America accolades have been awarded, the Sooners have totaled double-digit honors six times. Seniors Brenna Dowell and Nicole Lehrmann, juniors Jade Degouveia and Maggie Nichols, sophomores Anastasia Webb and Carly Woodard and freshman Olivia Trautman all received recognition from the association. Dowell led the way with four accolades, including her first all-around recognition. Could not have scripted Senior Night any better! I’m so thankful for the opportunity to represent this school and especially for my family who’s been beside me for this crazy and amazing journey! I love you guys 😍❤️ pic.twitter.com/HY6D0QgnW8 — Brenna Dowell (@brennadowell) March 16, 2019 TOP TOTALS Of the nation’s top totals, the Sooners boast three in the top five and six in the top 10 this season. OU holds the No. 1 spot with a 198.475, the No. 3 spot with a 198.325 and the No. 5 spot with a 198.300. The Sooners are the only team with five scores over 198.200 this season. OU also boasts the sixth-best score with a 198.275, seventh-best with a 198.200 and 10th-best with a 198.075. HISTORY: Every NC women's gymnastics champion ever VAULTING TO THE TOP On Jan. 11, the Sooners became the first team in the NCAA to field a lineup of six 10.0 start value vaults since the devaluation of the Yurchenko full. OU has competed six Yurchenko 1.5s in nine meets this season and is one of just three teams (Florida, Nebraska) to accomplish the feat. Of the nine meets, the Sooners have posted at least a 49.350 in all nine, and higher than 49.500 in five meets. CLOUD 9.9 The Sooners have posted 189 scores of 9.9 or better this season. With 358 routines under their belts, that means that 52.8 percent of the routines competed have scored at least a 9.9. The Sooners have put up double-digit scores of 9.9 or better in 12 of 15 meets, tallying 18 in both regional meets; 17 against Florida; 16 against Alabama; 14 at the Perfect 10 Challenge; 13 at the Metroplex Challenge, at Michigan and the Big 12 Championship; 12 against Arkansas and UCLA; 10 each against Georgia and UNC. Congratulations to these 2⃣ #Big12 gymnasts on being named Regional Gymnasts of the Year: 🏆 @maddie_karr, Region 2 🏆 @brennadowell, South Central Region For more on their most recent honors » https://t.co/ThnEIWNSJv. #Big12GYM pic.twitter.com/kht30ZENFH — Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) April 10, 2019 CLUB 197 The Sooners have posted a score of at least 197 or higher in 58 of their last 59 meets. Currently, the Sooners’ streak is at 24 meets with a score of at least 197, and 14of those meets have featured a score of at least a 198. The Sooners are one of just two teams that have scored a 197 or better in every meet this year (UCLA). UCLA: Katelyn Ohashi looks to make final statement on floor TO 198 AND BEYOND With a 198.050 in their opening meet, the Sooners became the only team in NCAA history to break 198 in the first meet of the year. OU has posted at least seven marks of 198 or better for the second consecutive season.<doc-sep>
Individual event champions were crowned, and eight teams were cut to four, as the 2019 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships opened Friday at the Fort Worth Convention Center. National Champion x 2⃣! @OU_WGymnastics' Maggie Nichols is the co-Vault and All-Around @NCAA National Champion. pic.twitter.com/ECRujN0fk9 — Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) April 20, 2019 Heading into the championships, Oklahoma's Maggie Nichols didn't look like she would be able to defend her 2018 all-around title. But she did just that. SHOP: BUY THE OFFICIAL 2019 OKLAHOMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS T-SHIRT Nichols turned in a 39.7125 to edge out UCLA's Kyla Ross and Minnesota's Lexy Ramler, who tied for second with a 39.6625. Nichols had a 9.9500 on the vault, a 9.9375 on bars, a 9.9000 on the balance beam and a 9.9250 on the floor exercise. Maggie Nichols repeats as women's gymnastics individual all-around champ "This is the best I've felt the whole season, even at the beginning," said Nichols. "It was so amazing to come out tonight and hit four really good routines. "I wasn't focused on winning the all-around. I just really wanted to go out there and hit my routines for my team and help advance to the second day. It all came together perfectly at the end, which was incredible, and I'm so ready for day 2." For the seventh consecutive season, we're going back to the finals! RECAP: https://t.co/UwL7TckhEZ pic.twitter.com/TzOKVYgSeT — Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 20, 2019 Nichols suffered a heel injury in mid-January and hadn't done a floor routine at a meet since then and only twice in competition all season. The junior had also skipped vaulting, except for the Perfect 10 Challenge on Feb. 15 and at the Athens Regional two weeks ago. "I've been training floor for a few weeks now, and I really had to step up this week because we had an injury in our floor lineup," Nichols added. "We came up with a new floor routine for me, and I was really confident that I could do it. I've been really focused outside of the gym to get really healthy, and I've been feeling really good." NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL The other individual national champions are LSU's Kennedi Edney, Ross, Nichols and Auburn's Derrian Gobourne, who all turned in a 9.9500 in the vault. LSU's Sarah Finnegan won the uneven parallel bars with a 9.9500. Michigan's Natalie Wojcik is the balance beam national champion after turning in a 9.9500. Ross, Florida's Alicia Boren, Denver's Lynnzee Brown and Oklahoma's Brenna Dowell shared the floor exercise title; all scored 9.9500. 2019 #NCAAGym Championships All-Around Results 1. Maggie Nichols, OU- 39.7125 2T. Lexy Ramler, Minnesota- 39.6625 2T. Kyla Ross, UCLA- 39.6625 4. Sarah Finnegan, LSU- 39.6500 5. Kennedi Edney, LSU- 39.6000 6. Lynnzee Brown, Denver- 39.5750 7. MyKayla Skinner, Utah- 39.5500 pic.twitter.com/VfNAcEd06C — FloGymnastics (@FloGymnastics) April 20, 2019 There were few surprises in the semifinals of the team competition, as all of the top seeds advanced to Saturday's final. No. 1 Oklahoma (197.8500) and No. 5 Denver (197.0375) moved on from the second session, while No. 2 UCLA (197.6750) and No. 3 LSU (197.5125) advanced from session one. Kennedi Edney: LSU gymnast chasing improvement, success before championships Denver just edged out Oregon State after the teams were tied at 147.6500 after three events. The Pioneers pulled it out with strong performances on the bars. It is Denver's fifth trip to the team championships, but the first time the Pioneers have reached the final round. Ross led UCLA with first-place finishes on vault (9.9500) and floor (9.9500) in the first session. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist finished fourth on the balance beam (9.9000) and a big step on her dismount on the bars contributed to a 12th place tie (9.8625) Here is where we started 9/7/18. I’ve enjoyed every moment this year! Excited for one more dance this weekend 💙💛 #NCAAgym #UCLAGymnastics pic.twitter.com/DRIapkqA9S — Valorie Kondos Field (@OfficialMissVal) April 18, 2019 It was dicey for LSU early in session one. The Tigers struggled on the beam to open but rallied to finish second on the floor and win the vault and bars. A wobble on the beam cost Utah's MyKayla Skinner a shot at the all-around title. Skinner, the all-around runner up the past two seasons, finished in the top three of each of the other three events, but a tie for 21st on the beam dropped her to 7th place.