Oklahoma gymnastics: No. 1 Sooners secure win No. 5 in 2020 season
By Chip Rouse
The women’s Oklahoma gymnastics team took down their fifth opponent of the season over the weekend with a dominant win over No. 9 Alabama.
Competing away from home for the third straight weekend, the Sooners topped Alabama in all four events and took top honors or shared the title in all of the individual events, outscoring the Crimson Tide 198.250 to 197.400.
Oklahoma became the first team this season to break the 198 level. Although, that rarified air is not atypical of OU women’s gymnastics. The Sooner women gymnasts have scored 198.000 or better 34 times in program history and 27 times since 2016. The Sooners have posted scores of 197 or better in 63 of their last 64 competitions and are currently riding a streak of 29 consecutive meets.
Senior Maggie Nichols scored a perfect 10 on vault on her way to the all-around title. The OU team leader also took top honors in floor exercise. Nichols’ perfect score on vault also was the first score of 10 recorded in the event by any woman gymnast this season.
Nichols 39.825 score in the all-around is the highest in the nation so far this season.
Oklahoma’s 49.625 team score on vault was the highest in the nation this season in that event.
OU junior Anastasia Webb posted the high score in capturing the individual title on the balance beam, and sensational Sooner freshman Ragan Smith and Nichols shared top honors with another freshman, Alabama’s Makarri Doggette on the uneven bars.
The Sooners won’t have much time to celebrate their victory. They return to action on Monday, debuting at home for the first time this season against Arkansas.
Both the Oklahoma women’s and men’s gymnastics teams are ranked No. 1 in the country.