Oklahoma gymnastics: Sooners win Ann Arbor Regional, advance to NCAA Championships

The No. 1-ranked women's Oklahoma gymnastics squad captured its 14th consecutive NCAA Regional championship on Saturday and advances to the NCAA Championships for its 19th consecutive appearance.

The Sooners, who were 29-0 in the regular season and ranked No. 1 all season, posted a winning score of 198.400 to win the Ann Arbor Regional over Alabama (197.575), Ohio State (197.200) and Penn State (197.050). It in the 12th time this season that Oklahoma has posted a score of 198-plus in competition this season.

Oklahoma also scored above 198 in finishing first in the preliminary round on Thursday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on the campus of host school Michigan.

The Sooners started off on balance beam in the first rotation and won all four team events (beam, floor exercise, vault and uneven bars). Three Sooners won individual titles, and junior Jordan Bowers was the all-around champion.

OU's Audrey Davis posted the high score (9.950) in the uneven bars, Katherine LaVasseur was the individual champion on balance beam (9.975) and Bowers took home the title in floor exercise (9.975). Ava Piedrahita of Penn State was the individual champion on vault.

Alabama, which finished second to Oklahoma in the Ann Arbor Regional also advances to the NCAA Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas, beginning April 18. The Sooners and Crimson Tide will take on the top two teams from the Gainesville Regional in one of the two semifinals rounds on April 18. The top two teams from that matchup will move on to the April 20 finals and a chance for the Sooners for a seventh national championship.