OU Gymnastics: No. 1 Oklahoma Scorches Floor in Friday Meet
NORMAN — A stellar performance on the floor punctuated the University of Oklahoma women’s gymnastics’ 79th consecutive home victory in a quad meet against BYU, Utah State and Texas Woman’s University on Friday night.
The No. 1-ranked Sooners (15-0, 3-0) scored 198.45 to BYU’s 196.25, Utah State's 195.0 and Texas Womans’ 194.575 in front of Lloyd Noble Center’s 8,300 roaring fans. OU posted a second-best all-time 49.75 score on the floor as all six athletes scored 9.9 or better.
Katherine LeVasseur
“I think it starts with the crowd,” said senior Katherine LeVasseur, who had a career-best 9.975 performance and a career-high 39.725 all-around Friday. “It was an amazing experience, and they had a lot of energy going into floor, so I think that really helped.”
Ragan Smith and Audrey Davis tied or set season-highs in the event with a 9.95 and 9.925, respectively, and Bell Johnson set a career-high 9.9. Jordan Bowers, who posted a team-high 39.75 overall contribution scored 9.95 on the floor.
The junior from Lincoln, NE, posted 9.975s on both vault and bars. Last week, Bowers scored the team’s first perfect 10.0 of the 2024 season on the bars against Arizona State and Cal.
Including Bowers, four Sooners landed bars scores north of 9.9. Smith received a 9.950 and Davis received a 9.925. In her bars debut, senior Meilin Sullivan recorded a 9.9 on her routine.
“Danielle Sievers usually starts us off, and she’s been sick all week, and we warmed her up a little bit and she was not herself,” Sooners head coach K.J. Kindler said. “Meilin stepped in for her ... and 9.9, I mean, for your first time out — Listen, this is one athlete that has been hit with everything you can name, every injury that has kept her out every single year until this year, so super proud of her and what she did stepping into the lineup there.”
As a freshman, Sullivan was sidelined with myocarditis after a bout with COVID-19 then suffered injuries her sophomore and junior seasons.
“I just admire [Sullivan’s] work ethic in the gym,” Smith said. “She always tries her best every day and trains all-around, and, so, definitely tonight, she deserved every bit of that, and it was just amazing to watch her shine on bars.”
The Sooners continue against Arkansas, Washington and Cal in the Metroplex Challenge next Saturday in Fort Worth.
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