Gymnastics: No. 1 Oklahoma Falls at No. 2 Michigan

The Sooners hadn't lost a match in more than a year but couldn't hold off their second straight No. 2-ranked opponent.

By OU Media Relations

Competing against the nation's No. 2-ranked team for the second time in four days, the top-ranked University of Oklahoma women's gymnastics team was edged at Michigan on Monday evening.

The Sooners lost 198.025 to 197.925, in front of 6,561 fans at Crisler Center on UM's Senior Night. 

The loss was OU's first in more than a year, dropping them to 13-1 on the season. Their last defeat came at Florida on Feb. 25, 2022. OU had beaten 34 straight opponents.

In a showdown that featured the last two national champions (Michigan in 2021 and OU in 2022), the Sooners got off to a strong start by scoring a 49.650 on bars, capped by 9.950s from sophomore Jordan Bowers (tied a season high) and junior Audrey Davis in the No. 5 and 6 spots, respectively. Sophomore Danielle Sievers (matched season high) and senior Olivia Trautman (tied career high) registered 9.925s, while senior Ragan Smith notched a 9.900 in the No. 4 position and sophomore Danae Fletcher a 9.800 in the No. 2 spot. OU led by 0.425 after the first rotation, as Michigan scored a 49.225 on vault.

Trautman propelled the Sooners to a 49.400 on vault with her near-perfect 9.975 in the No. 4 position, good for her ninth career title on the event and 23rd overall. Trautman has vaulted three times this season (each of OU's last three meets) and has scored two 9.975s and a perfect 10.0 (vs. then-No. 2 Florida on Friday). No one else on either team scored above a 9.900 on the event. Bowers and junior Katherine Levasseur each tallied a 9.900 against the Wolverines, and were followed by Sievers' 9.850, Davis' 9.775 and senior Allie Stern's 9.750. Michigan scored a 49.625 on bars to cut into OU's advantage, but the Sooners led 99.050-98.850.

OU shuffled the top of its floor lineup in the third rotation and finished with a 49.425. Competing in the leadoff spot for the second time this season, Davis notched a 9.900, tied for her second-highest score on the event this year. Smith followed with a 9.825 before Fletcher came through with a season-high-tying 9.950, good for second place on the night. Sievers scored a 9.825 in the No. 4 spot before freshman Faith Torrez posted a 9.925 and Bowers a 9.250. Torrez’s mark was her eighth consecutive score of 9.9-plus on the event. With Michigan scoring a 49.475 on balance beam, OU's lead was trimmed to 148.475-148.325 entering the final rotation.

The Sooners started strong on beam with senior Jenna Dunn in the leadoff spot, who posted her second straight 9.900, while Trautman added a 9.850 and Bowers and Davis (tied a career high) in the No. 3 and 4 positions, but Michigan posted equally high scores on floor to keep the margin razor tight. Torrez followed with a 9.750 for OU and Smith a 9.800, while Wolverines Sierra Brooks registered a 9.900 and Gabby Wilson a near-perfect 9.975 to lift UM to the narrow victory. Michigan's 49.700 on floor tied for the third-highest score nationally on the event this season.

Davis finished third in the all-around with a 39.575, behind Wilson (39.800; tied for the sixth-best score in the country this year) and 2022 AAI Award winner Natalie Wojcik (39.650).

OU returns home Sunday to close out its regular season home schedule against No. 14 Arizona State. The senior day meet will start at 1:45 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center. Four members of the senior class — Dunn, Smith, Stern and Trautman — will be honored in a post-meet ceremony. 

The Sooners will then compete at the Big 12 Championship on Saturday, March 18, in Morgantown, WV They will be seeking their 10th Big 12 crown in the last 11 years.