Gymnastics: No. 1 Oklahoma Takes Down Michigan on Senior Night

The No. 5-ranked Wolverines came to Norman riding high, but the Sooners pulled away on what coach Mark Williams called "an emotional night."

By OU Media Relations

The No. 1-ranked Oklahoma men's gymnastics team claimed four team event victories and three individual event titles Saturday night to defeat No. 5 Michigan 414.550 to 410.400 on Senior Night at McCasland Field House.

Fifth-year senior Vitaliy Guimaraes won floor exercise with a 14.100 and senior Jack Freeman anchored high bar with a 14.100 to claim event titles. Freshman Ignacio Yockers dazzled again on pommel horse, scoring a 15.200 – his second-highest score in a collegiate meet this season.

The Sooners won event titles on floor (69.750 to 67.350), pommel horse (69.600 to 67.900), vault (71.600 to 71.300) and parallel bars (68.450 to 67.850). The teams tied on high bar, posting 65.950 scores. OU also turned in its best score of the season on still rings (69.200 to Michigan's 70.050).

"I was very happy overall," Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams said. "It's an emotional night, being Senior Night for a lot of these guys, their last chance to compete in the field house and finish their careers here. I'm happy to get the win, and I'm happy that Michigan pushed us a little bit that way, and that we were able to respond and have a good meet overall."

Oklahoma led throughout the meet, but never by more than its 4.15-point advantage after five rotations and in the final margin.

Guimaraes paced the floor team with his 14.100 while Freeman and sophomore Emre Dodanli posted 13.950 scores and fifth-year senior Spencer Goodell scored a 13.900. Freshman Mac Seyler notched a 14.100 on pommel horse and Junior Zach Nunez scored a 14.300 in the fourth position before Yockers anchored with his third 15-plus score of the season. On still rings, Goodell led the team with a 14.000, fifth-year senior Morgan Seyler posted a 13.950 and Guimaraes scored 13.900.

Dodanli registered his second 14.700 vault score of the season, as all five vaulters notched scores of 14 or better. Nunez scored 14.350, Guimaraes scored 14.300, Morgan Seyler posted a 14.200 and junior Dan Simmons scored 14.050. Goodell's 14.000 parallel-bar score was OU's best of the night, while freshman Adriel Perales posted a 13.950. Nunez and freshman Kelton Christiansen stuck high bar scores of 13.450 and 13.6000 before Freeman ended the competition with a stuck 14.100.

The Sooners celebrated seniors Guimaraes, Goodell, Morgan Seyler, Freeman, Alan Camillus, Braden Collier and Cesar Gracia, as well as Laz Barnhill who medically retired from gymnastics in 2019, in a ceremony after the meet.

"Our fifth-year guys – Spencer, Vitaliy and Morgan – they've been through four national runners-up and two conference championships," Williams said. "Those younger guys have just learned to rely on them because they really take care of everybody else and make my job easier. They'll definitely be missed. It's a great run and it ends up being a small window, but I think it's a pretty important time in their lives, and I hope they just had the time of their lives."

Oklahoma is on the road next Saturday for a tri-meet against Ohio State and Penn State in Columbus, OH. The meet will begin at 2:30 p.m.