Oklahoma rolls into NCAA Regional final
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Win and advance.
The top-ranked Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team used a stellar performance to advance to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Final, posting a 198.000 in the second round Friday night inside Coleman Coliseum.
Missouri (197.325) will join the Sooners in the regional final along with Alabama and Arkansas, who advanced from the afternoon session. Maryland came in third at the meet with a 197.075.
Senior Anastasia Webb shared the uneven bars title with Alabama’s Makarri Doggette as the pair each earned a perfect 10 on the event. Webb now has five career perfect scores after earning her first career mark on bars. She is now just a perfect 10 on floor away from a Gym Slam – a 10.0 on every event. Webb’s perfect 10 is only the second in school history at regional competition, joining Maggie Nichols (2019).
Anastasia Webb
OU Athletics
“It’s a huge accomplishment and it’s always been my goal to strive for a perfect 10 on bars,” Webb said. “I feel like I’ve been working super hard in the gym and trying to perfect the little things like pointing my toes and feeling every movement. If I get a Gym Slam, that would be the most amazing experience ever. I feel like I can do it.”
Junior Olivia Trautman and Webb shared the floor title with matching scores of 9.95. This marks the second regional championship on floor for Trautman who won in 2019 with a 9.975. Alabama’s Luisa Blanco was the regional champion on beam (10.0) and the all-around (39.800). Illinois State’s Angelica Labat won the vault title with a 9.95.
“I am so proud of Olivia,” Webb said. “She’s a superstar. She’s my idol. She’s working so hard in the gym and the fact that she’s back and went in for us, it’s an amazing feeling. I can always count on her.”
OU opened the meet on beam with a 49.425. Missouri notched a 49.300 on floor and Maryland tallied a 48.950 on vault in the first rotation. Trautman led things off with a 9.800, followed by a strong 9.85 and stuck dismount from Audrey Davis. Senior Carly Woodard was exceptional in the No. 3 spot as she stuck her dismount and earned a career and season best 9.95. Sophomore Ragan Smith kept the rotation going strong with a 9.85 of her own.
Senior Karrie Thomas was near perfection, earning a perfect score from two of four judges as she earned a career-high 9.975. Thomas nailed her series and stuck her dismount to earn the second-highest score of the regional.
“I really wasn’t thinking about the score so much,” Thomas said. “In my routine I was just doing what I’ve done in the gym. I’m not one to focus on scores so much, but I’m proud of my routine by the way I performed.”
The second rotation was high-flying for the Sooners as they earned a season-high 49.575 on floor. The mark was the fourth-highest in regional competition in program history. Missouri added a 49.250 on vault with Maryland going 48.475 on bars. Senior Jordan Draper led things off by bringing the energy to the floor and matching her season-high with a 9.9. Senior Evy Schoepfer kept the momentum rolling with a 9.9 of her own, followed by a strong 9.875 from junior Emma LaPinta. Freshman Bell Johnson appeared in the lineup for the first time since March 7, earning a 9.85 in the No. 4 spot.
Webb put on a show in the No. 5 spot, nailing her tumbling passes and showcasing her incredible leaps to tie her career high with a 9.95. In her first routine in 712 days, Trautman picked up right where she left off with a 9.95 of her own. Trautman had not competed floor since her freshman year but showed off her sky-high double layout and strong leaps to earn the regional title.
“It’s crazy that it’s been forever since I competed floor,” Trautman said. “That’s my favorite event so coming out tonight and proving how hard I’ve worked and coming back from an injury was a dream come true. To come out at regionals and peak at the right time to do the all-around again is an incredible feeling. I’m proud to represent the University of Oklahoma.”
On vault, the Sooners notched a 49.450 with four athletes earning 9.9s in the third rotation. Missouri extended its lead over Maryland for the second advancing spot with a 49.325 on bars. Maryland added a 48.525 on beam.
Davis led things off with a 9.9 on her Yurchenko full, her best score of the year when doing the 9.95 start valued vault. Junior Allie Stern followed with a 9.9 of her own on her Yurchenko 1.5, followed by 9.85s from Webb and Schoepfer. Freshman Katherine LeVasseur tallied a 9.9 in the No. 5 spot. Trautman anchored with a 9.9 of her own to wrap up the third rotation.
The Sooners used a big 49.550 on bars to close out the meet, highlighted by Webb’s perfect score. Trautman led off with a stuck dismount and a 9.875. LeVasseur notched a 9.925 in the No. 2 spot as she kept the sticks going. After Webb’s perfect score, Smith earned a 9.875 followed by a 9.85 from Thomas. Davis anchored with a 9.875 of her own to close out the rotation. Missouri clinched their spot in the regional final with a 49.450 on beam, while Maryland tallied a 49.125 on floor.
“Over the past week, we’ve worked really hard on every single event to be super disciplined,” Trautman said. “I feel like that showed today. We were disciplined on all our landings and finishing everything. To put that meet together finally was an amazing feeling.”
The Sooners will compete Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT in the regional final against host Alabama, Arkansas and Missouri.
The top two placing teams from each regional advance to the 2021 NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, TX, on April 16-17. Should the Sooners advance, they will be in Semifinal II on April 16 at 5 p.m. CT and paired up with the winners of the NCAA Salt Lake City Regional.