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OU Gymnastics: Oklahoma Takes Down Alabama in Tuscaloosa

The No. 1-ranked Sooners im;proved to 8-0 on the year and 2-0 in SEC competition. as Jordan Bowers won three individual event titles.
John Hoover|
Oklahoma coach K.J. Kindler
Oklahoma coach K.J. Kindler | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

By OU Media Relations

TUSCALOOSA, AL – In its first true road test of the season, the No. 1 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team took down No. 10 Alabama, 197.550-196.300, Friday night inside Coleman Coliseum. The Sooners are now 8-0 on the year and 2-0 in SEC competition.

Jordan Bowers claimed a trio of event titles, winning the all-around with a 39.625 and bars and floor with matching 9.95s. Faith Torrez was narrowly behind Bowers with a 39.600 in the all-around and took home the vault, beam and floor titles with 9.95s on each event.

Starting on bars for the first time this season, the Sooners put up a 49.275 to lead Alabama by .200 after the first rotation. Lily Pederson led off with a 9.80, while Addison Fatta followed with a stuck dismount for a 9.85. In the No. 3 spot, Torrez earned a 9.75, followed by a 9.65 from Elle Mueller. Audrey Davis drilled her dismount for a 9.925, her 54th career score of 9.9 or higher on the event. Bowers anchored with a strong routine and a stick on the landing for a team-high 9.95.

A 49.300 on vault gave the Sooners a .350 lead at the halfway point. Pederson led off with a 9.875, followed by a stick from Torrez in the No. 2 spot to tie her career high with a 9.95. Fatta notched a 9.825 with a big Yurchenko 1.5 and Kiera Wells added a 9.775. Bowers recorded a 9.80 in the No. 5 spot before Davis anchored with a 9.85.

In the third rotation, OU extended it’s lead to .550 after a 49.400 on the event. After anchoring vault, Davis went right into leading off the Sooners with a 9.80, while Fatta added a 9.75. Mueller showed off a strong opening pass to tie her season high with a 9.875 and Pederson notched a 9.825 in the No. 4 spot. The final routines of the rotation were the highlights as Bowers and Torrez added matching 9.95s. Bowers’ sky-high double pike was stunning and Torrez’s opening double-layout was drilled as the duo helped OU push its lead going into the final rotation.

A 49.575 on balance beam clinched the victory for the Sooners. Davis got things going with a beautiful series and a stuck dismount for a 9.90. Wells recorded a 9.80 in the No. 2 spot and Fatta added a 9.90. Bowers unique mount and strong dance secured her a 9.925 as she drilled her dismount. A stick in the No. 5 spot from Pederson earned her a 9.90 to end the night with a 39.400 in the all-around. Torrez anchored with a big score, earning her third 9.95 of the night to close out the meet.

The Sooners will be back home Friday, Jan. 31, to take on Arkansas inside Lloyd Noble Center. The meet is slated for a 7:45 p.m. CT start on ESPN2.

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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