OU Gymnastics: Oklahoma Tops Cal, Nebraska as Mark Williams Wins No. 600

By OU Media Relations

BERKELEY, CA – Senior Zach Nunez and sophomore Tas Hajdu won event titles and Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams registered his 600th career victory at OU as the No. 1-ranked Sooners beat Cal and Nebraska on Friday night at Haas Pavilion.

The Sooners posted a 323.100 total to defeat the No. 6 Cornhuskers (317.100) and the No. 10 Bears (308.500).

Nunez anchored for OU on pommel horse in the first rotation, scoring a meet-high 13.950. Hajdu stuck his still rings dismount for a 14.050 to win the event title. The Sooners notched season highs on floor exercise (55.300) and parallel bars (53.550), and scored 53.600 on pommel horse, 54.550 on rings, 51.950 on horizontal bar and 54.050 on vault.

Williams, in his 26th year as head coach, has led Oklahoma to a 600-58-1 record for a .911 winning percentage. Including OU’s 12-1 mark this season, the Sooners have averaged 23.1 wins per year.

“For the most part, I was happy with the performance,” Williams said. “We stuck more landings than we have all year so far, which was good. We generally survived with not too many health issues, so I’m happy with that. It was good to have Fuzzy (Benas) back on four events. Colin (Flores) competed on vault for the first time since he hurt his knee last year, which was good to get over that hurdle. Leo (Koike) got a chance to compete tonight, and his vault was good. I think Matt (Burgoyne) might have been one of the best from tonight, and Nico (Hamilton) did a high bar routine for the first time.”

Oklahoma competed without some of its lineup regulars on Friday, providing opportunities for gymnasts to perform routines for the first or second time this season. Benas, who is working back from an injury, competed on four events for the first time this season. He competed on vault in OU’s meet against Michigan and Simpson on Feb. 15, and on floor exercise and vault at Winter Cup last weekend.

The Sooners started the meet on pommel horse and Flores led off with a 12.850 in his first horse routine of the season, while redshirt sophomore Mac Seyler scored a season-high 13.400 in his third pommels routine of the year. Sophomore Tyler Flores scored 13.400 and Nunez anchored with his 13.950.

Seyler performed his second rings routine of the season, sticking his dismount for a 13.050 to lead off. Burgoyne scored 13.600, Hajdu followed with his 14.050 and freshman Francisco Velez Belendez anchored with a 13.850.

OU moved to floor exercise in the third rotation. Burgoyne led off with a stuck 14.100 to establish a new career high and redshirt freshman Arthur Ballon followed with a 13.750. Hamilton, also competing in his second meet this season while coming back from injury, scored 13.700 and Benas anchored with a 13.850.

On parallel bars, Burgoyne stuck his dismount for a 13.800, Flores scored 13.550 and Benas anchored with a stuck 13.750. Redshirt freshman Brandon Zepeda-Orth led off on high bar with a stuck 13.400 and Ballon, performing his second high bar routine in competition, scored a career-high 13.300. Hamilton and Benas were in the high bar lineup for the first time this season and posted respective 12.800 and 12.450 scores.

The Sooners closed the meet on vault. Flores, who sustained an injury while vaulting at 2024 Winter Cup, led off with a stuck 13.200. Koike scored a team-high 13.900 and Benas anchored with a 13.700.

In all, Oklahoma registered nine stuck dismounts and set or tied 12 individual season highs (including season debuts) and three career-best marks.

The Sooners next compete on Saturday, March 15, against William & Mary and Greenville in Williamsburg, VA. The meet is set for 1 p.m. CT start.