Oklahoma wins seventh national gymnastics championship, besting multiple Olympic medalists
The Oklahoma Sooners may not have an Olympic medalist on their team, but the Sooners still clinched their seventh national title since 2014 on Saturday, solidifying a collegiate gymnastics dynasty.
The Oklahoma Sooners may not have an Olympic medalist on their team, but in gymnastics, stuck landings never go out of style.
The Sooners won their seventh national title at the NCAA gymnastics championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday. They narrowly edged out the UCLA Bruins, helmed by Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.
Despite an indomitable performance from Chiles and her teammates, the Bruins claimed second place, finishing four-tenths of a point behind Oklahoma. Missouri and Utah rounded out the top four.
Oklahoma started their night on the balance beam, where nerves tend to creep in for even the most experienced teams. If they were jittery, it didn’t show — every score the Sooners counted on the beam was a 9.900 or above.
UCLA athletes mirrored Oklahoma’s early momentum, going lights-out on their best event, the floor exercise. Chiles anchored the Bruins with a near-perfect 9.975, tying Oklahoma after the first rotation.
Rating: 5