Press Release
NORMAN – The No. 2 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team is set for a 4:00 p.m. CT meet against No. 3 Utah inside Lloyd Noble Center. This is the first of two home meets for the Sooners that will be televised nationally. OU and Utah will face off on ESPN2 with Bart Conner and Kelly Garrison-Funderburk on the call.
NOTES AND NUMBERS FOR MEET TWO
STARTING STRONG
The Sooners kicked off the season on Jan. 10 against Arizona State and picked up a 197.450-194.725 victory over the Sun Devils. Twelve different Sooners competed in the meet with three making their collegiate debuts in Audrey Davis, Audrey Lynn and Katherine LeVasseur. Every member of the senior class competed at least two events as Carly Woodard made her career debut on floor.
The Sooners swept the event titles as senior Anastasia Webb took home the all-around with a 39.650. Webb also took home floor with a 9.925 and beam with a 9.950. Lynn, junior Allie Stern and senior Evy Schoepfer shared the vault title with matching 9.875s. LeVasseur took home her first career event title with a 9.925 on bars.
POWERHOUSE BATTLE
In December 2019, Oklahoma and Utah announced a home-and-home series beginning with the 2021 season. OU will host the Utes in 2021 with a return trip to Salt Lake City in 2022. The two teams have combined for 14 national championships and are two of just six teams to ever claim a national title.
Oklahoma and Utah have met 40 times in program history with OU winning the most recent meeting at the 2018 NCAA Championships. OU has won the last five meetings, all of which have come in postseason competition. The teams have met just eight times in the regular season with the last meeting coming in 1992. Utah is 7-1 against the Sooners in regular season competition.
OU has won four of the last six National Championships and finished in the top three in each of the last seven years. The Sooners have claimed 17 conference titles and 11 regional championships, while making 19 NCAA Championship appearances. OU also boasts 14 national champions and 149 All-Americans. A member of the Pac-12 Conference, Utah boasts one of the strongest gymnastics traditions with 10 national championships, 11 conference championships, 21 NCAA Finals appearances, 27 individual national champions and 373 All-Americans.
CONFERENCE HONORS SWEEP
Senior Anastasia Webb (Gymnast of the Week), freshman Katherine LeVasseur (Event Specialist of the Week) and freshman Audrey Davis (Newcomer of the Week) each received accolades from the Big 12 conference after opening weekend. The honor is the 11th total of Webb’s career and fourth Gymnast of the Week honor. Webb took home three event titles in the season opener as she won the all-around with a 39.600, beam with a 9.95 and floor with a 9.925. Webb currently ranks first in the nation on beam and second in the all-around. Along with her event titles, the Morton Grove, Ill., native added a 9.875 on bars and a 9.850 on vault.
LeVasseur earned the first honor of her career after taking home the event title on bars. The San Antonio, Texas, native notched the only score of 9.9 or higher on the apparatus with a 9.925. The freshman also tallied a 9.850 on vault in her collegiate debut. Davis was named the Newcomer of the Week for the first time in her career after appearing on three events in her college debut. As the leadoff on vault she notched a 9.825 followed by a 9.875 in the anchor spot on floor. Davis also added a 9.825 on beam in her first meet as a Sooner.
HOME SWEET HOME
OU is 109-4 inside Lloyd Noble Center since the arrival of head coach K.J. Kindler in 2007. The Sooners have posted 33 consecutive home victories dating back to 2014 and the 2021 senior class has never lost a home meet in their career. OU will be home for five meets in 2021, hosting Arizona State, Utah, West Virginia, Denver, Lindenwood, TWU and BYU.
KINDLER VS. THE PAC-12
In 15 seasons, Kindler is 61-22 against the Pac-12, including a 26-1 advantage over the last four seasons. Over the past two years, the Sooners are 11-0 against Pac-12 schools. The Sooners start the 2021 season with two meets against Pac-12 schools. OU picked up a win over Arizona State on Jan. 10 and hosts Utah on Sunday.
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Head coach K.J. Kindler is in a league of her own in 2021. With the retirement of long-time UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field at the end of the 2019 season, Kindler is now the only active head coach to win a national championship. Kindler is still the only coach in NCAA history to take two different programs to the NCAA Finals (Iowa State, 2006; Oklahoma, nine times).
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Ten Sooners earned 19 individual rankings this weekend with at least one OU gymnast ranked in the top five on bars, beam, floor and the all-around. All six members of the bar lineup are ranked nationally while five are ranked on both vault and beam. Senior Anastasia Webb is ranked in the top 10 on bars, beam, floor and the all-around. She holds the No. 1 spot on beam (9.950), the No. 2 spot in the all-around (39.600) and the No. 4 spot on floor (9.925). Webb is also ranked 10th on bars (9.875) and tied for 20th on vault (9.850).
Along with Webb, Evy Schoepfer, Allie Stern and Audrey Lynn are ranked on vault all tied at No. 11 (9.875). Katherine LeVasseur is tied with Webb for 20th. On bars, LeVasseur leads the way at No. 2 (9.925). Webb, Karrie Thomas, Ragan Smith and Audrey Davis are tied for 10th (9.875). Jordan Draper is tied for 22nd with a 9.850. Four other Sooners are ranked alongside Webb on beam. Carly Woodard is tied for 10th (9.900) while fellow senior Karrie Thomas is tied for 16th (9.875). Jenna Dunn (9.850) is tied for 21st and Davis (9.825) is tied for 25th. On floor Emma LaPinta ranks ninth (9.900) to round out the ranked Sooners.
HOLDING STEADY
The Sooners were ranked No. 2 after the first weekend of competition. Florida held the No. 1 spot with a 197.500. The Sooners’ next opponent, Utah, moved up to No. 3 (196.900) with Alabama (196.850) and LSU (196.550) rounding out the top five. OU holds the No. 1 spot on bars (49.425), the No. 2 spot on vault (49.325) and beam (49.400) and the No. 3 spot on floor (49.300.)
QUICK HITS
- OU was ranked No. 2 in the WCGA preseason coaches poll, the seventh-straight season the Sooners have been ranked in the top two to begin the year.
- Eight of OU’s 11 regular season opponents are ranked in the poll, including two squads in the top 10 and five within the top 25.
- Oklahoma’s roster this season features 12 returning gymnasts from the 2020 squad including three who combined for seven All-America honors in senior Anastasia Webb, junior Allie Stern and sophomore Ragan Smith.
- The Sooners will be featured on ESPN networks twice during the regular season: vs. Utah (Jan. 17) and vs. West Virginia (Jan. 31).
SCOUTING REPORT
Utah is led by head coach Tom Farden and comes to Norman ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Utes are coming off a win at the Rio Tinto Best of Utah competition where they defeated BYU, Southern Utah and Utah State. Utah tallied a 196.900 in their opening meet. Utah is led by all-arounders Cristal Isa and Maile O’Keefe who finished first and second, respectively, in the all-around competition. The Utes scored at least a 49.000 on all four events, including a 49.375 on beam.
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2021 season are on sale. Tickets are $60 for the lower level and $40 for the upper level. Youth (6-18) and senior (55+) tickets are $30 for the season. To reserve your seat, click here or contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (800) 456-4668.
MEET DAY POLICIES
Appropriate cloth or surgical-style masks that cover the nose and mouth completely will be required at all times while on campus and inside Lloyd Noble Center. Other face coverings including clear face shields, gaiters/buffs, bandanas or masks with valves are not permitted. OU will continue its clear-bag policy this season. The approved clear plastic tote size is a maximum of 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag. Even those bags are subject to search.
Arena doors will open to the public one (1) hour prior to tip off. The general public can utilize the north and east entrances. Full details on OU’s game day policies at Lloyd Noble Center can be found here.
2 OKLAHOMA vs 3 UTAH
SUNDAY, JAN.17 / 3:45 P.M. CT
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA LLOYD NOBLE CENTER
ESPN2/ Live Stats / Meet Notes (PDF) / Tickets
UP NEXT
The Sooners will travel to West Virginia for their first Big 12 matchup of the season. The meet is set for a 6 p.m. CT start in Morgantown, W.Va.
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