OU gymnastics: What to know about Oklahoma Sooners' top-ranked men's, women's teams

NORMAN — After starting the season with three consecutive road meets, the top-ranked OU women’s gymnastics program opens its home schedule at 6:45 p.m. Friday against Denver at Lloyd Noble Center.

Before the meet, the Sooners will honor their 2023 national championship team and unveil the championship banner.

The first 500 fans will receive a mini replica banner, while OU students will have an opportunity to receive an LED cowboy hat and OU women’s gymnastics schedule shirt.

At all Friday home meets this season, $2 beer will be available at select concession stands in the arena.

While the OU women are right where they expected to be, the men’s team has made a surprising ascent to the top spot after last weekend’s victory at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, where the Sooners posted a 420.350 — the highest score nationally this season by nearly seven points.

Mark Williams’ squad faces a critical showdown Sunday when they take on No. 5 Illinois — which finished third nationally last season as OU finished a disappointing fourth.

Here are three things to know about each team entering this weekend’s action:

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First of six at home for Sooners

OU’s women started the season with back-to-back-to-back road meets, competing in Las Vegas, Utah and Colorado.

Friday’s meet will be the first of six at Lloyd Noble Center for the Sooners, who have won 75 consecutive at home since 2014. That includes the Big 12 Championships, which will be at LNC on March 23.

OU is 137-4 at home under K.J. Kindler.

Kindler said earlier this season that she liked the way the schedule set up, and after posting an eye-popping 198.325 at Denver last week to knock off not only Denver but UCLA and Stanford as well, that has held up.

“It’s tough to be on the road four out of the first five weeks, so that’s what we’re kind of looking at right now,” Kindler said. “They’ve handled it so well. The travel didn’t seem to affect them or their performances, so I was really proud of them.”

With road scores being given a greater weight for nationals qualifying, the strong start on the road could pay dividends down the line.

Jordan Bowers continuing to improve

Through her first two seasons, Jordan Bowers has done plenty for the Sooners.

She’s been a five-time NCAA All-American and finished as runner-up in the floor exercise at the NCAA Championships last season.

But Bowers has been even better so far this season.

She’s coming off a career-high 39.775 in the all-around, third-best nationally this season.

“That was huge,” Kindler said. “Because I know the first two meets she was probably nit-picking herself. There were little things that she maybe didn’t hit 100% in those first two meets. … She had the meet of her life last week. She was hitting on all cylinders and that is normal Jordan.”

Kindler said Bowers has settled into the all-around role after competing in all events for the first time last season.

“Balance beam’s her biggest improvement, honestly,” Kindler said. “She is money on balance beam. That’s irreplaceable.”

The Sooners are ranked No. 1 in the balance beam and vault so far.

After her performance at Denver, Bowers became the third different OU gymnast to win Big 12 Gymnast of the Week, joining Faith Torrez and Audrey Davis.

Bowers has been one of four all-arounders for the Sooners so far.

“That’s not by design, that’s not by strategy, it’s by chance,” Kindler said. “We really put our best six up on every event and we just happen to have four all-arounders right now. But we have a lot of people pushing to get into the lineup. That can change week to week.”

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Freshmen Hannah Scheible thriving on vault

Freshman vaulter Hannah Scheible has settled in quickly in her role as a vault specialist with the Sooners.

She’s coming off a career-best 9.95 at Denver and has scored a 9.9 or better in each meet this season.

“She’s been money on vault,” Kindler said. “She’s shown real consistency in that event. She’s very explosive. She’s very aware. She’s going to vault well all the time because of those two things, so it’s just going to be in the tiny little details.”

Scheible’s role has a chance to grow beyond the vault as the season goes on.

“She’s chipping away at the other events trying to get her foot in the door there and she’s really close,” Kindler said.

Health creating more competition for OU men

Last season, OU’s men’s team struggled to put their best lineup forward as they battled injuries throughout the season.

That hasn’t been the case so far this season, as the Sooners lead the nation in three events to earn the top spot.

“When you’re healthy, you’re able to push a little bit more without the fear of losing more guys,” Sooners coach Mark Williams said. “We got to a place last year where it was very difficult to do our usual schedule. We had to make sure we had enough bodies just to get to the beat.”

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Looking for a bit of revenge at Illinois

Last season, OU beat Illinois in an early season matchup at McCasland Field House before finishing behind the Illini to finish fourth in the NCAA Finals.

Stanford won the title while Michigan finished second.

The finish was the Sooners’ lowest since 2000.

“Definitely gave us an extra drive,” OU’s Jack Freeman said. “We’ve been in the top two the past however many years, but to have a complete restart and end up fourth, that was our new drive for this year was to make sure that never happens and find a way to get back to the OU standard.

“Obviously the OU standard’s national championships.”

Williams said the difference was palpable in last weekend’s victory.

“I think they’re offended that we were ranked fourth in the preseason poll,” Williams said. “Being fourth one time in the last 25 years or whatever it’s been isn’t good enough so we have some work to do to prove people wrong.”

Fifth-year senior Jack Freeman narrows focus

After competing in the all-around prior to this season, Freeman is focusing on high bar and the floor exercise this season.

“Knowing that every day coming into the gym, coming into meets that it is my job to just hit those two events as best as I can, score a 14 on both events is my job and it’s awesome to start the first two meets off sort of hitting it,” Freeman said.

Freeman said the narrower focus has allowed him to have a bigger voice as a leader.

“It’s helped me pay attention to other people as well,” Freeman said.

Williams said he’s noticed a change in Freeman as a leader.

“He’s found his way to have a voice in the group huddle with the guys who need it,” Williams said. “He doesn’t want to let them down. He doesn’t want to have anybody else let the team down as well.

“I really saw there was a spark there that we haven’t had from Jack and the team in general. It just came together.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU gymnastics: What to know about Oklahoma Sooners' top-ranked teams