Sooner Gymnasts Compete in Red-White Intrasquad

Dec. 6, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - The Sooner men kicked off their 2001 season with an annual "Red-White" intrasquad December 3 at Sam Vierson Gymnastics Center on the Oklahoma campus.

In front of a crowd of more than 100 fans, including Olympic gold medallists Bart Conner (USA, 1984) and Rustam Sharipov (USSR/Ukraine, 1992 & 1996), the "White" squad, led by senior Gabe Hansen, defeated the "Red" team, 157.3 to 154.2. (Five gymnasts competed on each event, with the top three scores counting towards the team totals.)

The event, which was held jointly with the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team, was prefaced by a special "gymnastics chorus," made up of OU's eight freshman gymnasts, singing the Star Spangled Banner.

New rules adopted for the 2001 season -- designed to put the US men's college program on par with the international, Olympic division of the sport -- mean lower scores across the board for men's gymnastics (the 2001 "base" score the benchmark where all routines begin -- will be five tenths lower than last season). In addition, many popular skills have been "devalued" in the new rulebook, known as gymnastics' "Code of Points," and specific event requirements have changed dramatically.

Taking into account the sweeping changes in the sport, the "Red-White" meet was a true test of the Sooners' season readiness. Head coach Mark Williams was encouraged by his team's grasp of the new rules, but warns fans to expect lower than usual scores for the upcoming season. "With the new requirements, any score in the 9.0s will mean a very good routine" Williams said. "Scoring in the mid to high eight's is a pretty reasonable score for this time of year."

Williams was proud of how his team, which finished fourth in the nation last year and won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship, has adjusted to the new rules. "We've had to increase our difficulty on every event," he said. "I was pleased with most of what I saw (at the intrasquad). I felt like the team was rising to the challenge put forth to them by the Code. Considering the time of year, seven weeks before our first meet, I saw some good things and I saw some things we need to work on, but overall I'm pleased with where the team is at this point in the year."

Sophomore Daniel Furney, who underwent knee surgery in August, turned in the day's top routine with his parallel bars performance (two double backs between the bars, stuck pike double dismount), which earned him a 9.2 an outstanding mark considering the new rules.

The best all-around performance was contributed by freshman Jock Stevens, a former U.S. national team member, who notched fantastic efforts on floor (1-1/2, layout front, double front), vault (handspring double front) and rings (triple back dismount).

Also providing highlights were: freshman David Iammatteo (full-twisting double layout floor mount, double layout dismount), freshman Heath Mueller (Kovacs on high bar), junior Everette Bierker (layout Jaeger on high bar), junior David Johnston (triple back off rings), senior Steve Van Etten (9.0 on pommel horse) and senior Gabe Hansen (strong high bar layout Kovacs, tucked Kovacs and p-bars efforts).

"We've still got a lot of work to do before the real meet season begins but I think we're on the track," Williams said. "We have enough time between now and January 21 to make some needed improvements and come out strong at the Rocky Mountain Open."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Gymnasts Compete in Red-White Intrasquad

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