Sooners Head To MPSF Championships

March 14, 2000

Sooner Women Head to the Big 12 Tournament...
The University of Oklahoma women's gymnastics team, ranked 11th nationally, will travel to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the Big 12 Tournament. Competition is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Scouting the Big 12 Standings...
The Sooners enter the Big 12 Tournament with a No. 3 ranking behind Nebraska and Iowa State. According to the March 7th poll, Nebraska dominates its Big 12 foes with a team average score 196.800 on the season, while the Sooners follow Iowa State (194.675) with a score 194.642. With an average team score of 49.475, Oklahoma leads the conference on the uneven parallel bars with Nebraska trailing with an average of 48.910 on the season.

Looking Back at the 1999 Big 12 Championships...
The Sooners, who scored a 194.950, earned a third-place spot at the Big 12 Championships, March 27, 1999, behind Nebraska (196.750) and Iowa State (195.650). Missouri finished fourth with a 194.550.

OU's Amber McCracken tied for third in the all-around (39.225) and captured the uneven parallel bars title with a 9.875. She placed fourth on the vault and sixth on the floorwith twin scores of 9.850. Teammate Ginger Russell placed second on the floor and fourth on the balance beam with score of 9.900. Both McCracken and Russell were named to the all-conference team.

Sooner Men to Compete in MPSF Championships...
The second-ranked OU men's gymnastics team will travel to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federatation Championships this Friday and Saturday, March 17-18, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Sooners are the highest ranked team in the MPSF and bring an NCAA average of 229.062 into the meet. Three other MPSF teams are also ranked in the top ten, California (226.762), Nebraska (223.812) and Brigham Young (223.712). Air Force, Stanford and California-Santa Barbara will also compete in the championships.

Several OU gymnasts are ranked in the top 20 nationally, including junior Brendan O'Neil, who is ranked first on the floor exercise with a 9.912 average.

A Look Back at the Sooners...

Women's Gymnastics
The Ohio State women's gymnastics team posted a 195.35-195.225 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday. The loss moved the Sooners to 11-2 and pushed OSU to 9-8.

Oklahoma led throughout the entire meet, and the outcome of OSU's fate was in question until the final competitors. Lindsey Vagedes, one of the Buckeyes to win an event, tied a school-record with a 9.95 on the floor exercise, while Oklahoma's Leticia Ishii fell off the beam, scoring a 9.35.

OU senior Amber McCracken finished in the top five of each event for the Sooners, leading to a first-place finish in the all-around with a score of 39.350.

McCracken tyed OSU's Mary Beth Doerr on the uneven bars with a 9.90 for the event crown. Buckeye Jill Tucker also tyed McCracken, scoring a 9.90 on the vault. The win gave McCracken her eighth beam title of the season.

Men's Gymnastics

The University of Oklahoma third-ranked men's gymnastics team defeated Arizona State (212.650), but fell to Penn State, 230.350-230.100. OU has broken the 230 point barrier for the second time in as many weeks after not scoring above 230 since the 1997 season. Junior Brendan O'Neil tied the school floor exercise record with a 9.95. The record was broken last week by teammate Shannon Carrion.

The Sooners claimed individual event championships in four events. O'Neil claimed first with his record-breaking performance on the floor exercise and junior Steve Van Etten tied for first on the pommel horse with a 9.75. Freshman Daniel Furney earned a share of the title on the vault, 9.75, and won the horizontal bar, 9.90. Both scores were career highs. Furney also finsished second in the all-around with a career-high 57.50. Sooner National Rankings...

National collegiate gymnastics rankings will be featured for both team and individuals Tuesday afternoons (men) and by 9 p.m. (women) Tuesday evenings. Results can be found at www.troester.com.

Oklahoma Men's Gymnastics National Team Rankings

Floor Exercise	Pommel Horse	Still Rings	Team
Michigan- 38.712	Oklahoma- 38.700	Michigan- 39.162	1. Michigan- 230.837
Oklahoma- 38.575	Michigan- 38.650	Stanford- 38.375	2. Oklahoma- 229.062
Illinois- 38.362	Iowa- 38.625	Penn State- 38.287	3. Penn State- 228.825
Ohio State- 38.350	Minnesota- 38.625	Ohio State- 38.275	4. Ohio State- 228.300
California- 38.275	Penn State- 38.412	Illinois- 38.262	5. Michigan State- 227.925
		(7) Oklahoma- 37.700

Vault	Parallel Bars	Horizontal Bar
Michigan- 38.587	Michigan- 38.787	Oklahoma- 38.600
Ohio State- 38.537	Ohio State- 38.262	Ohio State- 38.425
Michigan State- 38.275	Michigan State- 37.850	Iowa- 38.300
Temple- 38.150	Oklahoma- 37.775	Michigan- 38.237
Illinois- 38.062	California- 37.725	Penn State- 38.050
(9) Oklahoma- 37.950

(National Rankings as of March 13, 2000)

Individual Career Highs

Name	FX	PH	SR	V	PB	HB	AA
Everette Bierker	9.10	8.30	7.90	9.15	9.725	9.55	50.75
Shannon Carrion	9.95	---	9.65	9.45	---	9.85	---
Brett Covey	---	---	9.00	---	---	9.80	---
Daniel Furney	9.85	9.825	9.70	9.575	9.60	9.80	57.45
Gabe Hansen	9.70	9.85	9.55	9.70	9.65	9.70	56.95
Ryan Hillyer	9.15	---	---	---	9.60	8.85	---
David Johnston	9.30	8.95	9.90	9.35	8.80	9.75	52.75
Josh Landis	9.90	9.80	---	9.25	9.25	9.35	---
Jim Lovelady	---	---	9.15	---	---	---	---
Huy Ly	9.65	9.775	8.70	9.575	9.575	9.50	55.325
Brendan O'Neil	9.95	9.50	9.00	9.625	9.70	8.55	54.60
John Payton	9.15	---	9.55	9.35	---	8.90	---
Robby Rome	9.60	---	8.75	9.40	9.575	9.825	---
Steve Van Etten	9.85	9.80	9.10	9.65	9.60	9.85	56.60
Ed Wentzheimer	---	---	9.60	---	9.15	9.30	---

Sooners Ranked in the Nation's Top 20

Name	FX	PH	SR	V	PB	HB	AA
Everette Bierker	---	---	---	---	10th- 9.662	---	---
Shannon Carrion	---	---	---	---	---	8th- 9.700	---
Daniel Furney	20th- 9.600	13th- 9.700	---	---	---	8th- 9.700	12th- 56.562
David Johnston	---	---	8th- 9.775	---	---	---	---
Josh Landis	---	10th- 9.775	---	---	---	---	---
Brendan O'Neil	1st- 9.912	---	---	---	---	---	---
Robby Rome	---	---	---	---	---	14th- 9.650	---
Steve Van Etten	---	13th- 9.700	---	---	---	---	---

(National Rankings as of March 13, 2000)

Men's Schedule/Results

Date	Event	Time/Result
21-22	at Rocky Mountain Open	222.875 (2nd/6)
28	Ohio State	228.025 (L)
February
4	Nebraska	227.750 (W)
18	Air Force	226.375 (W)
27	at Nebraska	226.375 (W)
March
4	at UCSB/ Michigan	231.250 (2nd/3)
10	at Southwest Cup	230.350 (2nd/3)
17-18	at MPSF
	Championships	7 p.m.
30-31	at NCAA Qualifier	1 p.m./7 p.m.
April
1	at NCAA Individual
	Championships	7 p.m.

All times local

Oklahoma Women's Gymnastics National Team Rankings (Season Averages)

Balance Beam	Vault	Floor Exercise	Uneven Bars	Team
Michigan- 48.925	Michigan- 49.167	Georgia- 49.227	Alabama- 49.252	Michigan- 196.497
Alabama- 48.930	UCLA- 49.225	Michigan- 49.257	Utah- 49.208	UCLA- 196.242
UCLA- 48.592	Georgia- 49.207	UCLA- 49.335	Michigan- 49.147	Georgia- 196.370
Nebraska- 48.737	Nebraska- 49.000	Alabama- 49.160	UCLA- 49.090	Alabama- 196.172
Georgia- 48.872	West Virgina- 48.847	Florida- 49.064	Georgia- 49.062	Nebraska- 195.592
(15) Oklahoma- 48.356	(9) Oklahoma- 48.808	(22) Oklahoma- 48.772	(6) Oklahoma- 48.706	(11)Oklahoma- 194.642

(National Rankings as of March 7, 2000)

Sooners Ranked in the Nation's Top 25

Name	FX	BB	V	UB	AA
Amber McCracken	________	________	8th- 9.881	________	14th- 39.150
Leticia Ishii	________	________	________	________	12th- 39.114
Ginger Russell	________	21st- 9.714	________	________	________

(National Rankings as of March 7, 2000)

Individual Career Highs

Name	V	UB	BB	FX	AA
Patricia Aoki	9.750	9.875	9.900	9.875	39.025
Malia Carr	9.825	9.825	9.875	9.900	39.100
Mariana Goncalves	9.875	9.925	9.900	9.900	39.250
Michelle Gonzaga	9.850	9.775	9.825	9.900	39.050
Leticia Ishii	9.900	9.925	9.925	9.900	39.650
Alison Mayberry	9.050	9.800	9.775	9.800	----
Amber McCracken	10.00	9.975	9.925	9.925	39.575
Leah Mueller	----	----	----	----	----
Ginger Russell	9.850	9.850	9.995	9.900	39.425
Shanna Sanders	----	9.950	9.675	----	----
Carley Smith	----	----	8.625	----	----
Tracey Stuart	9.650	----	----	9.850	----
Nicole Tycer	9.050	9.875	9.875	9.825	----

Women's Schedule/Results

Date	Event	Time/Result
16	at Texas Woman's	191.425 (W)
22	at Illinois-Chicago	193.300 (W)
28	Texas Woman's	194.800 (W)
February
4	Nebraska	194.100 (L)
12	at Texas Woman's/ LSU/UIC	195.800 (W)
18	Air Force	197.225 (W)
20	Iowa State/Centenary	196.500 (W)
26	at Missouri	195.000 (W)
March
6	at Southern Utah	193.625 (W)
11	at Ohio State	195.225 (L)
18	at Big 12 Championships	7 p.m.
April
1	NCAA Regional	7 p.m.
13-15	NCAA Championships	TBA

All times local

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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