Men's Gymnastics Uses NCAA Record For Fifth Straight Conference Championship

March 28, 2003

NORMAN, Okla.- The No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Oklahoma men's gymnastics team captured its fifth consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Championship with a NCAA record score of 223.500. The Sooners, who led the entire meet, cruised past California (216.025), Stanford (215.250), Nebraska (214.125) and Air Force (197.600), Friday night inside the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. OU qualified three individuals (the maximum per team) on each event for Saturday MPSF Event Finals which begin at 7 p.m. OU improved its record to 16-0 on the season and extended the nation's longest winning streak to 32.

"Tonight was awesome," said OU Head Coach Mark Williams. "I don't know what to say after hitting 95 percent of routines and breaking the NCAA scoring record. I am kind of in awe. I thought we had enough talent to compare with last season's team. Tonight, they demonstrated they are capable of winning another national title. Winning five straight league titles is special for this senior class. They have won the MPSF title all four years at OU. They have set a standard for OU gymnastics, which has had a very prestigious history."

Senior Daniel Furney won the conference all-around title with a score of 55.025, while sophomore Heath Mueller finished fourth with a score of 53.500. Furney is the fifth Sooner in school history to win conference all-around honors and the first since Casey Bryan in 1996.

"I didn't expect to win after starting poorly on floor," said Furney. "I was able to come back with some momentum and finish strong. On the other hand, I know what I need to work on before NCAA Championships. More importantly, this was a great team meet and everyone put their best performance together. I am more proud of what we have accomplished as a team than my individual accolades."

Oklahoma competed in Olympic rotation order, thanks to being the highest ranked team in the competition, and began the meet with a school-record on floor (37.350). Sophomore Jock Stevens, who missed four of eight regular-season meets, posted a season-high 9.650 to lead the Sooners. Senior co-captain Josh Landis notched a career-high 9.55, while Michael Gehart put up a 9.100.

Landis, ranked No. 1 on pommel horse, led the Sooners with a 9.65 on the event. The score marked the fourth time this season Landis has posted a score above 9.600. Furney notched a 9.125, while Josh Gore and Jamie Henderson posted scores of 9.175 and 9.100, respectively. OU's team event score of 37.050 was its second highest of the season.

OU, which has been the top ranked still rings team all season, posted a school record of 38.700 on the event. OU dropped freshman Jamie Henderson's career-high of 9.600, thanks to a trio of 9.650's by seniors Brett Covey, Shannon Carrion and Furney and a meet-high of 9.750 by sophomore David Henderson.

OU dropped a low score of 9.200 on vault and finished one tenth away from another school record with a score of 37.300. David Henderson and Heath Mueller posted identical 9.350's, while Gehart and Furney both scored 9.300.

During the fifth rotation OU was on parallel bars where Furney led the Sooners with a 9.250, while Landis and Mueller garnered identical 8.950's. Oklahoma's team score of 36.000 is its third highest output of the season.

The Sooners closed the record breaking night on high bar, where Carrion and Furney collected 9.45 and 9.300, respectively. Senior co-captain Quinn Rowell set a season-high with a 9.200.

OU had the highest team score on all six of the individual events.

For more information on OU men's gymnastics, visit www.soonersports.com.

Meet Notes- OU has won the conference title six of the last eight years... between the Big Eight and MPSF, the mens' gymnastics program has won 13 conference titles... OU broke its own team scoring-record and now owns 10 of the top 17 scores of all-time... six of the those scores have come this season... five Sooners have won eight conference all-around titles... OU won four individual conference titles in 2002... in the program's history, OU has won has now won 87 conference titles... Furney is finalist for the top honor in men's gymnastics, the Nissen Emery Award... the OU school record on floor exercise was previously set at 37.150, while the previous mark on bars was 38.700... all totaled OU collected six individual career-highs.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Men's Gymnastics Uses NCAA Record For Fifth Straight Conference Championship

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