Completed Event: Men's Gymnastics versus Ohio State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 322.825, to, 320.294
Final
Men's Gymnastics
322.825
vs Ohio State
320.294
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Seek Sixth Straight MPSF Title
March 17, 2004 | Men's Gymnastics
MPSF Championships
March 19-20, 2004
Palo Alto, Calif.
Burnham Pavilion
Teams:
No. 2 OKLAHOMA
No. 8 Nebraska
No. 9 Stanford
No. 16 Air Force
Preview
The No. 2 Sooners travel to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship hosted by Stanford on March 19-20.
Friday will be the MPSF team finals and then the top eight in each event qualify for the individual event finals the next day. Friday's meet will start at 7 p.m. (PT) and Saturday's individual finals will start at 7 p.m. (PT).
The Sooners have won the past five MPSF titles, including four under head coach Mark Williams. In last year's conference meet, OU set what was then the NCAA team scoring record of 223.500. Behind OU was California (216.025), Stanford (215.250), Nebraska (214.125) and Air Force (197.600).
In last year's event finals, seniors Daniel Furney (AA) and Josh Landis (pommel horse) won conference titles. Jock Stevens is the only 2004 Sooner that has won a MPSF individual conference title. In 2003, Stevens won the vault and in 2002 he took home honors on the floor exercise. Overall, the Sooners have 89 individual conference champions in school history and 13 team titles.
"This week has kind of presented us with a tight timeline," said Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams. "We just competed at Nebraska last Friday and now have to compete in the conference meet the following Friday. Normally we have a week off to prepare, so now our preparation will be a little different than usual. Most importantly, we just have to maintain our consistency and put together the routines and scores that we have been doing in practice. The conference score is important in that it counts for 40 percent of next week's rankings. So Friday will be a good day for us to control our destiny in where we are seeded for the NCAA Qualfiers."
After the MPSF meet, the Sooners will have two weeks off to prepare to defend their national title in Champaign, Illinois on April 2, 3 and 4.
Complete Release | 2004 Statistics
Top 15
The Oklahoma men's gymnastics team remained in the No. 2 spot for the fourth consecutitive week, after defeating No. 8 Nebraska and No. 16 Air Force. For the first two weeks in March, rankings are based on a three score average (select highest four scores, counting no more than two home scores, eliminating the best of the four and averaging the remaining three).
The Sooner individuals this week hold down twenty top 20 spots in their respective events, including Josh Gore (3rd-parallel bars) and Quinn Rowell (3rd-high bar). Below is the rest of the Sooners in the top 10:
| Sooner | Event | National Rank | Average |
| Jock Stevens | Floor Exercise | 3 | 9.583 |
| Heath Mueller | Floor Exercise | 10 | 9.275 |
| Heath Mueller | Parallel Bars | 7 | 9.083 |
| Heath Mueller | All-Around | 9 | 53.400 |
| Josh Gore | Pommel Horse | 8 | 9.408 |
| Jamie Henderson | High Bar | 6 | 9.592 |
| Jamie Henderson | Still Rings | 8 | 9.567 |
| David Henderson | All-Around | 10 | 53.375 |
| David Henderson | Still Rings | 9 | 9.508 |
| David Henderson | Vault | 9 | 9.400 |
| Brian Trause | Parallel Bars | 5 | 9.133 |
Last Time Out (at Nebraska - 3/12/04)The University of Oklahoma mens gymnastics ended the regular season with two wins over conference foes, Nebraska and Air Force. The Sooners posted a 219.200 to edge out No. 8 Nebraska (218.525) and No. 16 Air Force (203.125) on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
It was the No. 2 Sooners 51st and 52nd victories in a row and they ended the regular season undefeated with a 14-0 mark.
A week after setting a school record 37.700 on the vault, the Sooners once again performed strong on the event with a 37.750 paced by senior Jock Stevens (9.600) and junior David Henderson's 9.550.
Stevens and Henderson finished second and third respectively on the apparatus and Stevens took first on the floor exercise with a 9.675.
Junior Josh Gore also finished ahead of the rest of the competition on the pommel horse recording a 9.500 and won his second title of the night with a career-high 9.400 on the parallel bars.
Despite the school record on vault, Nebraska still outpaced OU on the apparatus with a 37.925 and also outscored them on the rings 37.000-35.975.
The Sooners topped the rest of the competition in the remaining events: floor 36.750, pommel horse 36.650, parallel bars 35.875 and high bar 36.200.
Making A Case For No. 1
The two-time defending National Champions have had to prove themselves this year after losing the nation's top gymnast last season, Daniel Furney, and individual national champion Josh Landis. OU has been ranked as low as No. 6 this season and even after disposing of their second No. 1 ranked opponent, Illinois on March 6, the Sooners remain ranked No. 2. They also started off the season at the No. 2 spot.
At the time of competition, the Sooners have defeated eight teams ranked in the top 10: No. 5 Iowa, No. 2 California, No. 1 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Nebraska (three times), No. 9 Minnesota, No. 10 Stanford and No. 1 Illinois.
"This team has blown away all my expectations and have proven that they are as good as anyone in the country," said Williams after OU's defeat of Illinois on March 6.
52 Straight!
OU extended its winning streak to 52 straight with its victories over No. 8 Nebraska and No. 16 Air Force. On Feb. 21 against Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska, the Sooners broke the school record for most consecutive wins by an athletic program. The school record for consecutive victories was held by the football team, which won 47 straight from 1953-1957. The gymnasts streak includes 31 on the road, where the Sooners last lost at Stanford on March 9, 2002. Before that, the Sooners rattled off 31 straight victories at home. The last time an OU team lost in Norman was Jan. 28, 2000, against Ohio State.
“I still feel like in football it is different because you can only get one victory at a time and it is over a four year span,” said Williams about the streak. “It is a little like comparing apples and oranges because unlike gymnastics, football can not defeat three teams in one day. We have certainly had the opportunity where we could have let down and not put together this string of wins. It is great to be a part of history"
Senior Quinn Rowell of the Oklahoma men's gymnastics team was named a finalist for the Nissen Emery Award on Monday. The San Antonio, Texas native is co-captain of the No. 2 Sooners (14-0) who earlier this season broke the NCAA team scoring record by posting a 225.200 over current No. 1 Illinois on March 6 in Norman.
Considered the Heisman Trophy of gymnastics, the Nissen Emery Award, founded by trampoline inventor George Nissen, has been handed out to the nation's top senior collegiate gymnast annually since 1966. Since the award's inception, Oklahoma has claimed a nation high five Nissen honorees: Bart Conner (1981), Jarrod Hanks (1991), Dan Fink (1998), Todd Bishop (1999) and Daniel Furney (2003). The Sooners are the only program to produce back-to-back winners when Dan Fink and Todd Bishop did it in 1998-1999.
“The Nissen Award is the most prestigious honor in men's gymnastics,” said Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams. “It is an award in which we are honored to have Quinn be a finalist for. Quinn brings the whole package to the table in not only has he been successful in the gym, but he is also an excellent leader and a great student. He truly embodies what this award is all about.”
Besides the overall team score, Rowell has been a part of two other school records this season. On Feb. 13 in Columbus, Ohio, Rowell broke the old high bar mark of 9.700 set by Furney, with a 9.850 against then-No. 1 Ohio State. In that competition, OU also broke, at the time, the team high bar record with a 38.250. That record lasted till March 6 when Rowell posted a 9.675 to help the Sooners tally a 38.275.
Rowell has placed first on the high bar in his last three competitions and also competes on the parallel bars. His season-high on the p-bars also came against Ohio State, a 9.050 that established a career-best.
The senior was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 18 after the Sooners defeated Ohio State. In 2002, Rowell earned All-America honors on the high bar and has competed at OU through numerous injuries and surgeries.
Rowell's Bio | 2004 Statistics
The other finalists for the Nissen Emery Award include Jeff Anderson, Air Force; David Eaton, California; Dan Gill, Stanford; Jamie Houle, Ohio State; Jamie Northrup, William & Mary; Bob Rogers, Illinois and Kevin Tan, Penn State.
“You have to look at all the finalists and recognize what a great group of athletes they are,” said Williams. “Quinn is honored to be a part of this field and he definitely deserves any recognition that comes his way.”
The winner will be announced at a formal banquet Thursday night (April 1) before the NCAA Championships get underway in Champaign, Illinois.
Oklahoma Head Coach Mark Williams
One of the most respected gymnastics authorities in the nation, Mark Williams has coached at every level of the sport, from beginners to Olympians. Williams was named head coach of the program in 2000 and produced immediate results. With the 2003 and 2002 squads claiming national championships, he now has the program positioned as a legitimate national contender every year.
Williams has done a lot of winning during his stint as head coach, producing five conference titles, in addition to being named “Coach of the Year” by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation four times and NCAA National Coach of the Year twice. In 2003, the Sooners went 26-0 winning the NCAA National Championship in Philadelphia, Pa. Williams was named NCAA Coach of the Year and became the first coach in NCAA history to win two national titles in his first four years as head coach. Williams reached the 90-win plateau (93-7 career) faster than any other coach in NCAA history and owns the highest winning percentage of any active NCAA coach at 93 percent. Wiliams' squad will enter the 2004 season with winning streaks of 38 overal over opponents, 24 on the road and 26 at home.
Wiliams owns the NCAA record for wins (93) and winning percentage (.930) in a coach's first four seasons. In his 23 years as a professional gymnastics coach, Williams has guided gymnasts to World Championship, Pan American Games and University Games teams.
Mark Williams' Record at Oklahoma
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Records Are Meant To Be Broken
The Sooners bested four school marks in their NCAA record breaking peformance of 225.200 on March 6. The first and most impressive was the team score that shattered their old NCAA record of 223.500 set at the MPSF Championships last season. In addition, OU topped the program's previous highs on the floor exercise, vault and high bar. Since then, the vault record was broken at Nebraska. All the team records broken this season along with the previous marks and the dates recorded are listed below:
| New Record (Date) | Old Record (Date) | |
| Team Score | 225.200 (3/6/04) | 223.500 (3/28/03) |
| Floor Exercise | 37.500 (3/6/04) | 37.350 (3/28/03) |
| Vault | 37.750 (3/12/04) | 37.400 (2/1/03) |
| High Bar | 38.275 (3/6/04) | 38.250 (2/13/04) |
NCAA Record
Since the new scoring system's inception in 2001 in college gymnastics (Federation de Internationale Gymnastics Code Scoring System), OU has dominated the top team scores around the nation. Last season the Sooners set the record on two occasions and have done it once so far this season with a 225.200 on March 6 versus Illinois. They currently own the top four tallies and 11 of the top 25 scores. On March 7, 2003, at home against Stanford and Ohio State, OU topped their old mark of 220.650 with a 222.500. That record would only last till the end of the month, when at the MPSF Championships the team recorded a 223.500. Penn State, Ohio State, California, Michigan and Illinois are the only other members in the top 25. OU has posted three top 25 scores this season; (Feb. 13 - 219.600 , Feb. 21 - 221.475 & March 6 - 225.200).
Parallel Bars, High Bar and Floor Ranks No. 1 In The Nation
For the fifth consecutive week, Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the nation on the parallel bars with a scoring average of 36.367. The Sooners feature three individuals ranked in the top 20 on the apparatus. Junior Josh Gore is the highest ranked invidual for Oklahoma. He is averaging a 9.358 on the parallel bars and is ranked No. 3 in the nation. Senior Brian Trause is also ranked (9.133-5th) along with senior Heath Mueller (9.083-7th).
For the third straight week, the Sooners' high bar team is also the nation's best, averaging 37.700. Senior Quinn Rowell is the highest ranked Sooner on the apparatus with a 9.633 avareage that ranks him at No. 3. Jamie Henderson is No. 6 with a 9.592 average and is followed by Heath Mueller (9.300-15th).
The floor exercise is also ranked No. 1 this week for the first time this season, the Sooners are averaging 36.098 and again have three individuals ranked in the top 20. First off is Jock Stevens, the school's record holder on the event (9.725), he is averaging 9.583 this season and is ranked No. 3. He is followed by Heath Mueller (9.275-10th) and David Iammatteo (9.217-14th).
Senior Home Finale
The Sooners defeat of then-No. 1 Illinois was special for three OU seniors as they concluded their collegiate careers in Norman. Jock Stevens etched his name into the Sooner record books with a 9.725 on the floor exercise and now owns two school records, the other being his 9.700 on the vault. Quinn Rowell won first place on the high bar for the second consecutive week with his second highest high bar score (9.675) in his career. Heath Mueller also recorded a couple new career highs, with a 9.35 on the floor exercise and a 55.175 in the all-around, both good for second place.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2004 Men's Gymnastics NCAA Championships will be held in Champaign, Illinois this year hosted by the University of Illinois in Assembly Hall. The event will feature four sessions held on April 2, 3 and 4. For additional information click the following link: 2004 NCAAs.
SCHEDULE
| Date | Session | Time |
| April 2 | I National Qualifier | 1 p.m. |
| II National Qualifier | 7 p.m | |
| April 3 | III Team, AA Finals & Individual Event Qualifying | 7 p.m. |
| April 4 | IV Individual Event Finals | 2 p.m. |
More School Records
On top of breaking five school team records this season, some individual Sooners have also fared well in making school history. Senior Jock Stevens set a school mark on the floor exercise when he finished in first place on the vault with a 9.725 against Illinois. Stevens bested the previous score of 9.700 held by Brendan O'Neil.
Senior Quinn Rowell is the other Sooner this season to set a school mark when he scored a 9.850 on the high bar against then-No. 1 Ohio State. Rowell's score topped the old mark by a point and a half, held by Daniel Furney (9.700).
Undefeated Regular Season
For the second consecutive season, the Oklahoma Sooners finished the regular season without a loss, going 14-0 in 2004. Last season during their second straight NCAA Championship, the Sooners were 12-0 in the regular season and finished 26-0.
How 2004's Sooners Shape Up
Entering the postseason, this year's Sooners are averaging a higher score then the past two national championship teams and are ranked higher than the 2002 title team. Below is look at how this year's Sooners compare to the past two OU seasons at this point in the season.
| Date | Average | Rank |
| March 16, 2004 | 220.342 | 2 |
| March 17, 2003 | 219.837 | 1 |
| March 18, 2002 | 215.150 | 3 |
Sooners Named NCAAsports.com Team of the Week
The Oklahoma men's gymnastics team was named this week's NCAAsports.com Team Spotlight of the Week. The men are coming off back-to-back victories at the Rocky Mountain Open (Jan. 16-17) and over the Air Force Academy in Norman on Jan. 23.
In their victory over Air Force, the Sooners scored a season-high 217.650 and junior David Henderson won the all-around with a career-high 54.125. Henderson was also tops on parallel bars, pommel horse and still rings. Overall, 13 different career-highs were tied or broken when the defending national champions defeated Air Force. Among some of those individuals to score well were OU's senior co-captains Heath Mueller and Quinn Rowell. Mueller, fresh off winning the all-around at the Rocky Mountain Open, recorded career highs on the floor exercise (9.300) and still rings (8.75). Rowell, a 2002 All-American on high bar, set a new mark in that event with a 9.525 score that earned him a tie for first place on the apparatus with Henderson.
Williams Reaches 100
Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams earned his 100th career win at OU after defeating Ohio State and California on Feb. 21 and he currently holds a record of 107-7, in his fifth season. Williams is the fastest coach in the NCAA to reach the 100-win plateau in the sport. Williams only trails Greg Buwick (224) in wins at the school and Buwick earned his 100th victory near the end of his 10th season at OU. Buwick compiled a 224-74-1 in 16 seasons at OU before giving the reigns over to Williams.
Sooners Sign Three For 2005
The Sooners' incoming class for next season includes Taqiy Abdullah, Joseph Weaver and Jonathan Horton. All three rank amongst the best gymnasts coming out of high school and Horton is regarded as No. 1 prospect.
"This may be the best class I have recruited in my tenure here at OU. And only time will tell if these three guys can equal up to what last year's seniors (Daniel Furney, Josh Landis and Shannon Carrion) accomplished in their OU careers.”
How The Rankings Work
Gymnastics in the NCAA undegoes a complex system of averages that differs from how any other collegiate sport is ranked. All rankings are based on your scoring average and the way the scores are averaged changes on three occasions during the scheduled season. A brief explanation of this process is listed below:
1) January 19th to February 23rd, 2004 - (Ranking by Total Season Average)
This is the simplest of the three, where you simply use the average of all meets scored.
2) March 1st to March 15th, 2004 - (Ranking by Three Score Average
In this system, you select the highest four scores and only two home meets can be counted. Then the top score is eliminated and the remaining three are averaged.
3) March 22nd 2004 - (Ranking by National Qualifying Average {NQA})
The NQA is computed by selecting the four highest regular-season scores, again counting no more than two home meets, and the highest of these scores will be dropped. The conference meet score will be used twice and added to the three remaining regular-season scores. The average of these five scores will be the national qualifying average.” (The conference score will count 40% and the regular season scores will count 60%). For an individual, his score in the conference event finals can replace a regular season score.
MGYM Highlights: NCAA Qualifier
Friday, April 17
MGYM Highlights: MPSF Championship
Saturday, April 04
MGYM Highlights: OU 325.250, California 315.100
Saturday, March 21
Problem Solvers: Beyond The Game - Ignacio Yockers
Wednesday, March 18
