No. 1 OU Tops No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Cal

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In Saturday night action the No. 1 Oklahoma men's gymnastics team posted a season-high 216.55 to defeat No. 2 Ohio State (215.9) and No. 7 California (210.7) in Columbus, Ohio. In what has become a yearly battle between two of the nation's heavyweights in men's gymnastics, the Sooners topped the Buckeyes for the eighth consecutive time.

Oklahoma defeated the Buckeyes and Golden Bears on the floor exercise (36.45), still rings (38.0) and high bar (36.9). The Sooners are the top-ranked team in the nation on all three events.

“It was a very exciting competition pitting No. 1 vs. No. 2,” said OU head coach Mark Williams. “I'm really proud of our effort tonight. We put together a solid performance and our final score capped an impressive night. We are where we need to be and I look forward to the remainder of the season.”

Results | 2006 Championships in Norman

Individually, the Sooners were led by Jonathan Horton who finished first on the still rings with a career-high 9.85 and tied OSU's Willie Ito for first on the high bar with a 9.6. Horton also finished second on the floor exercise with a 9.4.

Jamie Henderson took first on the pommel horse with a 9.15 and second on the still rings with a 9.65. On the vault, Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons finished second with a 9.4. Russell Czeschin also took third on both the floor exercise (9.2) and vault (9.35).

The two teams met twice last year. The first meeting in Norman, Okla., saw then-No. 3 Oklahoma take down then-No. 1 Ohio State 222.825-222.675. The second meeting came at the NCAA Championships in West Point, N.Y., where OU claimed its sixth national title by topping OSU 225.675-225.450.

No. 1 Oklahoma returns to action next Saturday, Feb. 25, when it travels to Oakland, Calif., to compete in the Pacific Coast Classic. The event, which is hosted by USA Sports Management in partnership with the Oakland Marriott City Center, will feature seven NCAA teams: Oklahoma, Iowa, Michigan, Stanford, Cal, Minnesota and William & Mary.

No. 1 OU Tops No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Cal

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No. 1 OU Tops No. 2 Ohio State, No. 7 Cal

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