Sooners Advance to Winter Cup Final

NORMAN, Okla. Three Oklahoma gymnasts moved on to Saturday's all-around and event finals at the 2007 Winter Cup in Las Vegas, Nev. Juniors Jonathan Horton and Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons and former OU gymnast Jamie Henderson all advanced based on their performances in Thursday morning's preliminary session.

A field of over 80 of the top gymnasts in the United States competed for 36 spots in Saturday's action. Based on the weekend's performances, seven gymnasts will be added to the U.S. Men's Senior National Team.

Abdullah-Simmons finished sixth in the Session One all-around standings with an 83.8 total. The Philadelphia, Pa., native posted scores of 13.1 on floor, 13.15 on pommel horse, 14.05 on rings, 14.9 on vault, 14.75 on p-bars and 13.85 on high bar.

Session One Results | Live Web Cast | USA Gymnastics

Horton, whose spot on the National Team is secure due to his appointment to the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team, competed in only four events Thursday morning. The 2006 Winter Cup all-around runner-up scored a 14.8 on vault, 13.85 on pommel horse, 15.05 on p-bars and 14.9 on the high bar. Horton finished in the top 10 in Session One on all four events, including fourth place on vault, a tie for third on high bar and third place outright on the parallel bars.

Henderson, whose collegiate eligibility expired after last season, stand right behind Abdullah-Simmons in the all-around standings with an 83.550 total. A Nissen Emery Award finalist for the Sooners' 2006 NCAA title squad, Henderson also took fourth place on the pommel horse in Session One with a 14.4.

Saturday's competition features an all-around format, with medalists determined in both the all-around and individual events. Fans can watch the action live via a link on the USA Gymnastics Web site, usa-gymnastics.org. U.S. Olympians Steve McCain (2000) and Mihai Bagiu (1996) will serve as commentators. The meet is scheduled for a 9:15 p.m. (CST) start from Las Vegas.

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