OU Men Seek Eighth MPSF Crown

NORMAN, Okla. The third-ranked Oklahoma men's gymnastics team (11-2) travels to Berkeley, Calif., March 31, for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship on the campus of the University of California-Berkeley.

The Sooners are aiming for a third straight MPSF crown and the program's eighth overall. Under head coach Mark Williams, Oklahoma has failed to claim the conference title only once, finishing runner-up to Cal in 2004.

This year's squad is primed for another title chase. Despite early season injuries and losses to then-No. 1 Michigan (Jan. 27) and then-No. 4 Ohio State (March 3), the Sooners' have proven they are still prime contenders.

OU has defeated all four MPSF foes this season, including two wins over No. 10 Nebraska and No. 16 Air Force. The Sooners also notched wins over eighth-ranked Cal and No. 4 Stanford en route to the team title at the Pacific Coast Classic on Feb. 24 in Oakland, Calif.

Live Scores | Notes | GymInfo Rankings

Oklahoma is led once again by junior co-captain Jonathan Horton, a three-time MPSF Gymnast of the Week and the reigning conference floor and rings champion. Horton's fellow co-captain, senior Brian Carr, is also expected to have a solid competition after tying for fourth on the pommel horse at last season's championship and finishing runner-up as a sophomore in 2004.

The Sooners also return 2006 MPSF high bar champion, sophomore Chris Brooks. Brooks posted a 9.525 at last season's meet. After injuring his shoulder earlier this season, Brooks competed on the event for the first time against Iowa in OU's regular season finale, scoring an 8.85.

No. 4 Stanford (11-2) will be led by junior David Sender, currently the nation's top all-around competitor. Sender won the vault at last year's MPSF Championships and was runner-up to Horton on floor, tying for second in the all-around.

Cal (6-5), ranked eighth in the March 26 poll, will feature junior Tim McNeill, the reigning MPSF all-around champion and winner of the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge. The Bears will serve as hosts for the 2007 conference championship.

The tenth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-9) boast the nation's No. 4 all-around competitor in senior Jason Wassung. Wassung captured his fifth all-around title of the season in the Huskers' March 17 win over Air Force in Lincoln.

Air Force (3-14) finished third at the 2007 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships in Williamsburg, Va., on March 25. Junior Greg Stine was the all-around national champion for the second time in his career. The Falcons finished third out of six teams at the event, sponsored by USA Gymnastics.

Live scores from Saturday's meet will be available at SoonerSports.com, as well as at CalBears.com.

COMING UP NEXT...
OU looks for its third straight national title at the 2007 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, April 12-14 in University Park, Pa. Penn State will serve as this year's host.

CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Under head coach Mark Williams the Sooners have ruled the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Since 2000, Williams' first season at the helm, Oklahoma has claimed six conference titles and lost only twice to conference rivals. Seven of the eight conference titles all-time belong to OU.

The Sooners finished as runner-up to Cal at the 2004 MPSF Championships, the only time that OU has not worn the conference crown.

SOONERS POST SEASON HIGH IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Oklahoma recorded its best team total of 2007 in its final home meet against No. 9 Iowa on March 17. OU's score of 220.500 marked the team's highest total since posting a 221.400 to win last season's NCAA title. The Sooners also tied for the second-highest team score in the NCAA this season. Only Michigan (221.600) has recorded a higher total.

NO HORSING AROUND
Oklahoma tied the school record on pommel horse at the Pacific Coast Classic with a 35.100 total. Three weeks later OU set a new standard with a 35.200 against Iowa on March 17 in Norman.

OU MAKES A STATEMENT AT PACIFIC COAST CLASSIC
Despite injuries and an early season loss to then-No. 1 Michigan, Oklahoma showed it still has the ability to win a third straight national title at the Pacific Coast Classic on Feb. 24. Facing a field that included five of the country's top eight teams, the Sooners posted a team score of 218.450 to win their second consecutive PCC crown.

CARR NAMED NISSEN EMERY FINALIST
Senior Brian Carr has been announced as one of eight finalists for the 2007 Nissen Emery Award, given annually to the top senior NCAA gymnast. Considered the Heisman Trophy of collegiate gymnastics, the Nissen Emery will be handed out at the 2007 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships in University Park, Pa.

Oklahoma gymnasts have won a nation-leading five Nissen Emery Awards. The last Sooner to claim the honor is current assistant coach Daniel Furney. Furney won the award in 2003.

Carr is a co-captain of the 2007 OU squad and earned All-America honors on pommel horse at the 2006 NCAA Championships.

SOONERS THIRD IN GYMINFO RANKINGS
Ranked first in the preseason coaches poll, Oklahoma stands third in the GymInfo rankings released on March 26, 2007. The following are the Sooners' national event rankings:

Vault - 1 - 35.867
High Bar - 1 - 36.683
Floor Exercise - 2 - 37.517
Parallel Bars - 3 - 36.183
Pommel Horse - 5 - 34.383
Still Rings - 5 - 37.150

LAUGHTON'S RECORD DAY
A week after establishing career highs on pommel horse and h-bar against Texas and Washington, sophomore Jason Laughton set new personal bests on two events and tied his career high on another at the Pacific Coast Classic. Laughton scored 9.25s on rings and h-bar to set career highs, while his 9.1 on p-bars tied his career best.

BACK-TO-BACK AMERICAN CUPS FOR HORTON
For the second consecutive year Oklahoma's Jonathan Horton is the Tyson American Cup Champion. Horton earned an all-around score of 92.75 to best runner-up Nakase Takuya of Japan's 92.15 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 3. Horton became the first male gymnast to win back-to-back Tyson American Cup titles since the USA's Blaine Wilson won three straight from 1997-99.

Horton also finished first on the floor exercise (15.9) and parallel bars (15.75), tied for second on rings (15.55), was third on high bar (15.35) and tied for fourth on the pommel horse (14.35).

SUPER SOPHS STEP UP
The Sooners' Feb. 16 meet against Texas and Washington allowed head coach Mark Williams to shuffle his lineup and hopefully add some depth. Sophomores Kyle McNamara and Jason Laughton took advantage of the opportunity with strong showings.

McNamara, from Littleton, Colo., set career highs on parallel bars (8.85) and high bar (9.15) in claiming both event titles. He finished in the top three on all four events in which he competed.

Laughton set career highs on the pommel horse (9.0) and high bar (8.9), finishing first and second, respectively, on the events. The Northridge, Calif., native also tied for fourth on p-bars and was fifth on rings with a pair of 8.5s.

C'MON, LET SOMEBODY ELSE HAVE A TURN
After claiming the all-around, rings and floor titles at the Pacific Coast Classic on Feb. 24, junior Jonathan Horton was named MPSF Gymnast of the Week for the third time in 2007. Four different Sooners have taken conference honors this year.

MPSF Gymnasts of the Week
Jan. 15 - Jacob Messina, Oklahoma
Jan. 22 - T.J. Schmidt, Nebraska
Jan. 29 - Jonathan Horton, Oklahoma
Feb. 5 - Jonathan Horton, Oklahoma
Feb. 12 - Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons, Oklahoma
Feb. 19 - Ian Jackson, Oklahoma
Feb. 26 - Jonathan Horton, Oklahoma
Feb. 26 - Jason Wassung, Nebraska
March 5 - Bryant Hadden, Stanford
March 5 - Greg Stine, Air Force
March 12 - David Sender, Stanford
March 19 - Stephen Tetrault, Nebraska
March 26 - Greg Stine, Air Force

STRONG SHOWING AT WINTER CUP CHALLENGE
Jonathan Horton and Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons joined former teammate Jamie Henderson in a field of over 80 gymnasts at the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas. The field was narrowed down to 42 after the preliminary round on Feb. 8, with all three Sooners advancing to the event and all-around title competition.

Abdullah-Simmons finished fifth in the all-around standings, claiming top-25 finishes on all six events. Horton, who did not compete in the all-around competition, finished as the runner-up on floor, tied for fourth on p-bars and was sixth on the high bar.

YO, ADRIAN!
Horton was sporting a new look upon his return from the Winter Cup competition. The reason? A broken nose suffered while performing an exhibition on high bar following the event finals. Fortunately for Horton, the doctors on hand were familiar with how to deal with the injury while working with boxers in Las Vegas. The medical staff was able to set the break quickly, and despite some swelling and black eyes, Horton was ready to compete against Washington and Texas on Feb. 16. “He thinks it makes him look pretty tough,” head coach Mark Williams said.

MEN LAND 10 ON BIG 12 COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Ten members of the Oklahoma men's gymnastics team earned spots on the Big 12 Commisioner's Honor Roll for the Fall 2006 term. Sophomore drama major Wes Aderhold was one of 39 OU student-athletes to earn a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

The other Sooner honorees were Chris Brooks, Brian Carr, Russell Czeschin, Corey English, C.J. Grimes, Jacob Messina, Reed Pitts and Joseph Weaver. Jamie Henderson, a studio arts major whose gymnastics eligibility expired after last season, was also on the list.

MESSINA NOMINATED FOR UNITED WAY VOLUNTEER AWARD
Although he may not be able to contribute to his team's success on the competition floor this year, junior Jacob Messina is certainly having an impact off the mat. The Matthews, N.C., native has been nominated for the United Way Volunteer of the Year Award by the students and staff at Cleveland Elementary School in Norman.

Messina and the rest of the OU team make weekly visits to the school to help tutor students and be positive role models. Messina and Jason Laughton even wrote and performed a song for students complete with lyrics and guitar accompaniment.

“In this world there are some kids who have a calling and a gift, and Jake has a passion for volunteering,” said Cleveland Elementary music teacher Regina Bell. “He's here every week even during the season when most of guys have college classes and workouts and don't have the time. Jake finds the time. Jake has put so much into our school and our students.”

MAKE MINE A DOUBLE
Jonathan Horton won back-to-back MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. Horton was a three-time GOW winner in 2006, as well as the conference's Gymnast of the Year.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING
Prior to Oklahoma's 221.600-218.000 defeat at No. 1 Michigan on Jan. 27, the Sooners' last loss came in the 2005 NCAA Qualifying session to No. 2 Illinois. Following that setback, OU began a streak of 37 straight wins that included two NCAA national championships.

FOR THE RECORD
Eight Oklahoma gymnasts either set or tied career highs during the Jan. 20 meet against Air Force and Nebraska. The Sooners also established a school record on the floor exercise with a 38.050. The previous OU floor record was 37.300 set at last season's MPSF Championships.

The following gymnasts had career days against the Huskers and Falcons:
Ian Jackson (8.65/FX, 9.0/V, 8.75/HB)
Jason Laughton (8.4/PH, 8.85/SR)
Russell Czeschin (9.5/FX)
Chris Brooks (9.65/FX)
Wes Aderhold (9.3/FX, 8.75/PB)
Joseph Weaver (8.85/SR)
Corey English (8.75/PB)
Garrett Carr (8.25/HB)

HORTON HEATS UP
After missing the Rocky Mountain Open while in Japan with the U.S. Senior National Team and being limited in OU's Jan. 20 home opener against Air Force and Nebraska while adjusting to the time change, Jonathan Horton showed why he's the reigning NCAA all-around champion against No. 1 Michigan on Jan. 27. Competing in the all-around for the first time in 2007, Horton claimed the all-around, floor, p-bars and vault titles against the Wolverines, earning MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors for Jan. 29.

MESSINA EARNS MPSF HONORS FOR JAN. 15
Junior Jacob Messina was named the conference's first Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 15 for his performance at the Rocky Mountain Open.

He won the all-around and rings titles and was second on the pommel horse and high bar in the event finals.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES
The Rocky Mountain Open represented both the high and low points of Jacob Messina's season.

The Matthews, N.C. native took the all-around title and advanced to the individual finals on three events (PH, SR, HB). He finished second on the pommel horse and high bar and claimed the still rings title with a 9.1.

On his dismount from the high bar, his final event of the night, Messina fell to the mat, clutching his right knee. Team doctors diagnosed the injury as a torn anterior cruciate ligament, effectively ending his season.

“Jacob was having a great competition, from winning the all-around and rings and finishing strong on the horse. He was looking better than he has ever looked.”

Messina's injury is the second notable loss for a Sooner squad looking for its third straight national title. Sophomore Reed Pitts, an All-American on floor and vault as a freshman, tore his Achilles tendon prior to the start of the season and was forced to redshirt.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHS
Seven Sooners set or tied career highs at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs.

Competing for the first time on parallel bars and high bar, sophomore Garrett Carr recorded scores of 8.4 and 8.25, respectively. Fellow sophomore Jason Laughton, in his first collegiate competition on the still rings, scored an 8.5.

Jacob Messina set a new personal mark on p-bars with an 8.9, while Wes Aderhold bested his previous floor exercise mark with a 9.1 in the team finals.

Sophomore Chris Brooks blew away his old career best of 8.85 on the p-bars with a 9.3 in the team finals.

SOONERS DEBUT AT NO. 1, AGAIN
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Oklahoma men's gymnastics team was ranked No. 1 in the GymInfo Preseason Coaches Poll.

The defending NCAA Champion Sooners received nine of a possible 14 first-place votes.

WILLIAMS NAMES CAPTAINS
Jonathan Horton and Brian Carr were named co-captains of the 2007 Sooner squad by head coach Mark WIlliams.

Horton's leadership and contributions to the team are well-documented. The 2006 NCAA all-around champion tied Bart Conner's school record of three individual event national titles. He is serving his second stint as a team captain.

The lone senior on the team, Carr is expected to provide Williams with consistent scores on four events. Carr is one of the top scorers returning on the pommel horse and high bar and looks to excel on both events in 2007.

IN WITH THE NEW(COMERS)
Once again the Sooners have brought in a talented freshman recruiting class under Coach Williams. Joining the OU squad for 2007 are Ian Jackson from Harrisburg, Pa., and Corey English from Covington, La.

Last season, Williams plugged a number of freshmen into the OU lineup and their contributions helped lead the Sooners to a national title.

This year's freshmen will also be counted on to solidify the OU lineup with the loss of All-Americans Jamie Henderson (graduation) and Reed Pitts (injury) as well as replacing the consistent scores of departed senior James Myers.

A NOTE ON THE RANKINGS
The GymInfo rankings are based on the following criteria:

Jan. 23 - February 13: Ranking by Total Season Average (average of all scores)
February 20 - March 13: Ranking by Three Score Average
March 20 - March 27: Ranking by Modified Three Score Average (Select the four highest scores, counting no more than two home meet, and drop the highest score. Average the three remaining scores.)
April 3: Ranking by National Qualifying Average

SOONERS LOOKING FOR NCAA TRIFECTA
Having won four of the last five NCAA championships, the 2007 OU squad will be seeking the program's first three-peat.

Since the creation of collegiate men's gymnastics (1953), only seven current teams have won consecutive national championships. Oklahoma is the only men's gymnastics program to have won two straight or more on three separate occasions. Penn State and Nebraska are the only schools to win three or more straight titles. After winning back-to-back titles in 1953 and 1954, Penn State won three in a row from 1959 to 1961. Nebraska ran an impressive string of four straight titles from 1979-1982. OU's seven national championships ranks fourth all-time behind Penn State (11), Illinois (9) and Nebraska (8).

The Sooners' 2006 title, along with OU's 2005 crown, marked the third time in program history that Oklahoma has won back-to back-titles. OU accomplished the task on two previous occasions in the program's history. The first feat was accomplished in 1978 after the Sooners won their first national title in program history in 1977 under head coach Paul Ziert. Williams was the next coach in Sooner history to add the feat to his resume, winning consecutive titles in 2002-03 and 2005-06.

OU SENDS SIX TO VISA U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS
All six University of Oklahoma gymnasts who competed in the July U.S. Men's Qualifier at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., advanced to the Visa U.S. Championships in August.

Jonathan Horton, Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons, Chris Brooks, Jacob Messina, Jason Laughton and Jamie Henderson each scored well enough to compete for the U.S. Championships.

The six Sooner qualifiers were the most from any school, as well as the most in school history.

At the U.S. Championships, Horton won the floor exercise and earned top five finishes on the high bar and still rings to take second in the all-around competition. Brooks won the high bar title and also finished 10th on the floor exercise to land in eighth place in the all-around standings.

Jacob Messina finished ninth in the all-around and recorded a tie for eighth on the pommel horse (28.250).

Several other Sooners scored top-10 event finishes including Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons, who tied for fifth on the parallel bars, and Jamie Henderson,who was 10th on the pommel horse.

EXCELLENCE IN THE GYM AND THE CLASSROOM
Nine members of the Oklahoma men's gymnastics team were named All-America Scholar-Athletes by the College Gymnastics Association in July.

As a team, Oklahoma placed sixth in the nation with a team grade point average of 3.137.

“We're very pleased with the overall GPA of our team throughout the season to add to the success of being national champions in 2006,” OU head coach Mark Williams said.

“I feel confident that we can now clearly be called champions both in and out of the classroom and I congratulate all our student-athletes who were All-Americans.”

Earning first team honors for the Sooners were Wes Aderhold (3.875), Russell Czeschin (3.872), Reed Pitts (3.786), and Chris Brooks (3.50).

Second team honorees included Brian Carr (3.37), James Myers (3.354), Jonathan Horton (3.28), Jamie Henderson (3.222) and Jacob Messina (3.222).

The CGA honored 55 gymnasts as 2006 first team All-America Scholar-Athletes for attaining a GPA of at least 3.50, and 56 second-team members with GPAs between 3.20 and 3.499.

CRIMSON & CREAM ON THE U.S. NATIONAL TEAM
Oklahoma has always had a noticeable presence in USA Gymnastics. Over the program's history, OU has placed 15 athletes on the U.S. Senior National Team.

The Sooners have had two Olympians, four World Championships participants and sent three athletes to the Pan American Games, Pan American Championships and World University Games.

Since taking over in 2000, Coach Williams has placed four gymnasts on the Senior National Team, including current OU standouts Jonathan Horton and Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons. Assistant coach Daniel Furney and recent graduate Jamie Henderson have also been a part of the U.S. Team.

HORTON AND WILLIAMS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
In October 2006, two Sooners represented the university and the nation as members of the U.S. Team at the 2006 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. Oklahoma's Mark Williams was appointed head coach of the U.S. team, while Jonathan Horton was selected to the American squad after a strong showing at the Visa U.S. Championships.

Williams had previously served as a personal coach at the World Championships and Olympics and as an assistant coach on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. Most recently he coached former OU assistant coach Guard Young to a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

At the 2006 Visa U.S. Championships, Williams was honored as the USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year, and Horton was named Sportsman of the Year by the Junior and Senior U.S. National Team.

Horton was selected to the squad based on his finish at the U.S. Championships in August. The Houston, Texas, native won a gold medal on the floor exercise and finished second in the all-around standings.

Horton's selection added to an already impressive gymnastics resume. In addition to his NCAA accolades, the 5-1 junior has been a member of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team since 2003. He was a member of the American squad at the 2003 and 2005 Pan American Games and led the U.S. to victory at the 2006 France/USA/Switzerland tri-meet, finishing second in the all-around.

The highlight of his budding international career came at the 2006 Tyson American Cup where he took gold on the still rings and finished second on the floor exercise and vault to claim the all-around title over Japan's Hisashi Mizutori.

Despite his considerable list of accomplishments, the World Championships represented a new challenge and opportunity for Horton.

“It doesn't really compare to anything,” Horton said. “It's so huge the World Championships. You really can't compare it to any other international meet except for the Olympics.”

Over 100 countries participated in the 2006 World Championships with the top 12 teams qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The U.S squad finished third in its preliminary session and did not advance to the team finals. Horton finished first on the floor exercise but did not qualify for the all-around competition.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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