Women to Defend NCAA Regional Title

NORMAN, Okla. Ranked No. 10 in the April 2 GymInfo poll, the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. on April 14 for the NCAA Central Regional hosted by the University of Alabama. OU, the No. 2 seed, will have to finish in the top two at the meet to advance to the NCAA Championships for a fourth straight year. The Sooners won the 2006 Central Regional in Baton Rouge, La. as the No. 1 seed.

Awaiting the Sooners in the Central region is host and No. 1 seed Alabama, No. 3 seed Iowa State, No. 4 seed Michigan State, No. 5 seed Ohio State and No. 6 seed Kentucky.

“The best of the best will be there,” said OU head coach K.J. Kindler. “All of the teams are ranked in the top 26 in the country. It's one of the deeper regions as far as rankings go. We're not taking anything for granted. We know we're going to have to earn our spot.”

Oklahoma will have the benefit of experience with the large Alabama crowds, having competed against the Tide at Coleman Coliseum in their season opener on Jan. 12. OU nearly ended Bama's 29-year home dual undefeated streak, falling 195.700-194.500. Alabama enters this weekend ranked No. 3 nationally.

“It's important to get used to that 12,000-person crowd and used to that atmosphere,” Kindler said. “Alabama has always been friendly to us. We're expecting a very friendly crowd and an encouraging atmosphere, but we know that it's going to be a dogfight. We've worked very hard the past few weeks and tried to get ourselves used to some pressure situations.”

Live Scores | Notes | Regional Information | GymInfo Poll

Eight Sooners return from last year's Regional champion squad, including senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann who tied for first in the all-around at the 2006 event. Sophomore Haley DeProspero is also a returning Regional event champion on beam, while Lori Winn won the bars title as a junior.

“That experience is huge,” Kindler said. “Having won the regional last year, beating LSU on the road was enormous for them. They have the experience they need to put up a great performance. I think their experience coupled with their desire and motivation to do well at this meet, will help us qualify to the next round. That's our goal.”

Live scoring from Saturday's meet will be available on the Live Stats page on SoonerSports.com, as well as at RollTide.com. Fans can also listen to live streaming audio from the event by visiting allinbroadcasting.com.

SETTING THE SCENE
What: 2007 NCAA Central Regional

Where: Coleman Coliseum - Tuscaloosa, Ala.

When: Saturday, April 14 at 6 p.m.

Live Scores: Live scores will be available on the Live Stats page on SoonerSports.com, as well as at RollTide.com.

Streaming Audio: A radio commentary from the 2007 NCAA Central Regional will be broadcast on the Web at www.allinbroadcasting.com.

What 2 Watch 4: Three OU gymnasts will be looking to defend their 2006 NCAA Central Regional event titles at this year's competition.

Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann shared the all-around crown with LSU's Kelly Phelan, finishing in the top three on bars, beam and floor.

Haley DeProspero won the beam title as a freshman with a 9.875, while Lori Winn won the uneven bars with a 9.875 in her junior season.

FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS
Oklahoma will find itself in familiar territory at the NCAA Central Regional hosted by the University of Alabama. The Sooners opened the 2007 season against the Tide at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 12. OU narrowly missed the upset of then-No. 4 Alabama. The announced attendance of 11,996 fans marked the 12th-largest gymnastics crowd in Tide history.

The Sooners last attended an NCAA Regional in Tuscaloosa in 2003. That OU squad finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a berth in the NCAA Championsips.

DEFENDING CENTRAL REGION CHAMPIONS
This year's OU team has the benefit of experiencing victory at a Regional event. Eight members of this year's team were a part of the 2006 squad that won the Central Region in Baton Rouge, La.

No. 1-seeded OU recorded a team score of 196.375 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to best second-seed LSU (195.825).

Brittney Koncak-Schumann, then a junior, tied for first in the all-around with a 39.400. Classmate Lori Winn won the bars title with a 9.875, while Haley DeProspero took the beam crown (9.875) in her freshman season.

COACHES FACE FORMER TEAMS
All three OU coaches will have to defeat a former team at the 2007 NCAA Central Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Head coach K.J. Kindler and assistant coach Lou Ball came to Oklahoma in 2006 after spending the entirety of their careers at Iowa State. Ball served as an assistant coach for the Cylcones for 12 seasons, while Kindler spent 14 years in Ames as an assistant (1992-2001) and head coach (2001-06). ISU is the No. 3 seed in the region.

Assistant coach Tom Haley will face off against his former Kentucky Wildcats team. Haley spent three years (2004-06) as an assistant for the Wildcats. He was also the director of the club program at Alabama Bama Bounders from 1996-2002 and was a volunteer assistant coach for the Tide in 2000 and 2001. Alabama is the top seed in the region, while UK is seeded sixth.

ANOTHER BIG 12 TITLE FOR KONCAK-SCHUMANN
Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann claimed her second career conference title at the 2007 Big 12 Championships, March 31 in Columbia, Mo.

The all-around champion at the 2006 conference meet with a 39.400, Koncak-Schumann shared the 2007 floor exercise crown (9.9) with co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year Emily Parsons of Nebraska.

OU LANDS FIVE ON ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Five University of Oklahoma student-athletes were named to the 2007 Academic All-Big 12 Gymnastics Team. Seniors Brittney Koncak-Schumann and Lori Winn each earned first team honors, as did junior Caitlin Hinkis and sophomore Haley DeProspero. Sophomore Ashley Jackson was named to the second team. Oklahoma's four first team honorees were the second most in the conference behind Missouri's six.

WOMEN SCORE SEASON HIGH IN FINAL TUNE UP
Oklahoma posted a season-high 197.175 in its final regular season dual, defeating Pittsburgh (194.075) on Senior Night at the Howard McCasland Field House.

The Sooners also recorded team season highs on vault (49.350) and floor exercise (49.375) and tied their season best with a 49.325 on the balance beam.

SOONERS HOST SPECIAL SPECTATORS
In addition to the Senior Night festivities on March 24, OU's meet with Pittsburgh was special for a different reason. The team welcomed three superfans from the Everest Childrens Cancer Center. The children were carried out by members of the team and introduced during pre-meet introductions. They also hung around with the Sooners during stretching and warmups and even donned some OU face tattoos like the gymnasts.

The squad has made numerous visits to the Everest Cancer Center throughout the years. The gymnasts hang out with the kids, sign autographs and even help with arts and crafts.

REDMOND MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW
With her all-around victory at Stanford on March 9, junior Kiara Redmond won at least a share of the all-around title in three straight meets. The Los Angeles, Calif., native has five all-around crowns this season after winning just one in 2006.

NEARLY PERFECT
Brittney Koncak-Schumann came just 0.025 points away from recording the Sooners' second perfect vault of the season against Stanford on March 9. One judge gave the senior a perfect score, while the second awarded a 9.95. Koncak-Schumann's 9.975 marked a career high on the apparatus and earned her second vault title of the year.

THE DYNAMIC DUO
The Sooners proved they have quite a one-two punch against Texas Woman's University on March 3. Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann and junior Kiara Redmond each scored a 39.575 to share the all-around title against the Pioneers. The score was also a career best for Redmond and just 0.025 off of Koncak-Schumann's career mark of 39.600.

The win was Koncak-Schumann's 15th event title of the season and fourth in the all-around, while Redmond notched her third all-around crown to give her 10 event wins on the year.

ACTION JACKSON
Sophomore Ashley Jackson continues to impress. The Hudsonville, Mich., native won her fourth vault title of the season with a career-high 9.9 against TWU in Norman. She also matched her career high on floor exercise with a 9.875 to tie for second place with Koncak-Schumann. Jackson has notched at least one event win in the Sooners' last four competitions.

RECORD START
With their 11-1 start to the 2007 season, this year's OU squad matched the record set by the 2000 team. The Sooners won 11 in-a-row after a near-upset of then-No. 4 Alabama in their season opener in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 12.

END OF THE ROAD
OU's March 9 matchup with No. 3 Stanford marked the end of a grueling 2007 road schedule. Seven of the Sooners' first nine events of the season were away from the Howard McCasland Field House. Oklahoma finished 5-2 on the road, including an upset of No. 8 Nebraska in Lincoln and wins at No. 13 Iowa State, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 27 Iowa.

SOONERS SWEEP BIG 12 FOES
For the first time since the conference's inception in 1996, OU defeated all three Big 12 rivals in the regular season. The Sooners defeated Missouri in Norman on Jan. 19 and beat Nebraska (Feb. 2) and Iowa State (Feb. 16) on the road. The last time an Oklahoma team swept its conference foes in the regular season was 1991 in the Big Eight.

WE'RE NO. 1
After road wins at Iowa State (Feb. 16) and Iowa (Feb. 18), OU rose to No. 7 in the GymInfo rankings released on Feb. 19. It marked the Sooners' highest national ranking since coming in at No. 6 on March 27, 2006. Oklahoma was also the top-rated team in the Big 12, a distinction they had not held since Feb. 20, 2006.

KEEP TAKING IT HIGHER
In addition to the personal bests set by Oklahoma gymnasts at the Arizona State tri-meet, OU also recorded three team scores that constituted season bests.

The Sooners' 196.400 was the team's highest score to date and the second-highest total recorded by a Big 12 team this year (Nebraska, 196.800).

OU also set season benchmarks on the uneven bars (49.100) and floor exercise (49.075).

CLUTCH PERFORMER
For two consecutive weeks (Feb. 2 and Feb. 9), OU's senior leader Brittney Koncak-Schumann came up with solid performances on the final rotation to seal an OU road win against a ranked opponent.

With a slight lead over then-No. 21 Arizona State in Tempe on Feb. 9, Koncak-Schumann scored a meet high 9.875 on the uneven bars to cap a 196.400 - 196.275 win over the Sun Devils.

Clinging to a narrow lead on the last rotation against No. 6 Nebraska on Feb. 2, OU head coach K.J. Kindler needed a near perfect beam performance from Koncak-Schumann to seal the win. The 2006 Big 12 all-around champion delivered under pressure, scoring a 9.9 on the apparatus to seal the upset.

VISE MAKES OU DEBUT
Freshman Hollie Vise made her collegiate debut against Arizona State and Cal on Feb. 9. The Dallas native competed on the balance beam for the Sooners, scoring a solid 9.8. Vise is a two-time junior national champion on the apparatus and also was the 2003 world champion on bars, helping the U.S. Team to the World Championship title.

SHINING BRIGHT IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN
Three OU gymnasts set career highs in the tri-meet at Arizona State. Junior Kiara Redmond scored a 9.85 on bars to best her previous high of 9.825. Sophomore Haley DeProspero improved her career mark on beam from 9.9 to 9.925, while freshman Mary Mantle set a new mark in her short career with a 9.825 on vault.

Redmond and DeProspero, along with Brittney Koncak-Schumann also set season highs in Tempe. Koncak-Schumann's 39.475 all-around score was her best of 2007, as was her 9.875 on floor. Redmond tied her season best with a 9.875 on floor, while DeProspero's 9.8 on the apparatus was her best of the year.

A HISTORIC WIN
The Sooners' upset of the Cornhuskers was more than just a big conference win. The last time OU beat Nebraska was at the 2004 Big 12 Championships where the Sooners claimed their only Big 12 title.

Ending that two-year losing streak to the Huskers paled in comparison, however, to OU's struggles in Lincoln. With the victory, Oklahoma defeated Nebraska in a dual meet in Lincoln for the first time since 1991 -- a span of over 15 years.

OU WELL-REPRESENTED IN BIG 12 AWARDS
OU gymnasts have won six of the 24 weekly awards handed out by the conference so far this season. Brittney Koncak-Schumann's has earned three Gymnast of the Week honors, while Lori Winn, Kiara Redmond and Ashley Jackson have each earned Event Specialist of the Week awards.

SHE'S SO PERFECT
Junior Kiara Redmond recorded a perfect 10.0 on the vault in OU's Jan. 27 quad meet victory over Texas Woman's, George Washington and Centenary. Redmond's 10 was the first recorded by a Big 12 gymnast in 2007. Redmond joins Leah Mueller (2002) and Amber McCracken in the OU vaulting record books.

TEN NAMED TO BIG 12 HONOR ROLL
Ten members of the OU women's gymnastics team were selected to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the Fall 2006 semester. Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann and sophomore Gina Lesko were two of the 39 OU athletes to earn perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

The other Sooner honorees were Haley DeProspero, Caitlin Hinkis, Ashley Jackson, Jessica Kinder, Kiara Redmond and Kristin Smith. Seniors Coral Borda and Tara Anderson, whose gymnastics eligibility expired at the end of last season, were also on the list..

MANTLE STEPS UP TO THE PLATE
Freshman Mary Mantle proved to be a valuable contributor for head coach K.J. Kindler through the first six meets of the season. After competing as a vault specialist in the Sooners' first two events, Mantle was thrust into the lineup on bars and floor in the TWU quad meet on Jan. 27. The Bellvue, Colo. native responded, turning in scores of 9.725 on both events in helping No. 8 OU improve its record to 5-1 on the season.

RECORD BREAKERS
Five OU gymnasts recorded career highs against Missouri and Central Michigan on Jan. 19. Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann scored a near perfect 9.95 on beam, while junior Stephanie LoPiccolo was right behind her with a 9.925.

Sophomore Ashley Jackson topped her previous best with a 9.875 on vault, and a pair of freshmen, Jacqueline Flanery (9.825/FX) and Kristin Smith (9.675/FX) also set new benchmarks in their short OU careers.

KONCAK-SCHUMANN GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Oklahoma's Brittney Koncak-Schumann was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week for the second week in a row on Jan. 23. The honor was the sixth of her career.

The 2006 Big 12 all-around champion won the all-around (39.325), uneven bars (9.875) and balance beam (9.95) titles in the Sooners' home-opening win over Central Michigan and No. 22 Missouri. Her balance beam score was a career-high. She also finished fourth on vault (9.85).

Koncak-Schumann won three Big 12 weekly honors in 2006, and she is the first to win back-to-back honors this season. Nebraska's Emily Parsons and Iowa State's Janet Anson took home consecutive honors last season.

SOONER SENIORS EARN BIG 12 HONORS
Oklahoma's two senior gymnasts, Brittney Koncak-Schumann and Lori Winn, swept the Big 12 Conference's weekly honors for Jan. 16 after leading OU to a near upset of No. 4 Alabama on Jan. 12.

Koncak-Schumann, from McQueeney, Texas, was named the conference Gymnast of the Week after taking second in the all-around against the Crimson Tide with a score of 39.350, just 0.025 points behind Alabama's Kassi Price. She also shared the balance beam title (9.85), was third on uneven bars (9.85), sixth on floor exercise (9.85) and tied for seventh on vault (9.80).

Winn, an Oklahoma City native, earned the first conference honor of her career. The Event Specialist of the Week is a new award for this season to recognize those who do not compete in the all-around.

Winn competed on three events for the Sooners at Alabama. She shared the balance beam title (9.85) with Koncak-Schumann while placing fourth on uneven bars (9.825). She also competed on floor exercise (9.75).

STARTING FRESH(MEN)
Three Oklahoma freshmen saw the first action of their collegiate careers against the fourth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Jacqueline Flanery, from Plattsburg, Mo., recorded a 9.775 on both the vault and floor exercise. Mary Mantle, a Bellvue, Colo. native, scored a 9.8 on the vault, the Sooners' second-highest score on the apparatus against the Tide. Oklahoma City native Kristin Smith scored a 9.0 on the floor in her debut.

SOONERS DEBUT AT NO. 10
The University of Oklahoma women's gymnastics team is ranked No. 10 in the 2007 preseason GymInfo Coaches Poll. The top-10 ranking ties the Sooners' highest preseason poll position of the last 10 years. OU was also ranked 10th in the 2006 preseason poll.

“OU is honored to be placed amongst the top 10 teams in the country,” Kindler said. “We have strong leadership in our two seniors and will rely heavily on their guidance of a fairly young squad.”

Oklahoma finished the 2006 season ranked 10th nationally, tying for the second-best final poll position in school history.

KINDLER SIGNS THREE FOR 2008
First-year head coach K.J. Kindler announced her first Oklahoma recruiting class Friday, signing three gymnasts to National Letters of Intent. Taylor Zondervan, Natalie Ratcliff and Melanie Root will join the Sooners for the 2008 season.

Zondervan, a Level 10 from Schoolcraft High School in Kalamazoo, Mich., trains at Geddert's Twistars, the former club of current OU gymnast Ashley Jackson. Zondervan was a member of the 2006 Junior Olympic National Team and finished fifth in the all-around, third on bars, fifth on beam and sixth on floor in the Senior B Division at the 2006 J.O. Nationals. She also captured the bars and floor titles at the 2006 Region 5 Regionals in Senior B and took 10th in the all-around at the 2005 J.O. Nationals. Zondervan plans on majoring in Zoology/Pre-Med at OU.

A native of Overland Park, Kan., Ratcliff is a member of Great American Gymnastics Express where she is coached by Al and Armine Fong and Rodney Gust. The Blue Valley Northwest High School senior and Level 10 gymnast is an eight-time Missouri State Champion and a former member of the U.S. National Team. An honor roll student at Blue Valley, Ratcliff intends to major in Elementary Education.

Root attends Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Ga., and trains at Cartersville Twisters. She is a three-time State Champion (2003, 2004 and 2006) and finished 15th in the all-around and 10th on beam at the 2006 Junior Olympic Nationals. She also qualified for Nationals is 2005 and was an alternate in 2003 and 2004. A Level 10, Root went pre-elite for a year in 2004. She plans to major in Management at OU.

2007 INDIVIDUAL EVENT TITLES (56)
Haley DeProspero (2)
Beam (1): vs. Stanford, 9.9, 3/9/07; vs. Pitt, 9.875, 3/24/07

Jackie Flanery (1)
Vault (1): vs. Iowa, 9.825, 3/17/07

Ashley Jackson (7)
Vault (4): vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 9.875, 1/19/07; vs. Arizona State and Cal, 9.85, 2/9/07; vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 9.875; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 9.9; vs. Iowa, 9.825, 3/17/07
Beam (1): vs. Iowa, 9.825, 2/18/07
Floor (1): vs. Iowa, 9.85, 3/17/07

Brittney Koncak-Schumann (25)
All-Around (6): vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 39.325, 1/19/07; vs. Nebraska, 39.300, 2/2/07; vs. Arizona State and Cal, 39.475, 2/9/07; vs. TWU, 39.575, 3/3/07; vs. Iowa, 39.325, 3/17/07; vs. Pitt, 39.550, 3/24/07
Floor (3): vs. Iowa, 9.875, 2/18/07; vs. Iowa, 9.85, 3/17/07; Big 12 Championships, 9.9, 3/31/07
Vault (3): vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 9.875; vs. Stanford, 3/9/07, 9.975; vs. Pitt, 9.9, 3/24/07
Bars (7): vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 9.875, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 9.9, 1/27/07; vs. Arizona State and Cal, 9.875, 2/9/07; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 9.925; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 9.925; vs. Iowa, 9.875, 3/17/07; vs. Pitt, 9.875, 3/24/07
Beam (6): vs. Alabama, 9.85, 1/12/07; vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 9.95, 1/19/07; vs. Nebraska, 9.9, 2/2/07; vs. TWU, 9.9, 3/3/07; vs. Iowa, 9.875, 3/17/07; vs. Pitt, 9.875, 3/24/07

Kiara Redmond (16)
All-Around (5): vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 39.350, 1/27/07; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 39.250; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 39.575; vs. Stanford, 3/9/07, 39.500; vs. Pitt, 39.550, 3/24/07
Floor (5): vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 9.875, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 9.875, 1/27/07; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 9.925; vs. Stanford, 3/9/07, 9.925; vs. Pitt, 9.925, 3/24/07
Vault (5): vs. Alabama, 9.85, 1/12/07; vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 9.875, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 10.0, 1/27/07; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 9.875; vs. Pitt, 9.9, 3/24/07
Bars (1): vs. Pitt, 9.875, 3/24/07

Lori Winn (5)
Bars (1): vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 9.875
Beam (4): vs. Alabama, 9.85, 1/12/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 9.875, 1/27/07; vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 9.9; vs. Pitt, 9.875, 3/24/07

2007 TEAM EVENT TITLES (34)
Vault (8): vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 49.150, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 49.325, 1/27/07; vs. Arizona State and Cal, 48.925, 2/9/07; vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 49.175; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 49.100; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 49.300; vs. Iowa, 3/17/07, 48.925; vs. Pitt, 3/24/07, 49.350

Bars (8): vs. Alabama, 48.875, 1/12/07; vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 48.700, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 48.950, 1/27/07; vs. Arizona State and Cal, 49.100, 2/9/07; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 49.000; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 49.350; vs. Iowa, 3/17/07, 49.050; vs. Pitt, 3/24/07, 49.125

Beam (9): vs. Nebraska, 48.575, 2/2/07; vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 49.325, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 48.475, 1/27/07; vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 49.250; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 48.400; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 49.025; vs. Stanford, 3/9/07, 49.100; vs. Iowa, 3/17/07, 48.350; vs. Pitt, 3/24/07, 49.325

Floor (9): vs. Nebraska, 48.800, 2/2/07; vs. C. Michigan and Missouri, 48.950, 1/19/07; vs. TWU, GW and Centenary, 48.850, 1/27/07; vs. Iowa State, 2/16/07, 48.975; vs. Iowa, 2/18/07, 49.150; vs. TWU, 3/3/07, 49.050; vs. Iowa, 3/17/07, 49.150; vs. Pitt, 3/24/07, 49.375; Big 12 Championships, 3/31/07, 49.000

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