2009 Sooners Begin in Colorado

Jan. 6, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 2 Oklahoma men's gymnastics team opens the 2009 season Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event, hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy, will start at 8:30 p.m. (CT) at Cadet West Gymnasium and will include both team and individual awards.

Competing at the meet are host team Air Force, fellow Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival Nebraska, club teams from Arizona State and the University of Washington, and athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

The Sooners have won nine consecutive Rocky Mountain Open team titles and scored a 343.550 in 2008 to win the collegiate portion of the competition, while freshman Steven Legendre claimed the first all-around title of his OU career with an 84.950.

“It is definitely a stepping off point for us where it finally gives us a chance to get in front of judges after what seemed to be a fairly long pre-season,” head coach Mark Williams said. “We are ready to get going, we want to compete in a fairly clean meet and finish healthy.”

Roster | Schedule | Season Preview | Notes

Senior co-captain Chris Brooks, junior Ian Jackson and sophomore Steven Legendre will all be competing in the all-around for the Sooner squad. Both Brooks and Legendre captured event titles last year, with Brooks winning the high bar title and Legendre claiming the floor and all-around titles.

Senior Kyle McNamara will be looking to improve on his last years second place finish in the all-around and claiming the event titles for vault and parallel bars.

Air Force is in its fourth season under the leadership of Kip Simons. The Falcons return 10 letterwinners from last year's squad that finished fifth in the MPSF.

The University of Nebraska is ranked 10th in the pre-season poll and returns 13 letterwinners and one All-American from a team that finished fourth in the MPSF last year. The Cornhuskers are led by head coach Francis Allen, who is in his 40th season.

Oklahoma will face a familiar foe next weekend as it travels to Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 18 for a rematch against the Cornhuskers. The meet is scheduled for a 2 p.m. (CT) start inside the Bob Devaney Center on the University of Nebraska campus.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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