Sooners Aim For Another Conference Title

April 5, 2012

No. 2 Men's Gymnastics at MPSF Championship
Date and Time	Saturday, April 7 at 6 p.m. (CT)
Location	Colorado Springs, Colo. \| Cadet West Gymnasium
Online	Webcast \| Live Blog
Additional Info	Media Guide \| Meet Notes \| Blog \| Twitter \| Facebook

NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 2-ranked Oklahoma men's gymnastics team competes for its eighth conference crown in the past 10 years at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship on Saturday, April 7 at 6 p.m. in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The MPSF is a hybrid conference that features No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Stanford, No. 7 Califorina and No. 12 Air Force.

OU, ranked No. 2 in the GymInfo Rankings, enters the meet with a nation-best record of 15-1, including a flawless 5-0 mark against conference foes. The Sooners have been ranked in the GymInfo Rankings' top-two for the past 11 consecutive weeks, including a nine-week run as the country's top-ranked team. The Sooners finished the season with one or less loss for the 11th time in the past 12 years.

Oklahoma boasts a history of 18 team conference titles and 107 individual conference titles. Since Mark Williams took over the program in 2000, the Sooners have claimed nine team titles and 38 individual titles.

No. 3 Stanford fell to the Sooners twice this season on March 3 (357.050-351.400) in Norman and Feb. 12 (351.600-343.700) in Berkeley, Calif. Oklahoma also topped Air Force twice on March 17 (352.400-327.950) at home and Jan. 14 (343.700-333.300) in Colorado. The Sooners also defeated California in their tri-meet with Stanford on Feb. 12 (351.600-349.400) at Cal.

The conference championship is Oklahoma's final meet before hosting the 2012 NCAA Championships at the Lloyd Noble Center, April 19-21. Fans can purchase tickets to cheer on the Sooners as they look to claim their ninth national title at SoonerSports.com. Oklahoma has gone on to win the NCAA Championships five times in the past seven seasons that it won the MPSF crown.

ON THE WEB
• A live webcast will be available to view on GoAirForceFalcons.com.
• Keep up with OU throughout its weekend in Colorado on the MPSF Championships blog on SoonerSports.com.
• OU men's gymnastics' Twitter feed (@SoonerGymnasts) will provide up-to-date information throughout the meet.

GYMNAST TO WATCH - JAKE DALTON
Dalton, the 2011 MPSF All-Around Champion and current No. 1-ranked gymnast in the NCAA, looks to defend his title at the MPSF Championship. Dalton also won conference titles last year on floor, vault and parallel bars.

AREN'T WE IN THE BIG 12?
Although the University of Oklahoma is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference, it is the only university in the conference to support a Division I men's gymnastics program. As a result, the Sooners became a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) in 1996 after the Big 8 Conference dissolved into the Big 12.

Oklahoma's men's gymnastics team is joined in the MPSF by Air Force, California and Stanford.

CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Since joining the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 1996, Oklahoma has claimed 11 conference titles, including 10 in the past 13 years. Below is a list of the conference's champion from each year since Oklahoma joined the MPSF:

1996 - Oklahoma
1997 - Nebraska
1998 - California
1999 - Oklahoma & Nebraska
2000 - Oklahoma
2001 - Oklahoma
2002 - Oklahoma
2003 - Oklahoma
2004 - California
2005 - Oklahoma
2006 - Oklahoma
2007 - Oklahoma
2008 - Oklahoma
2009 - Stanford
2010 - Oklahoma
2011 - Stanford

GYMNASTICS' TOP CONFERENCE
Since 2001, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation has produced the NCAA National Champion seven times - over twice the amount of the second leading conference. During that time span, Oklahoma has claimed five national titles (2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002) and Stanford has won two (2011, 2009).

The Big Ten, the second-leading conference, has earned three national titles behind Penn State (2007, 2004) and Michigan (2010).

TUMBLING AND TOUCHDOWNS
Oklahoma's conference championship history has been well established in many sports, with its strongest traditions recently coming from OU's football and men's gymnastics programs. Since the creation of Oklahoma's Division I men's gymnastics program in 1966, the Sooner gymnasts have claimed 18 conference titles, second only to football's 22 crowns over that time period.

Since 2000, Oklahoma has claimed nine men's gymnastics conference championships, the most of any sport at the University of Oklahoma.

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE
Since the turn of the millennium, the University of Oklahoma has solidified itself as one of the top gymnastics programs for both men and women. On March 24, the OU women's team claimed its fourth Big 12 title in the past five years. This weekend, the Sooner men have an opportunity to win another conference title of their own.

Since 2000, only three NCAA Division I schools have won a conference title in both men's and women's gymnastics in the same year. Oklahoma claimed a pair of titles in 2010 and 2008,
Michigan won both crowns in 2009 and 2000 and the University of Illinois-Chicago accomplished the feat in 2004.

2011 MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP: OU EDGED BY STANFORD
Oklahoma lost its first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference championship since 2009 on Saturday, April 2 with a second-place finish on the campus of United States Air Force Academy. OU finished second with a score of 360.700 behind No. 2 Stanford's 362.250.

The Sooners had won the conference title 10 out of the last 11 years, winning the previous MPSF championships in 2010. Despite scoring the third best tally of the season, the Sooners dropped to 15-1 (MPSF, 10-1) on the year. OU won two out of the six team events on floor (62.050) and vault (65.350). The win on vault broke a program record, previously set this season against Penn State and Illinois (64.900).

Three Sooners (Alex Naddour, Jake Dalton and Steven Legendre) added five individual conference titles to increase the program total to 107 titles. Dalton and Legendre posted top score on floor (15.900) to tie for the title, while Dalton went on to claim three more titles in the all-around (90.900) and on vault (16.650) and on parallel bars with a career high 15.600.

BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL
After a nine-week run as the top team in the nation, Oklahoma was passed in the GymInfo Rankings by Penn State University. The Nittany Lions took over the top spot by posting the NCAA's two highest team scores of the season in their final two home meets. Despite falling to No. 2, Oklahoma has remained in the top-two spots for eleven consecutive weeks. Below is a complete list of this week's rankings along with each school's four-score average.

1. Penn State 355.600
2. Oklahoma 354.167
3. Stanford 352.650
4. Illinois 352.133
5. Minnesota 347.267
6. Ohio State 345.467
7. California 344.367
8. Michigan 343.400
9. Nebraska 341.883
10. Temple 340.767
11. Iowa 336.833
12. Air Force 336.433
13. UIC 331.667
14. William & Mary 331.067
15. Army 329.200

LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma capped another dominant regular season by taking down No. 5 Minnesota and No. 6 Ohio State on March 24 in Minneapolis. While Oklahoma improved to 15-1 overall, it wasn't easy. After going back and forth all meet, the Sooners totaled a 353.100 to edge the Gophers' season-best 350.600, while the Buckeyes (344.500) took third.

The meet came down to the wire with Oklahoma and Minnesota tied at 294.900 heading into the final rotation before the Sooners posted a 58.200 on high bar to seal the victory. The Sooners claimed event titles on floor, pommel horse, rings and high bar with Jake Dalton taking event titles on parallel bars and high bar and Raymond White claiming the floor title. Dylan Akers took the all-around title with an 83.100.

SOONERS NAMED ABOUT.COM'S FAN FAVORITE
Every year, the About.com Readers' Choice Awards showcases the best products, features and services in multiple categories, from technology to gymnastics. This year, About.com readers and fans voted the University of Oklahoma as their favorite men's gymnastics program and former OU gymnast Jonathan Horton as their favorite male gymnast.

Voting took place on About.com between Feb. 22 and March 21, with the official results released on March 30. Other categories included favorite women's NCAA team, leotard and grip brands, gymnastics club and camp, female gymnast, gymnastics website and Twitter feed.

DALTON NAMED MPSF GYMNAST OF THE WEEK…AGAIN
For the fifth time this season, OU junior Jake Dalton claimed the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's Gymnast of the Week honor. Dalton picked up the title after leading the Sooners to come-from-behind win over Minnesota in the final meet of the regular season on March 24. Dalton picked up event titles on parallel bars and high bar, the only two events he participated in.

Below is a list of the different Sooners that have won MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors throughout the season:

March 27 Jake Dalton
March 20 Michael Heredia
March 13 Jake Dalton
March 6 Jake Dalton
Feb. 28 Jake Dalton
Feb. 14 Jacoby Rubin
Jan. 24 Jake Dalton
Jan. 17 Chris Stehl

SOONERS CAP OFF ANOTHER DOMINANT SEASON
With Oklahoma's tri-meet win over Minnesota and Ohio State on March 24, the Sooners finished the season with just one loss (Jan. 28 at Illinois). Since 2001, Oklahoma has finished the regular season with one loss or less every year except for 2007 (14-2).

Under Coach Williams, the Sooners have gone undefeated in the regular season five times and have finished with one loss five times.

BOUNCING BACK
It's been over a month since the Sooners' lone loss of the season to Illinois on Jan. 28, and OU is continuing to bounce back from the wake up call. Since the loss, the Sooners have gone 9-0 over a stretch of six meets, defeating seven top-10 opponents, including three in the top five.

The Sooners have topped a 351 in all six meets, averaging a 354.320 over the span. Oklahoma has lost just six event titles while picking up 24 titles since the loss to the Fighting Illini.

FLOORING IT
Oklahoma has proven to be a force on the floor exercise, ranked No. 1 in the nation in the event and winning the event title in each of its nine meets of the 2012 season. Led by 2011 NCAA floor champion Jake Dalton, the Sooners have posted a 60 or higher in the event in six of its eight meets.

OU's dominance on floor is nothing new to the world of college gymnastics. The Sooners have claimed the event title in 27 straight regular-season meets. The last opponent to out-score
Oklahoma on floor was Minnesota on March 7, 2009.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
With 10 freshmen on OU's 18-man roster, the Sooners are looking for their younger gymnasts to make a quick transition to collegiate competition. The young Sooners are doing just that.

Six freshmen are ranked in the top 20 of at least one event in the GymInfo event rankings. Jacoby Rubin leads the way on high bar (3), pommel horse (11) and parallel bars (12) alongside Dylan Akers in all-around (10) and high bar (13).

Danny Berardini is tied with Rubin for 12th on parallel bars, Michael Reid is 13th on pommel horse, Will Clement is No. 14 on high bar and Alec Robin is No. 15 on floor.

ONE HOT HOMESTAND
After starting the season with four consecutive home meets, the Sooners dominated their past four home meets. Oklahoma rolled to four-straight home wins over Iowa (356.250-334.400), Stanford (357.050-351.400), Michigan (355.500-348.950) and Nebraska and Air Force (352.400-341.550-327.950), averaging 355.300 point a meet.

Out of 24 events from the four meets, the Sooners claimed titles in 23, failing to top an opponent only once (pommel horse vs. Stanford).

Oklahoma hasn't lost a regular-season meet at home in 19 meets, dating back to a loss to Ohio State on March 3, 2007.

DALTON, USA WIN GOLD AT PACIFIC RIM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oklahoma junior Jake Dalton continued to make an impression in his pursuit of a spot in the 2012 Olympic Games by helping Team USA claim gold at the 2012 Kellogg's Pacific Rim Championships this past weekend.

The United States totaled a 352.050 in Saturday night's team finals at the Comcast Arena in Everett, Wash., to top second-place Japan (344.700) and third-place China (343.250). Former OU gymnast Chris Brooks (2006-09) won Saturday's all-around title with Dalton coming in fourth.

On Saturday night, Dalton posted the competition's highest scores on floor, rings and vault to qualify for Sunday's event finals. In the event finals, Dalton won gold on floor exercise with a 15.375. The OU junior also took fourth place on vault. Brooks claimed gold on high bar and rings and silver on pommel horse.

Dalton and Brooks were joined on Team USA's senior squad by Sam Mikulak of the University of Michigan.

ALL-AROUND EXCELLENCE
Not only are the Sooners one of the nation's top all-around team, but OU is also ranked in the country's top five in all six events, including the top three in five events. The Sooners are the top team on floor and No. 2 on rings. The Troester event rankings also have Oklahoma at No. 3 on vault, high bar and parallel bars and No. 5 on pommel horse.

LEGENDRE AND DALTON CONTINUE OLYMPIC PUSH
Former Oklahoma gymnast Steven Legendre continued to make a name for himself in his pursuit of a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team by taking second place in the all-around and claiming two event titles at the 2012 Winter Cup in Las Vegas.

Due to his automatic qualification, 2011 Winter Cup Champion Jake Dalton did not compete in his two strongest events, floor exercise and vault, which he won NCAA and USA titles in last season.

The next stage in the duo's Olympic pursuit is the 2012 Visa Championships, the national championship of USA Gymnastics, June 7-10 in St. Louis, Mo. The top finishers from the Visa Championships will then be invited to compete in the U.S. Olympic Qualifier in San Jose, Calif., June 28-July 1.

NEXT UP
The University of Oklahoma hosts the 2012 NCAA Championships at the Lloyd Noble Center beginning with the qualifying sessions on April 19. The team finals are set for April 20 at 7 p.m. followed by the individual event finals on April 21.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Aim For Another Conference Title

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