Sooners Strong in Day One of Winter Cup

NORMAN – Current and former Sooners were in action at day one of the Winter Cup in Las Vegas, Nev., and the Oklahoma men's gymnastics program made its presence known to the rest of the gymnastics world. In a meet that features the best competitors in the nation, four Sooners posted all-around scores that placed them in the top-10 in the standings after the prelims.

Current OU student-athletes Allan Bower and Hunter Justus enjoyed quality performances. Bower is currently in ninth place with a score of 85.350 and Justus is right behind his teammate in 10th with a mark of 84.600. Bower's best score of the night came on the vault, as the sophomore earned a 15.000. Justus, the freshman also hit his top mark of the evening on the vault, posting a 14.900.

Two Oklahoma alums headlined the prelims on day one. Steven Legendre turned in the second-highest score of the day in the all-around competition with an 87.600, which included the top score on the floor exercise. Legendre also eclipsed the 15-mark on the vault with a 15.200.

The other former Sooner to make an impression on the opening day was Chris Brooks. The previous OU standout notched the sixth best all-around score in the prelims with an 85.850. Brooks had an electric performance on the high bar, earning the highest individual score of the day on any event with a 16.200.

Other notable Sooners to compete are Colin Van Wicklen, Alec Robin, Danny Berardini and Jonathan Horton. Van Wicklen tallied a top-20 all-around performance with an 83.450 for 17th. Horton finished with an 82.300 and Robin and Berardini competed in a number of events but not all six for a complete score in the all-around.

For full results to Thursday's preliminary rounds click here.

The Winter Cup final round will be on Sat., Feb. 21 at 10:15 p.m. CT. The competition will be streamed live at WinterCupChallenge.com/live.

Performances at the 2015 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 15 men who will comprise the U.S. Men's Senior National Team through the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships in Indianapolis Aug. 13-16. The six members of the 2014 World Championships squad, plus the alternate, retain their spots on the national team.

The remaining eight spots will be determined based on the following criteria: the top three ranked all-around athletes who are not already on the senior national team; two based on the National Team Points System; two athletes selected by the Men's Program Committee; and one selected by the national team coordinator.

The top 42 gymnasts, according to the Men's Program Committee's points ranking system, will advance to the final competition, along with the top three gymnasts on each apparatus. The all-around and individual event champions will be determined via a combined two-day score.

For information on the points ranking system used for advancement to the final round, as well as the one for determining the national team, click here.