Top-Ranked OU Heads to No. 5 Alabama

#1 Oklahoma at #5 Alabama
March 12 | 7 p.m. CT | Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Notes

NOTES AND NUMBERS FOR WEEK TEN

STRONG AT THE TOP
The No. 1 Sooners are tough against top-tier competition this season, holding a 3-0 record against teams currently ranked in the top six nationally. OU defeated then-No. 2 LSU and No. 6 Michigan on the road and topped then-No. 3 Florida at home last weekend. The Sooners are averaging a team mark of 197.858 against top six opponents and have posted seven scores of 197.600 or higher this season overall.

PERFECT FOUR
Perfection for Oklahoma this season hasn't been limited to one or two events. OU is the nation's only team in 2015 to own 10.0 routines on all four events. This season also marks the first time in program history that the Sooners have earned 10.0s on all four apparatuses in a single season. Junior Haley Scaman leads all Sooners with two 10.0s: one on floor and one on vault. Freshman Brenna Dowell was the first gymnast in the country to post a 10.0 on uneven bars on Jan. 23, while senior Erica Brewer earned the nation's first and only 10.0 on beam last weekend against Florida.

BEAM BRILLIANCE
The Sooners' record-breaking performance last weekend was sparked by an explosive rotation on balance beam that earned a program record 49.750 final tally. No OU routine earned lower than a 9.9 and the rotation was capped by a 10.0 from senior Erica Brewer. The score snapped a previous high that had stood since 2003 in the Oklahoma record books, while Brewer's 10.0 was the first on beam for Oklahoma since 2002 and only the third in program history. Five members of Oklahoma's six-person lineup are ranked in the nation's top 25 this week, including a No. 1 overall ranking for Chayse Capps.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS
March 6 was a highlight reel night for Oklahoma. The Sooners posted the No. 6 score in NCAA history last weekend in their 198.500-198.100 victory over Florida. The score marked a new overall program record for OU and included records on beam (49.750) and floor exercise (49.725) en route to victory. With the scores, Oklahoma has now posted new program record marks on bars, beam, floor and in team scoring this season. Over the past two seasons OU has earned 34 team scores that rank in the top-10 in program history overall or in individual event scoring.

QUICK HITS
• OU continued its program record streak of weeks at No. 1 on Monday, earning the nation's top ranking for the ninth week in a row. Oklahoma has owned at least a share of the No. 1 ranking every week dating back to Jan. 12.
• Oklahoma's program record score of 49.750 on beam last week was paced by career-high performances by all three of OU's seniors: Erica Brewer (10.0), Haley Sorensen (9.95), Rebecca Clark (9.925).
• Sophomore Chayse Capps continues to pace the nation with a No. 1 overall ranking on beam. Capps is currently counting only one score lower than a 9.925 on beam in her RQS.
• Junior Haley Scaman has captured or tied for an event title in every meet this season. She owns a team-high 16 titles in 2015.
• OU swept the Big 12 honor listing this week: Erica Brewer was named conference Gymnast of the Week, Haley Sorensen earned her third Event Specialist of the Week distinction and Brenna Dowell was named Newcomer of the Week. Oklahoma has won at least two conference awards every week this season.
• With 286 career victories, head coach K.J. Kindler is within striking distance of her 300th career win in 2015.

Q&A WITH COACH KINDLER

On what event to watch this weekend:
A few events will be key. Bars will be very important for us to hit, because it's our starting event. We definitely need to come out hot and really be hitting our landings and have impeccable form. How we start there with be an indicator for where we are mentally.

I'd also like to see them really knock floor out of the park. I don't think we have nailed this event yet the very best we can, but it's coming. I feel the same way about vault with our landings. I don't think we've completely knocked it out of the park. Those are elements we're working on and we're looking to be better on this week.

On competing in a loud environment:
We love it. Alabama fans are gymnastics fans, and any gymnastics fan is a friend of ours. This is a great and exciting environment to be in. We're really looking forward to the momentum it creates to have a crowd that is so loud and enthusiastic. It's very fun to compete at Alabama.

On refocusing after a big win:
I don't feel like we have to refocus at all. This team knows what to do. A few of the seniors even mentioned to me after our meet last weekend that they forgot it was Senior Night until after the meet was over. That's how focused they are on the task at hand. This week won't be any different.

Players Mentioned

Erica Brewer

Erica Brewer

Chayse Capps

Chayse Capps

Rebecca Clark

Brenna Dowell

Brenna Dowell

Haley Scaman

Haley Scaman

Haley Sorensen

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics