Brown Captures Big 12 Award

NORMAN - After an unexpected injury during warm-ups against No. 5 Alabama on the road, the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team looked to Natalie Brown to step up in a big way.

The true freshman from Dallas more than responded.

Brown earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors on Tuesday after coming through in the clutch in OU's victory over the Crimson Tide. She joins classmates Brenna Dowell and Ali Jackson as OU gymnasts to capture the award from the conference office this season.

Brown made her first career appearance in the OU lineup against the Crimson Tide after exhibitioning on floor and beam for much of the season. In a tight contest between the two teams and in front of a raucous crowd of over 10,000, Brown's performances on floor and beam were a key part of Oklahoma's win.

She anchored the Sooner lineup on floor exercise with a crucial 9.925 to lead the team and tie for second overall on the evening. Brown then added a 9.85 on beam to help seal a 49.475 score on the event and clinch victory over Alabama. The victory was Oklahoma's first-ever in Coleman Coliseum.

The top-ranked Sooners won at least one weekly honor from the conference office every week this season. WVU's Alexa Goldberg earned Gymnast of the Week honors for March 17, and Mountaineer Melissa Idell took Specialist of the Week accolades.

OU will return to Norman this weekend to host the 2015 Big 12 Championship meet at the Lloyd Noble Center. The contest is set for a 5 p.m. CT start.