Event Winners
Event	Gymnast	Score
Floor	Thad Lawson (PSU)	15.700
Pommel	Michael Reid (OU)	15.200
Rings	Michael Squires (OU)	16.450
Vault	Sean Senters (STAN) Kanji Oyama (OU)	15.350
P. Bars	Akash Modi (STAN)	15.750
H. Bar	Alex Johnson (OSU)	15.150
AA	Akash Modi (STAN)	90.450

OU Team Highs
Event	Gymnast	Score
Floor	Colin Van Wicklen	15.450
Pommel	Michael Reid	15.200
Rings	Michael Squires	16.450
Vault	Kanji Oyama	15.350
P. Bars	Sergey Resnick	15.100
H. Bar	Danny Berardini	15.000

NORMAN – The time for nine was Friday night in Oklahoma.

A perfect 26-0 season came to a perfect finish as the Oklahoma men's gymnastics program won its ninth NCAA Championship. A raucous OU crowd watched the Sooners soar to a 447.050 victory and hoist the coveted championship trophy at the end of the night.

Stanford was crowned national runner-up, and Penn State finished in third.

OU men's gymnastics' nine titles are the most for any sports program in Oklahoma history. In addition, head coach Mark Williams has won six national titles since 2000, the most in NCAA men's gymnastics.

The Sooners' mark of 26-0 marks the third perfect season in OU program history, all achieved under Williams' leadership.

It was truly a night of highlight-reel performances from start to finish for the Sooners. A crowning moment came when two-time defending national champion Michael Squires topped his previous career-best of 16.300 on the rings with a massive 16.450 to tie the NCAA record on the event.

The Sooners made their statement early, setting the tone on floor with Allan Bower and Todd Dowdy earning a pair of 15.000s in the first two routines of the night. The duo was backed by three more scores of 15-plus from Alec Robin (15.400), Kanji Oyama (15.400) and Colin Van Wicklen (15.450) to hit a stellar 76.250 on the event. It was a start that asserted Oklahoma's intentions: it would settle for no less than the best.

Oklahoma moved to pommel horse for the second rotation and displayed incredible mental strength. After a slow start threatened to hamper the Sooners, OU battled back for a meet-high 72.650 on the event. Michael Reid's mark of 15.200 in the anchor position led both Oklahoma and the meet, while Bower added a huge 15.050.

Sitting in second place after two rotations, OU came out swinging on the rings for a program-record performance. Oyama (15.100), Thao Hoang (15.100) and Hunter Justus (15.450) set the pace with outstanding routines before Squires' record-tying 16.450 helped boost Oklahoma to a 76.800 on the apparatus. It was a defining moment in the meet, as Oklahoma would pull away with the lead for the first time of the night and never look back.

A massive stuck vault by Josh Yee earned a 15.000 and helped the Sooners to a strong start in the fourth rotation. Van Wicklen followed immediately with a 15.100 and Dowdy tacked on a big 15.150 as the rotation continued, building momentum throughout the lineup. Oyama then put the exclamation mark on the event with a meet-best 15.350 to help close out with a 75.000.

Oklahoma headed into parallel bars with a steady lead in the fifth rotation and Sergey Resnick opened with an excellent 15.100 effort to aid his team. Akers then hit a huge and memorable routine, bringing the crowd to its feet in the final performance of his career for a 15.050. Danny Berardini capped off the event with a quality 14.900 set to aid the Sooners to a 73.000.

Oklahoma entered the final rotation of the night holding nearly a 3-point advantage in the top spot and looking for a solid effort on high bar to secure the title. The Sooners more than delivered. In the lead-off position, Robin performed a solid routine to earn a 14.800 and was quickly followed by strong efforts from Van Wicklen (14.300) and Rubin (14.500).

The final two routines marked extraordinary and memorable moments for the Sooners as seniors Berardini and Clement brought the arena to a fever pitch with huge routines and big stuck landings. Berardini hit a powerful 15.000 effort, Clement sealed the victory with a 14.750 and Oklahoma soared to a 73.350 on the event.

With Oklahoma's efforts on high bar, the title was sealed.

An extraordinary weekend for Oklahoma isn't over yet: championship competition wraps up Saturday with event finals at 7 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center.

Quotes

Head Coach, Mark Williams

On if Oklahoma's performance was dominant tonight:

"I don't think we were as dominant as we wanted. The competition last night was dominating. After two events we were behind and kind of slipped ahead after three events. We kept it close, but the great equalizer tonight was the pommel horse. After the other teams got around to pommel horse the scores were very tight there. It was also a difficult event to compete in under stress and we were done; we were second and a 72.00 is not a good score for us. I think that getting through that and then the last two events we just had to keep putting hit routines together. And our team stepped up-it's something we worked so diligently on. How many days did we do high bar? (If the team did not hit) we'd have to go again or I'd go up to the last guy to mess with their head a little bit to get them prepared for the pressure situation. So I really feel like the guys were well prepared and able to execute in the end."

On Mike Squires and Alec Robin:

"What you don't know is the back stories- these two guys were walk-ons. I'm a great recruiter."

On this team's depth compared to his previously coached teams:

"I think in terms of depth I think we have the most of any team I've coached top-to-bottom. When we're rolling, a lot of times that first guy out comes up with the best scores. There wasn't a weak event. There were other years I felt like we had to get through this event if we're going to win. We actually are way better on pommel horse than we were tonight; we're way better on parallel bars than we were tonight. The other four we did our job. Danny (Berardini) come on up. This guy was getting staple put in his forehead. I recruited him by the way. He regretted it after I lost the championship though. I don't think we have weak event really. Yesterday we went 74 or higher on every event and just kind of cruised through. When we're comfortable and rolling like that, this is definitely up there with one of the best teams I've ever coached. The difference too, I didn't have one superstar like Jonathan Horton, Jake Dalton, or Steven Legendre. It was kind of a committee that put it together and definitely the seven seniors led the charge in making the team better than they were last year."

Michael Squires

On being the Kentucky of gymnastics:

"That is a tough question to answer. It is different in a lot of ways. When I was thinking about this season and what it reminded me of, it made me think back to the 2006 season when the OU team went undefeated and won a National Championship. I was there watching OU compete in Norman and I have been doing that since I was 10 years old. I have wanted to be on this team the whole time. Back then those guys were invincible and they were the greatest gymnast in the entire world. I still don't think I am as good as any of those guys; their legends to me. To say though that we achieved something they accomplished; that is the most amazing part. The fact that I have done something now that my heroes have done; it is cool."

On winning team national championship:

"It's the best feeling. I said it at the beginning of the year, I don't remember to who that this is the only thing that I haven't accomplished here. Now I got the last check mark on the sheet. This is a dream come true. There's no way I could think this was going to happen my freshman year. It's absolutely unreal. I knew the guys had my back and everyone was supporting me. Sitting under the rings waiting on the judge my mind kind of emptied and then you think about what you do all of the time. I think kind of the most nerve-wrecking part for me is the hours leading up to (the meet) because once you have control of your own destiny you're just able to go up and do what you do. That's when you have the most calm. Everything is in your power and we had it tonight."

On being the Kentucky of gymnastics:

Alec Robin

On relaxing after the third rotation:

"I don't know, for me being five-up-five-count is very, very difficult. Not for when you are competing but for when you are watching. I get more nervous watching my guys go then actually competing. After watching pommel horse I was just like uh-oh we need to get back out there and do what we usually do. I did not want people getting nervous. After every event Danny and I would circle around and kept telling guys that is just like a day in the gym; it just another home meet. Our home meets have been so dominant this season. After we got the huge ring score by Michael and got the whole crowd going 'Mike, Mike, Mike'. I think that really got us going and got even the guys sitting to be more comfortable."

Danny Berardini

On coming into the season:

"I think so. Looking at the team we had, we lost a few guys, but the team we had coming back I knew was going to be so dominant. After we lost last year we kind of took that personally; three times in a row. We were going to do anything in our power to not let that happen again. I think that started since last April, or this day last year. It started from there and now, a year later, we are National Champions. I think looking at the team I knew what our potential was and I honestly think we might have exceeded the expectation I had for us. We had a couple record-breaking performances this season. Those were incredible. That is when I looked at this team and was like, at the time I knew not many teams could do that, (break so many records) it would be off for another team to beat us."

On being ahead after rings:

"I mean after pommel, that was the most nervous I had ever been. I was just freaking out. I cannot watch pommel horse and stand still. After pommel horse we got it up and we could finally relax and have some fun. Rings are such an event for us. You are not going to really fall off unless you miss your dismount. Once we got to rings, we were good and able to settle down. We had a great ring rotation and it got the momentum going."

NINE ACHIEVED! Sooners Win National Title

Quotes

Head Coach, Mark Williams

Michael Squires

Alec Robin

Danny Berardini

Players Mentioned

Danny Berardini

Allan Bower

Todd Dowdy

Thao Hoang

Hunter Justus

Michael Reid

Alec Robin

Michael Squires

Colin Van Wicklen

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University of Oklahoma Athletics

NINE ACHIEVED! Sooners Win National Title

Quotes

Head Coach, Mark Williams

Michael Squires

Alec Robin

Danny Berardini

Related News

Players Mentioned

Danny Berardini

Allan Bower

Todd Dowdy

Thao Hoang

Hunter Justus

Michael Reid

Alec Robin

Michael Squires

Colin Van Wicklen

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