Bower Named NCAA Gymnast of the Week

NORMAN – Oklahoma men's gymnastics senior Allan Bower was named the NCAA Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday after leading the No. 1-ranked Sooners to a narrow road win over No. 2 Stanford over the weekend.

Bower racked up an all-around score of 86.950 to claim the event title there while also winning pommel horse with an impressive 15.300 that was just one tenth of a point away from his career high (a mark set under the old, and more generous, code of points). He also took second on floor, and led all Sooners, with a score of 14.850 that tied the highest by any OU gymnast on floor this season. Bower turned in another second-place finish on parallel bars with a 14.800 and also notched high marks on vault (14.500) and rings (14.400).

NCAA GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Allan Bower	Jan. 17
Yul Moldauer	Jan. 31
Yul Moldauer	Feb. 14
Yul Moldauer	Feb. 21
Colin Van Wicklen	Feb. 28
Allan Bower	March 7

The honor is Bower's second of the year, having also won the award in week one after posting an impressive all-around score of 88.750 in OU's season opener at the Rocky Mountain Open. Sooner gymnasts have now claimed NCAA Gymnast of the Week honors in six of the eight weeks it has been awarded, including after Winter Cup and all but one of their six meets. Sophomore Yul Moldauer leads the team with three awards, Bower has been honored twice and senior Colin Van Wicklen has won once.

The Sooners needed every bit of Bower's performance Saturday as they just held off the Cardinal 432.300-432.050. Oklahoma's team score was its second best so far this season while Stanford's mark bested its previous season high by nearly 10 points. OU now owns six of the nation's seven highest scores this season and has topped the 430-mark in half its meets. Stanford's 432.050 on Saturday is the only other instance of a team other than OU topping 424 points so far this year. Oklahoma's lowest team score this season is 425.550.

After its big road win, Oklahoma's schedule doesn't get any easier down the stretch. The Sooners return to Norman to host No. 3 Ohio State at McCasland on March 11 and then host No. 4 Illinois on March 18 in a meet that will serve as senior night. Both remaining home meets are slated for 6:50 p.m. CT starts.

Tickets for OU's upcoming home meets are available for purchase online or by calling the OU Athletics Tickets Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU.