Sooner Duo Earns Final Big 12 Weekly Awards

NORMAN – A pair of Oklahoma gymnasts earned the final Big 12 weekly awards of the season. Sophomore Maggie Nichols (Gymnast) and senior Natalie Brown (Event Specialist) were honored by the conference Monday.

Brown was honored for the first time this season and fifth time in her career. This is the seventh time this season Nichols has been honored as the Gymnast of the Week, and tenth of her career.

Nichols was named Gymnast of the Week after an outstanding weekend that saw the sophomore post a pair of perfect scores. Against Alabama, Nichols posted a perfect 10 on vault, before posting a perfect 10 on floor at TWU. Nichols now has 13 career perfect scores and needs just a 10 on bars this season to complete her second “gym slam”. The sophomore posted her seventh and eighth all-around scores of 39.7 or higher with a 39.800 at Alabama and a 39.850 at TWU. She took home six event titles and both all-around titles this weekend. Nichols scored a 9.975 or higher on five routines and is the only gymnast in the nation to score a 39.8 in the all-around in more than one meet.

Brown was named the Event Specialist after helping OU to scores of 49.500 and 49.575 on beam this weekend. Brown scored a 9.9 or higher on beam at both meets, setting a season high with a 9.925 on against TWU. Brown has now posted a 9.9 or higher in four of six meets she has competed in this season.

This weekend, postseason competition begins for Oklahoma as it heads to the Big 12 Championship, scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on Saturday inside Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

The Sooners will be in pursuit of their seventh straight conference championship and 10th under Kindler. The meet, which will pit OU against No. 13 Denver, No. 25 West Virginia and Iowa State, will air through FloGymnastics (subscription required).