Completed Event: Men's Gymnastics versus Ohio State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 322.825, to, 320.294
Final
Men's Gymnastics
322.825
vs Ohio State
320.294
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Face Buckeyes in Regular Season Finale
March 22, 2018 | Men's Gymnastics
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Ohio State
March 23 | 5 p.m. CT | Columbus, Ohio | St. John Arena | Big Ten Network Plus
NORMAN – The top-ranked Oklahoma men's gymnastics team continues its road swing in Columbus, Ohio, as it takes on No. 7 Ohio State on Friday, March 23 at 5 p.m. CT. Last weekend, OU defeated Illinois in its first road contest in more than a month. Yul Moldauer won three event titles, leading the Sooners to a 412.300-399.700 victory. The Buckeyes are coming off of an upset of No. 2 Stanford, outscoring the Cardinal 402.150-400.850 in Palo Alto, Calif. The meet will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
STREAKING
The Sooners have won every meet in which they have competed since placing second at the 2014 NCAA team finals. In that span they have racked up 83 victories, the most consecutive wins in program history (the next most was 52 straight from 2002 to 2004). It stands as the longest current streak among all NCAA Division I sports.
RECAPPING THE LAST MEET
OU picked up a hard-fought victory Saturday as it took down Illinois, 412.300-399.700. Yul Moldauer placed first on all three events in which he competed. He won event crowns on pommel horse (14.700), still rings (14.650) and parallel bars (14.850). Freshman Alexei Vernyi earned his first career event title on floor (14.150) and Tanner Justus placed first on vault (14.700). The Sooners outscored Illinois on five of six events.
LAST YEAR VS. OHIO STATE
Oklahoma and Ohio State last saw each other at the 2017 NCAA Finals where OU claimed its third straight national championship with a 431.950 and the Buckeyes finished second, scoring a 423.700. The Sooners picked up 22 total All-America nods and Yul Moldauer earned national titles on floor and still rings. Ohio State produced five All-Americans.
HUNTING FOR THE NISSEN-EMERY
Hunter Justus was named a finalist two weeks ago for the Nissen-Emery Award, given to the top senior gymnast in the NCAA. Throughout his OU career, Justus has been a model of consistency, competing in every meet during his four years. The Cypress, Texas, native has been a part of three national championship teams and is undefeated as a Sooner, winning more than 80 straight meets. Outside the gym, Justus maintains a 3.34 GPA in energy management and volunteers at Cleveland Elementary School, teaching students about gymnastics and helping them further their education. Considered the highest honor in college gymnastics, the Nissen-Emery Award will be presented at the 2018 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship Banquet in Chicago on April 19.
THE CHAMP RETURNS
Yul Moldauer has made his mark on the OU record books and continues his storied career this season. So far in 2018, the junior has a team-leading 15 event titles through six meets. In Feburary, Moldauer won his second straight American Cup, becoming the first gymnast to win back-to-back titles since former Sooner Jonathan Horton in 2006 and 2007. The Arvada, Colo., native totaled a 85.964 all-around score (more than 2.500 higher than the runner-up's mark), finished in the top three on all six events and posted higher than a 14.000 on five of six events. Moldauer is a three-time individual national champion and became just the second freshman to ever win the NCAA all-around title in 2016. In 2017, he added another pair of crowns on floor and still rings. His three titles rank fourth all-time at OU behind current assistant coach Steven Legendre (6) and Olympians Horton (6) and Jake Dalton (4).
THERE IS ONLY ONE
After a one-week hiatus from the national rankings, OU returned to the No. 1 spot this week with a four-score average of 414.267. Four-score average is based on a team's best four scores, two of which must be from away meets. Each program's overall high score is eliminated, and the remaining four scores are averaged. The Sooners rank first on pommel horse (67.883), parallel bars (69.333) and high bar (68.583). Individually, junior Yul Moldauer holds the top average on still rings (14.650) and parallel bars (14.933).
ALL-AROUND SUCCESS
Yul Moldauer and Levi Anderson have posted the top two all-around scores in the NCAA this season. In Moldauer's only all-around performance of the season against Nebraska and Stanford on Feb. 3, he registered an 87.150, the highest total in the country. The junior took home three event titles on floor (14.400), still rings (14.600) and parallel bars (14.900). Anderson, who has competed in all-around twice, tallied the second highest all-around score with an 86.100 against Navy on Feb. 24.
RETURNING TALENT
Despite losing three All-Americans in seniors Allan Bower, Thao Hoang and Colin Van Wicklen, OU returned quite the talent pool in 2018. Junior Yul Moldauer earned individual national titles on floor exercise and still rings in 2017, in addition to All-America nods on vault, parallel bars, high bar and all-around. Now a senior, Hunter Justus earned All-America honors on both rings and parallel bars in 2017. Senior Reese Rickett and junior Genki Suzuki were All-Americans on rings and high bar, respectively.
IMPACT FRESHMEN
The Sooners have received production from a pair of talented freshmen for 2018 in Gage Dyer and Alexei Vernyi. Dyer has been solid for OU so far this season, competing on at least three events in all but one of the team's meets. He earned his first career event title against Navy when he tallied a season high for the Sooners on vault, scoring a 14.900. He followed that with an event title on floor (14.450) the next week against Cal. Vernyi has competed on floor in five of six meets this season. He set the tone for OU against Navy as he posted a career-high 14.250 in the team's first routine of the night. Last weekend against Illinois, The freshman won his first career event title on floor with a 14.150.
UP NEXT
The postseason begins in two weeks as OU travels to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the MPSF Championships. The Sooners will be looking for their seventh straight conference title on Saturday, April 7 at 6 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
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FX/V/SR
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FX/V/SR
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SR
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VT, FX
/ Men's GymnasticsFriday, May 01
Saturday, April 18
Friday, April 17
Saturday, April 04
