Tremendous Trautman

Natasha Kelley. Haley Scaman. Chayse Capps. Brenna Dowell. Maggie Nichols. Anastasia Webb.

These are the seven current and former gymnasts who took their freshman years by storm and made an immediate impact on the Oklahoma women's gymnastics program. Three earned perfect 10s as freshmen, another two contributed to the success of two national championships in their first years and one was the first Sooner in program history to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year accolades.

The probable next in line to cement themselves as a freshman legend? Look no further than Olivia Trautman.

Trautman has made an immediate impact for the Sooners, earning the coveted anchor spot on floor.

Trautman came to OU from Twin City Twisters where she was club teammates with Nichols. An elite gymnast and the 2018 JO National Champion on floor, Trautman committed to Oklahoma in 2015. Since arriving in Norman she's made an immediate impact, filling the void left on floor by the departure of AJ Jackson at the end of the 2018 season.

“Olivia has been my idol on floor since we've been little,” Nichols said. “I think I was so good at floor because I had O in the gym doing her double layouts a few years younger than me and I was like 'I need to do that' and 'I can do that too'. She is so amazing on floor and I knew when she came in, she would be able to fill that spot so well.”

Trautman made the most of her Sooner debut, scoring a 9.95 on floor on Jan. 5 as the new anchor of the Sooner lineup. The anchor spot, held by gymnasts such as Jackson, Scaman and Nichols, is one of the most important positions in the lineup. At home, that athlete is the final one to perform and in a close meet can be the winning routine. This is the spot typically reserved for the best of the best on the event.

"Olivia has been my idol on floor since we've been little. She is so amazing on floor and I knew when she came in, she would be able to fill that spot so well."
- Maggie Nichols

“It's so awesome to see all the success Olivia has gotten,” Dowell said. “Even from our intrasquad and when she walked on campus, I knew she was going to be amazing. I told my parents Olivia was anchoring floor and I was like 'watch her double layout and you'll see why' and her gymnastics is so powerful and so energetic. She really brings a lot of energy, and she competes like a veteran. I love to watch her, and I am excited to see what else she can accomplish while she is here.”

Trautman started her season off strong, earning a 9.925 or higher in every single meet on floor. After a couple of 9.975s, many began wondering when she would finally break-through for a perfect score.

Fittingly enough, she earned her first career perfect 10 at the Perfect 10 Challenge on Feb. 15, the seventh meet of the season.

"I've been waiting for Olivia to get a 10,” Dowell said. “She's gotten a few 9.975s and we've been waiting for them to give it to her. I really think that is her best floor routine she has done, so it was the perfect one to give it to her. It was just so exciting, and we are all so happy for her."

Trautman became just the fourth freshman in program history to score a perfect 10.

Trautman is now one of just four gymnasts in OU history who earned a perfect 10 as freshmen. The other three? Her teammates Dowell, Nichols and Webb.

"It honestly feels really incredible finally being a part of that club,” Trautman said. “Here I am just doing what I know how to do, and it just feels amazing. I am feeling more confident and feeling more normal and I've been doing good in the gym.”

Each of the four earned their first perfect score on a different apparatus. Dowell, the first Sooner freshman to ever score a 10, earned hers on bars. Nichols, who had a perfect 10 on all four events as a freshman, earned her first perfect score on vault. At UCLA in 2018, Webb joined the club with a 10 on beam.

"Here I am just doing what I know how to do, and it just feels amazing. I am feeling more confident and feeling more normal and I've been doing good in the gym."
- Olivia Trautman

“I think it goes to show how diverse OU gymnastics is,” Webb said. “It shows how good the program is, not just on certain events, but every event. We're not just particularly good at beam or bars or vault – we can all challenge our own abilities and we're able to accomplish things like this.”

Besides filling the void on floor, Trautman was also chosen to fill the leadoff spot on beam left by 2018 Event Specialist of the Year Stefani Catour. Catour, who graduated in 2018, was considered one of the steadiest gymnasts on the event and knew how to get the rotation started off strong. Trautman accepted the challenge, earning a 9.900 in her first meet of the 2019 season.

“Stef and O are both calm people so I have no doubt O will start us off strong,” Nichols said. “I have so much trust in her being a starter. It is calming for me as the anchor who needs to hit her routine to have O starting us off.”

Through nine meets, Trautman has been in every vault and floor lineup and missed beam just once. When the bar lineup was shorthanded against Florida, Trautman stepped in and earned a 9.875 in her first appearance on the apparatus. That score, along with three other career highs, propelled Trautman to an all-around score of 39.725 – putting her at No. 1 nationally in the all-around for three consecutive weeks.

“I knew I was in the bar lineup Tuesday going into the meet,” Trautman said. “At first, I was super nervous because I had never exhibitioned. I just tried to calm my nerves down and trust my training and know that I've done all the numbers. When I finally got the opportunity to be an all-around gymnast, it was just amazing.”

The success of these freshmen at the collegiate level can be attributed to one consistent factor: head coach K.J. Kindler. Dowell, Nichols and Webb all agree that there's something special about Kindler that brings out the absolute best in every gymnast she coaches.

“I 100 percent believe K.J. is one of the best college coaches,” Webb said. “When I was in JO I thought I was terrible at beam and here I am in the fifth position on beam and I've scored a 10. I never would have thought I would've been able to do that, and just being able to compete in every event. She gives such great opportunity to every individual and it's amazing.”

Since 2010, six OU gymnasts under Kindler's tutelage have earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year accolades from the conference. Natasha Kelley was the first Sooner to ever win the award in 2010, followed by a string of five gymnasts in six years beginning in 2013. While there's still a lot of season left, it seems as though the Sooners will once again add a name to that list.

“It feels amazing,” Trautman said. “It's a great opportunity and just being known as that gymnast feels great.”

Trautman and the Sooners will hit the road for the final time in the regular season for a dual weekend at Michigan and Iowa State. OU will face No. 9 Michigan on Saturday, March 9 at 11 a.m. CT. before traveling to conference rival Iowa State on March 11 for a 6:30 p.m. CT meet.