Nine Sooners Head to U.S. Championships

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nine current or former University of Oklahoma men's gymnasts are set to compete at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships this weekend in Kansas City, Mo.

The meet, held August 8-11 at the Sprint Center, will showcase the top gymnasts in the U.S. as they vie for national titles and spots on junior and senior national teams.

The Sooners competing in the senior division will be current national team members Allan Bower, Yul Moldauer and Colin Van Wicklen, along with OU alums Levi Anderson and Kanji Oyama.

Four current Sooners will also take the floor in Kansas City with senior Matt Wenske and junior Gage Dyer competing in the senior competition and freshmen Laz Barnhill and Jack Freeman participating in the junior elite division.

"We've got six seniors and two juniors (from OU) that are competing and one post-grad from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center (USOPTC)," said Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams. "We try to develop guys to the highest level. Going to championships is the next step above competing at the NCAA level and then it's on the road to making this year's World Championships team and next year's Olympic team.

"We want to be part of that mix. We've had the history and tradition and have done that," concluded Williams. "Guys have trained really hard this summer and I expect good things to happen this week in Kansas City."

At last year's championships in Boston, eight Sooners finished in the top 20 in the all-around, led by Moldauer and Bower's second- and third-place showings. Additionally, Moldauer, who won his first U.S. all-around national title in 2017, finished in the top five in five events in 2018, while Bower finished runner-up on pommel horse.

Also up for grabs this weekend are spots to the senior men's national team World Championships selection camp at the USOPTC in Colorado Springs, Colo., later this fall. The camp will serve as part of the selection process for the team that will represent the U.S. at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Sooners boast three reigning World Championships team members in Bower, Moldauer and Van Wicklen. The trio helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish in Doha, Qatar, at the 2018 installment of the championships. Moldauer, a world medalist in 2017, took fourth in the floor exercise final and 12th in the all-around competition.

"We try to develop guys to the highest level. Going to U.S. Championships is the next step above competing at the NCAA level and then it's the road to making this year's World Championships team and next year's Olympic team."
- Mark Williams

This weekend's championships will be broadcast live on NBC and NBCSN and available via livestream through the NBC Sports app. The men's competition begins Thursday at 1 p.m. CT with the junior division before the seniors take the floor at 6:30 p.m. The men's finale will take place Saturday in the same time slots, 1 p.m. for the juniors and 6:30 p.m. for the seniors. Following the competition, national teams will be named by USA Gymnastics.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma men's gymnastics, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_MGymnastics) and like Oklahoma Men's Gymnastics on Facebook.

Gym U

From left: Levi Anderson, Kanji Oyama, Gage Dyer, Jack Freeman, Laz Barnhill, Matt Wenske, Allan Bower, Yul Moldauer and Colin Van Wicklen.

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Head Coach Mark Williams

On his expectations for Oklahoma gymnasts at the championships:
"They're going to compete 12 routines in Kansas City and we expect to have a high hit percentage for them to advance into that group (USSMNT). Obviously, they'll be looking at certain events and where they can help the team more on certain things. I certainly think that Allan Bower, Colin Van Wicklen and Yul Moldauer should make it to selection camp and be in the mix for the 2019 World team."

On freshmen Laz Barnhill and Jack Freeman competing in the junior division:
"This is their last opportunities to compete at junior championships and we'd like for them to have a good competition. As soon as they get back, they're stepping into the collegiate program and we hope that they can take some of what they've done this summer and help us in their first year as NCAA athletes. Generally, when we have guys come train here in the summer they do well at the championships. It acts as sort of a stepping stone to their NCAA career."

Yul Moldauer

On his excitement level for the championships:
"It's going to be very exciting this year. We have a lot of good guys going, everyone seems to be healthy again. I think that it's going to be a show. Going to U.S. Championships for some years now, it's a really fun meet and there are a lot of learning experiences. I'm excited for these freshmen to go out and experience a competition like this and I'm excited for Gage (Dyer) to be back after missing Winter Cup. I'm excited for Allan, Colin and I, of course, I wish Genki was going but he just got back from Peru where he did a great job, so he deserves the rest. It's just a good feeling to see all of our guys up there and the guys from the USOTC. It's good to go and see everybody."

On the amount of current and former Sooners competing:

"It's exciting, it's like you're on the (collegiate) team again. You look to your right and left and see your teammates right beside you. So, it's honestly fun going in knowing we have a big group. It helps us mentally, we're there to push each other and help each other. It relieves some stress."

On the importance of the upcoming year heading into Tokyo 2020:

"It's just another way to go out there and prove that you want one of those spots on the World team and then the Olympic team. These upcoming competitions this year are crucial, it doesn't matter if it's Winter Cup, if you're coming back from injury, this is the year you have to prove yourself and say 'I want to be on that team'. All of us are ready to show that so it's going to be very exciting in Kansas City."

Colin Van Wicklen

On his expectations for the championships:
"I'm just going in with the mentality that I just need to do my gymnastics and the goal is to make all my routines look easy for me and leave no doubt that I'm one of the top all-arounders in the country and hopefully get back to world team selection camp and be on my way to Stuttgart (to the World Championships)."

On the amount of current and former Sooners competing:

"It's honestly incredible. We have four senior national team members and more guys that are right under us trying to get on the national team. There's no time for a light day, there's no time for breaks, the guys below us are pushing us and we're trying to set the standard each and every day. It's an awesome training environment and I can't wait to compete with these guys."

On the importance of the upcoming year heading into Tokyo 2020:

"The goal for this year is to make the Worlds team again and have a good showing in Stuttgart and obviously be as ready as I possibly can for next summer's Olympic trials and try to fulfill my childhood dream of being an Olympian."

Allan Bower

On his expectations for the championships:
"My main goal is to go out and hit 12-for-12 routines and try to get seven or eight sticks and I'm going to treat it kind of like an OU team competition because we've been training so hard in the gym with all these different guys and they've been training their butts off. So, I'm just excited to go out and see how much we've improved over the last few months and see how great these guys are going to do.

On the amount of current and former Sooners competing:

"It's awesome. We each push each other in the gym every day and it's like a family in here and we all have each other's backs. I couldn't ask for anything else."

Levi Anderson

On his expectations for the championships:
"For me, Winter Cup was kind of a statement that I'm here and I'm ready to hunt with the rest of them. But for USAs, what I've been trying to do all summer is transition out of competing for a team knowing every single routine I do I have to hit and just hone in on the little details so I can be as good and as clean as I possibly can. Which has been very different. But, at the end of the day, my goal is to go out there and hit 12-for-12 to put myself in the best position possible to be selected for senior national team and international assignments."

Matt Wenske

On his expectations for the championships:
"Obviously, the goal is to make the senior national team but I'm honestly not trying to think about that too much. I just want to go out there, I haven't been in two or three years due to injuries, so I'm kind of just treating it with a mindset of excitement more than anything. I'm just excited to get my name back out there. I was on junior national team so it'd be nice to make that jump to the senior national team. I think the potential is there, I just need to show up on competition day and be relaxed when I'm out there."

Laz Barnhill

On his expectations for the championships:
"I just think that this being our last junior championships, I just want to go out and leave it all out there. The only thing I can say is to just trust the process. Do the work and it will show."

Jack Freeman

On his expectations for the championships:
"I want to bring the same energy as Vitaliy (Guimaraes) and Spencer (Goodell) did last year. We're trying to go 1-2, no matter what position either of us gets, me and Laz (Barnhill). I want to keep up with the older guys and stay close to them. I'm excited, it's the first time I get to rep OU on my chest."

U.S. Championships Schedule
Event	Day/Time	Channel
Junior Men Day One	Thursday; 1 p.m. CT	Livestream
Senior Men Day One	Thursday; 6:30 p.m. CT	NBCSN
Junior Men Day Two	Saturday; 1 p.m. CT	Livestream
Senior Men Day Two	Saturday; 6:30 p.m. CT	NBCSN
Senior Men Day Two Replay	Sunday; 3 p.m. CT	NBC

Nine Sooners Head to U.S. Championships