Deniz, Nichols Earn Big 12 Honors

Gymnast of the Week
Gymnast	Date
Maggie Nichols (OU)	Jan. 6
Maggie Nichols (OU)	Jan. 13
Maggie Nichols (OU)	Jan. 21
Anastasia Webb (OU) Maddie Karr (DU)	Jan. 27
Maddie Karr (DU)	Feb. 3
Lynnzee Brown (DU)	Feb. 10
Maggie Nichols (OU)	Feb. 17

Event Specialist of the Week
Gymnast	Date
Alexis Vasquez (DU)	Jan. 6
Alexis Vasquez (DU)	Jan. 13
Andrea Maldonado (ISU)	Jan. 21
Chloe Cluchey (WVU)	Jan. 27
Alexis Vasquez (DU)	Feb. 3
Natalia Ros Vasquer (ISU)	Feb. 10
Alexis Vasquez (DU)	Feb. 17

Newcomer of the Week
Gymnast	Date
Ragan Smith (OU)	Jan. 6
Ragan Smith (OU)	Jan. 13
Ragan Smith (OU) Makayla Maxwell (ISU)	Jan. 21
Vanessa Deniz (OU)	Jan. 27
Ragan Smith (OU)	Feb. 3
Andrea Maldanado (ISU)	Feb. 10
Vanessa Deniz (OU)	Feb. 17

NORMAN – Freshman Vanessa Deniz and senior Maggie Nichols were named the Big 12 Newcomer and Gymnast of the Week, respectively, after their incredible performances last Friday night.

Nichols was named the Gymnast of the Week for the fourth time this season and the 14^th time in her career, while Deniz was named Newcomer of the Week for the second time.

Nichols had an exceptional night against West Virginia and Texas Woman's, posting a pair of perfect scores. The Little Canada, Minn., native went back-to-back, earning a perfect score on vault - her third perfect score on the event in 2020 - and bars. This was just the second time in Nichols' career that she has posted two 10s in one meet. The perfect 10 was the eighth of her career on vault and her fourth on bars. The senior added a 9.925 on beam, the second highest score at the meet. Nichols picked up a pair of event titles on vault and bars and helped lead the team to a program-record 49.775 on vault. Nichols was part of a Sooner vault lineup that became the first team this season to throw six vaults with a 10.0 start value and first to break 49.7.

Deniz had a career-night as she posted two career highs. Deniz tallied a career-best 9.9 on bars, the second-highest mark of the meet. On floor, she posted a career-high 9.925 as one of only two gymnasts to break 9.9 in the meet. Deniz placed second on the event, posting a top-two finish on both events.