Sooners Send Seniors Out with Win

¹ Oklahoma

198.100

5 Michigan

197.425

Team Scores
	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor
OU	49.675	49.150	49.400	49.475
UM	49.400	49.550	49.425	49.450

High Scores
Event	Gymnast	Score
Vault	Maggie Nichols (OU)	10.0
Bars	Maggie Nichols (OU)	9.950
Beam	Maggie Nichols (OU)	9.950
Floor	Maggie Nichols (OU), Anastasia Webb (OU)	9.950
AA	Maggie Nichols (OU)	39.850

OU Team Highs
Event	Gymnast	Score
Vault	Maggie Nichols	10.0
Bars	Maggie Nichols	9.95
Beam	Maggie Nichols	9.95
Floor	Maggie Nichols	9.95
AA	Maggie Nichols	39.850

NORMAN – The No. 1 Oklahoma women's gymnastics team sent their senior class of Jade Degouveia, Maggie Nichols and Bre Showers out on a high note as they took down No. 5 Michigan, 198.100-197.425, Friday night inside Lloyd Noble Center.

OU posted its fifth score of 198-plus in the victory, the most in the country. For the eighth time, OU posted a 49.500 or better on vault, also the most in the nation.

"It was an incredible experience," Showers said. "I think it was just the cherry on top of being on the Oklahoma gymnastics team. We had a great crowd tonight and it just shows the example of Sooner Magic here at OU. It was beautiful, everything about it. The gymnastics, how people competed and how we all came together. It was really an amazing night; a fairytale."

Nichols won every event title on her senior night, earning a perfect 10 on vault and 9.95s on bars, beam and floor. Her 39.850 in the all-around is the second-highest in the country. The Little Canada, Minn., native now holds the top three marks in the all-around this season with a 39.900, 39.850 and two marks of 39.825.

"I was really excited to come out tonight and do all four events," Nichols said. "Going into vault, my warmup wasn't great. I knew that I was feeling good today and I just wanted to hit my best vault and do a big vault. (Associate Head Coach) Lou (Ball) always says to go for a big vault, not to just play it safe. I went for a good, big vault and it came out great."

Sophomore Anastasia Webb shared the floor title with Nichols as she earned a career-best 9.95. Webb finished with yet another 39.650 in the all-around as she came in second on the night.

The Sooners started off hot, posting the fourth-highest score in program history on vault with a 49.675. For the fourth time this season and ninth time in her career, Nichols earned a perfect 10 on vault. The perfect score marked the fourth meet in a row that at least one Sooner notched a 10.0.

Sophomore Olivia Tratuman started things off with a 9.925, followed by a 9.875 from sophomore Allie Stern. Degouveia got the stick on her 1.5 for a 9.95 and Webb followed with a 9.925 in the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Evy Schoepfer anchored with a her tucked 1.5 for a 9.850.

OU utilized a strong bar rotation and a 49.550 to extend their lead at the halfway point. Trautman matched her career high with a 9.900 in the leadoff spot, followed by a season-best 9.875 from junior Karrie Thomas. Webb earned a season-high 9.925 with a stuck landing on her dismount, while Degouveia notched a 9.875 in the No. 4 spot.

Freshman Ragan Smith earned her 10^th mark of 9.9 or better this season on bars with a 9.9 in the No. 5 spot. Nichols anchored with an incredible double layout, earning a 9.95 for her performance.

OU went 49.400 on beam in the third rotation. Leading off the third event of the night, Trautman earned a 9.875 after a gorgeous beam routine and stuck dismount. Freshman Jenna Dunn got the stick on her gainer dismount to earn a 9.850 in the No. 2 spot. Junior beam specialist kept the sticks coming as she earned a 9.875 in the No. 3 spot.

Webb made her routine look effortless as she earned a stuck landing and a 9.850 in the No. 5 spot. Nichols anchored with a 9.95 as the Sooners stuck all six landings in the rotation.

The Sooners made sure to send the seniors out with a win, as they posted a 49.475 on floor. Sophomore Jordan Draper led off the final rotation with her country-themed routine for a 9.875. Degouveia was fierce as always, showing off her intensity and powerful tumbling in the No. 2 spot for a season-best 9.925.

"Personally for me I feel like my floor routine stood out a little bit," Degouveia said. "I feel like I needed to start building momentum on that event. This season, I haven't started that great and these past two meets I have hit pretty solid floor routines. It has definitely helped me gain confidence on that event. Tonight, I had a lot of fun. It felt great to hit two-consecutive events in a row."

In her final performance of the night, Nichols set a season-best with a 9.950, followed by a career-best 9.950 from Webb. Smith anchored with a 9.775.

In a special tribute to Showers, the senior "anchored" floor as OU paid tribute by showcasing one of her career best floor routines on the video board. Showers earned a 9.900 on the routine from the 2018 meet against Michigan at the LNC.

"It was really emotional because I didn't know it was going to happen," Showers said. "It really did make me feel like I was part of this night and competing. Even my teammates came up to me and gave me high fives at the end. It was really special and meant a lot to me."

"When I met with Bre, she said to me 'I just wish I could compete'," head coach K.J. Kindler said. "To me, that was the best way we could have her participate. I wanted to do it on beam, but Tom wouldn't let me. He said they would get emotional, so we did floor."

The Sooners are back in action Saturday, March 14, as they travel to the home state of Nichols, Trautman and Kindler to take on Minnesota.

Players Mentioned

Jade Degouveia

Jordan Draper

Jenna Dunn

Maggie Nichols

Evy Schoepfer

Ragan Smith

Allie Stern

Karrie Thomas

Anastasia Webb

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics