Sooners To Face Arizona State in Season Opener

Sunday, January 10

Norman, OK

1:45 PM

University of Oklahoma

Arizona State

Photo by: photo shevaun williams

Sooners To Face Arizona State in Season Opener

January 08, 2021 | Women's Gymnastics

Tickets Meet Day Policies FSOK OU Notes Live Stats

2 Oklahoma

21 Arizona State

Sunday, Jan.10 / 1:45 p.m. CT / Norman, Okla. / Lloyd Noble Center

FSOK / Live Stats / Meet Notes / Tickets

NORMAN – The No. 2 Oklahoma women's gymnastics team is set to kick off the 2021 season at home when No. 21 Arizona State makes the trek to Norman on Sunday. The meet will air on FSOK at 1:45 p.m. CT. This is the first time since the 2017 season that the Sooners will open their season at home in the Lloyd Noble Center. In 2017, the Sooners defeated Alabama, 197.750-196.700.

NOTES AND NUMBERS FOR MEET ONE

LET'S GET IT STARTED
After an abrupt end to the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sooners are ready to begin competing again with a new squad that features nine newcomers along with 11 returners. Under head coach K.J. Kindler, OU is 13-3 all-time in its season opener. The Sooners have not lost a season opener since 2016 and have won three-straight openers on the road.

HOME SWEET HOME
OU is to 108-4 inside Lloyd Noble Center since the arrival of head coach K.J. Kindler in 2007. The Sooners have posted 32 consecutive victories dating back to 2014 and the 2021 senior class has never lost a home meet in their career. OU will be home for five meets in 2021, hosting Arizona State, Utah, West Virginia, Denver, Lindenwood, TWU and BYU.

PRESEASON NO. 2
The Sooners were slated as the No. 2 team in the preseason coaches poll. OU received 16 of 33 first-place votes, tied with No. 1 Florida for the most of any team. Florida was tabbed first with 1,167 points, narrowly edging out the Sooners' 1,152 points. Rounding out the top five is No. 3 LSU (1,076 points), No. 4 Utah (1,073) and No. 5 Michigan (1,060).

This is the 11th straight season in which the Sooners have been ranked in the top five nationally to begin the year and the seventh consecutive time being ranked in the top two. OU was slated as the No. 1 team in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020, No. 2 in 2015 and 2019, No. 3 in 2014 and No. 4 in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Oklahoma has now opened 16 consecutive seasons ranked in the top 10 nationally and the last 20 years in the top 25. Since head coach K.J. Kindler's arrival in 2007, the Sooners have been ranked in the preseason top 10 every year. Overall, eight of OU's 11 regular season opponents are ranked in the poll, including two squads in the top 10 and five within the top 25. The Sooners will host two top 10 teams at Lloyd Noble Center in 2021 with No. 4 Utah and No. 8 Denver both making the trek to Norman.

SEASON OUTLOOK
For the first time since 2017, the Sooners will open their season with two meets at home. OU will face Arizona State on Jan. 10, followed by a marquee matchup with 10-time national champion Utah on Jan. 17.

OU will face Big 12 competition a total of six times before the Big 12 Championship. The first road trip of the season for Oklahoma will be at West Virginia on Jan. 22. A week later, the Mountaineers will head to the LNC on Jan. 31.

A three-meet road swing begins with a Big 12 battle against Denver on Feb. 7 in Denver, Colo. The first of three quad meets will take place on podium in Fort Worth, Texas, as the Sooners will look to defend their title at the Metroplex Challenge on Feb. 13. OU will face Centenary, Iowa State and TWU inside the Fort Worth Convention Center. The road swing continues for OU with a trip to Raleigh, N.C., to take on North Carolina State and George Washington on Feb. 19.

OU will return to the LNC on Feb. 26 for a its second quad meet of the year featuring Denver, Lindenwood and TWU. The final home meet of the season will be March 5 when the Sooners host BYU.

The Sooners will face TWU on the road when they travel to Denton, Texas, on March 7. The regular season ends at Big 12 rival Iowa State on March 14.

SEEING DOUBLE
Due to the Big 10 and SEC choosing to compete within conference only, the Sooners will see a handful of teams multiple times in 2021. OU and West Virginia will go back-to-back, competing against each other on Jan. 22 in Morgantown and Jan. 31 in Norman. The two teams will meet for a third time at the Big 12 Championships in late March.

The Sooners will face the Pioneers of Denver three times as well. OU will travel to Denver on Feb. 7 with the Pioneers making the return trip on Feb. 26. OU and TWU will also do a home-and-home with TWU coming to Norman on Feb. 26 and the Sooners traveling to Denton, Texas, on March 7.

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
Head coach K.J. Kindler is in a league of her own in 2021. With the retirement of long-time UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field at the end of the 2019 season, Kindler is now the only active head coach to win a national championship.

Kindler is still the only coach in NCAA history to take two different programs to the NCAA Finals (Iowa State, 2006; Oklahoma, nine times).

WE TOO DEEP
The Sooners return 12 gymnasts from the 2020 squad that was ranked No. 1 all season in seniors Jordan Draper, Evy Schoefper, Karrie Thomas, Carly Woodard and Anastasia Webb; juniors Emma LaPinta, Allie Stern and Olivia Trautman; and sophomores Vanessa Deniz, Jenna Dunn, Erin Hutchison and Ragan Smith. Eleven of the 12 returners appeared in at least one meet for the Sooners in 2020. Eight of the 12 returning gymnasts were a part of the 2019 National Championship team.

FRESH FACES
For the 2021 season, the Sooners have added an incredible freshman class with all bringing extensive experience at the national, regional and state levels. Audrey Davis, Julianne Fehring, Danae Fletcher, Bell Johnson, Kat LeVasseur, Audrey Lynn, Sheridan Ramsey, Quinn Smith and Meilin Sullivan make up the largest freshman class under head coach K.J. Kindler.

QUICK HITS

OU was ranked No. 2 in the WCGA preseason coaches poll, the seventh-straight season the Sooners have been ranked in the top two to begin the year.
Eight of OU's 11 regular season opponents are ranked in the poll, including two squads in the top 10 and five within the top 25.
Oklahoma's roster this season features 12 returning gymnasts from the 2020 squad including three who combined for seven All-America honors in senior Anastasia Webb, junior Allie Stern and sophomore Ragan Smith.
The Sooners will be featured on ESPN networks twice during the regular season: vs. Utah (Jan. 17) and vs. West Virginia (Jan. 31).

SCOUTING REPORT

Arizona State is ranked No. 21 in the preseason coaches poll after finishing the 2020 season also ranked No. 21. The Sun Devils have a former Sooner on their coaching staff in Kristin White (Smith). White helped lead Oklahoma to a trio of Big 12 Championships from 2008-10 and a second place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010. ASU returns senior Cairo Leonard-Baker who has been a staple for the Sun Devils after earning All-America honors in 2019.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2021 season are on sale. Tickets are $60 for the lower level and $40 for the upper level. Youth (6-18) and senior (55+) tickets are $30 for the season. To reserve your seat, click here or contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (800) 456-4668.

MEET DAY POLICIES

Appropriate cloth or surgical-style masks that cover the nose and mouth completely will be required at all times while on campus and inside Lloyd Noble Center. Other face coverings including clear face shields, gaiters/buffs, bandanas or masks with valves are not permitted. OU will continue its clear-bag policy this season. The approved clear plastic tote size is a maximum of 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag. Even those bags are subject to search.

Arena doors will open to the public one (1) hour prior to tip off. The general public can utilize the north and east entrances. Full details on OU's game day policies at Lloyd Noble Center can be found here.