Sooners Head to Winter Cup

NORMAN – Six current and former Sooners are set to compete this Friday and Sunday (Feb. 26, 28) at the USA Gymnastics annual Winter Cup, located this year in Indianapolis, Ind. The meet marks the first U.S. national meet since last year's Winter Cup Challenge Feb. 20-22, 2020.

Current Sooners Vitaliy Guimaraes and Matt Wenske will compete alongside alums Allan Bower, Yul Moldauer, Kanji Oyama and Genki Suzuki at the meet which will be available to watch on NBCSN Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. CT via FloGymnastics (subscription required).

Qualified to the meet but unable to compete this weekend due to injury is current senior Gage Dyer. OU alumnus and current U.S. Senior National Team member Colin Van Wicklen will also be missing the meet to prepare for the 2021 summer slate of U.S. Championships and Olympic Trials ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Head coach Mark Williams leads the eight qualified gymnasts at the meet which marks the most for one collegiate program at the meet.

Performances at the 2021 Winter Cup will determine the 12-man roster that will comprise the U.S. Senior Men's National Team up to the 2021 U.S. Championships this summer, the first step to Olympic qualifications.

Bower and Moldauer look to retain their spots on the national team while the rest of the OU contingent vie to earn their spot on the roster.

At last year's Winter Cup, the Sooners collected numerous podium finishes at the meet including a first-place finish in the two-day all-around competition for Moldauer. Dyer claimed the floor exercise title while Van Wicklen took home the high bar crown and second in the all-around. Bower finished second on pommel horse and Moldauer took third on parallel bars.

Also competing this weekend as part of the junior competition and the Elite Team Cup is OU 2021 signees Brigham Frentheway, Nikolai Kolesnikov and Cailen Walker. The Elite Team Cup will be Saturday beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT and the junior day two competition will take place with the senior men on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. CT.

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.