Sooners Open 2023 Season at Rocky Mountain Open

THE MEET

Oklahoma officially opens the 2023 season this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo. The meet, hosted by the Air Force Academy, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT. The Sooners will compete against Air Force, Michigan, Nebraska and Stanford, as well as Arizona State's club team.

"This Rocky Mountain Open is kind of unique in that it is a little later than it has been, and we have the top four teams going head-to-head on the same night, so it should be really quality gymnastics," Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams said. "Obviously Stanford is still the team to beat, but we hope to come out strong, put up a good score and put ourselves up in that group of top three teams by the end of the night."

FOLLOW ALONG

The meet will be streamed live on YouTube and live stats will be available via StatBroadcast. Additionally, OU's events will be available on Instagram Live at @OU_MGymnastics.

LAST TIME OUT

Seven Oklahoma gymnasts competed at the Houston National Invitational last weekend in Houston, Texas. The Sooners claimed the top four spots in the all-around and took home the team cup in the Winter Cup-qualifying event.

Fifth-year seniors Vitaliy Guimaraes and Spencer Goodell, junior Zach Nunez and fifth-year senior Morgan Seyler placed first through fourth in the all-around. Guimaraes placed first in the all-around with an 81.7000 score and took top placement on floor with a 14.100. Goodell followed with an 81.200, Nunez scored 80.550 and Seyler posted a 79.300. With their performances, Guimaraes, Goodell and Nunez qualified for the USA Gymnastics 2023 Winter Cup, which will be held Feb. 24-26 in Louisville, Ky.

In all, seven Sooners competed at the event, a precursor to OU's official season-opening meet next weekend at the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Senior Jack Freeman placed first in the high bar with a 13.900 and freshman Ignacio Yockers won the pommel horse with a 14.500 – scores within qualifying range for event specialists at the Winter Cup. Horse was Yockers' only event of the night, while Freeman tied for fifth on floor with a 12.950.

The Sooners 1-4 on the floor rotation. Guimaraes scored a 14.100, Goodell followed with a 13.800 and Nunez and Seyler posted 13.300 and 13.000. Nunez finished second on pommel horse with a 13.750 and Guimaraes scored 13.500 to place fourth. Goodell and Guimaraes finished second and third on still rings with scores of 13.500 and 13.400, respectively.

Seyler placed second on high bar with a 13.500 and Goodell finished third with a 13.300. Guimaraes and Nunez tied for fifth with twin 13.100 scores. Goodell took second on parallel bars with a 14.150, Guimaraes placed third with a 13.800 and Nunez finished fourth with a 13.700. On vault, Seyler finished fourth with a 14.200, and Nunez and Dan Simmons tied for fifth with 14.150 scores.

INTRODUCING THE SOONERS

Oklahoma returns a trio of fifth-year super seniors in Spencer Goodell, Vitaliy Guimaraes, and Morgan Seyler, as well as redshirt seniors Braden Collier and Cesar Gracia and true seniors Alan Camillus and Jack Freeman.

The Sooners also return juniors Zach Nunez and Dan Simmons and sophomores Fuzzy Benas, Emre Dodanli, Brigham Frentheway, Raydel Gamboa, Nikolai Kolesnikov and Cailen Walker.

New to the roster this season are freshmen Leo Koike of Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Adriel Perales of Tucson, Ariz., and Ignacio Yockers of Jenks, Okla.

THE 2023 SCHEDULE

Following this weekend's Rocky Mountain Open, Oklahoma will compete three straight weekends at home in the friendly confines of McCasland Field House.

The Sooners will play host to Air Force and Illinois in their home opener next Saturday (Jan. 28) at 6 p.m. OU will host Division I varsity newcomer Simpson College on Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. and host Stanford and William & Mary on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.

OU returns to the road Feb. 17 for a dual meet at Nebraska before the Winter Cup break. Winter Cup will be held Feb. 24-26 in Louisville, Ky.

The Sooners return home for a matchup against Michigan on March 4 at 6 p.m., travel to Columbus, Ohio, on March 11 to face Ohio State and Penn State before closing the regular season at California on March 18.

The MPSF Championship will be held April 1 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The NCAA qualifier and Championships will be held April 14-15 in University Park, Pa.

HISTORY AND TRADITION

Oklahoma has won 12 national championships, tied for most in NCAA history (tied with Penn State), including nine national titles since 2000. The Sooners have finished first or second in 19 or the last 21 NCAA Championships, or every championship held since 2001 (does not count the 2020 championship canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mark Williams has led nine different teams to a national title over the course of his 23 seasons as head coach of the Sooners. OU has won an NCAA championship held in Norman three times: 2002, 2006 and 2015.

The Sooners last won an NCAA championship in 2018 in Chicago, Ill., capping a run of four consecutive national titles (2015-18). The Sooners have claimed second place in three straight championships: 2019, '21 and '22.