OU Headed to Fort Worth for Metroplex Challenge

NORMAN – The top-ranked Oklahoma women's gymnastics team is set for their first trip to the state of Texas in 2024 as they head South of the Red River for the annual Metroplex Challenge. The meet will feature the No. 1 Sooners against No. 2 California, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 29 Washington on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:15 p.m. CT

This will be the fifth of six quad meets for Oklahoma and third on podium. Held inside the Fort Worth Convention Center, the Sooners have won five-straight Metroplex Challenge competitions going back to 2019.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

GOT IT DONE
Last Friday night, the Sooners posted a season-high 198.450, tied for the fifth-best score in program, to defeat BYU (196.250), Utah State (195.000) and Texas Woman's (194.575) and improve to 15-0 on the season and 3-0 in Big 12 action. The Sooners used a 49.750 on floor – tied for the second-best floor score in program history – to propel themselves to their third score of 198-plus this season.

Junior Jordan Bowers won the all-around after an incredible night that included two near-perfect scores as she posted a 39.750. Senior Katherine LeVasseur broke 39.700 in the all-around for the first time with a career-high 39.725. Sophomore Faith Torrez earned a 39.575 and senior Audrey Davis earned a 39.500 in the all-around, her fifth mark of 39.500 or better this season. OU swept the event titles on the night with Bowers and LeVasseur sharing the vault title with matching 9.975s. On bars, Bowers took home the title with another 9.975. Torrez and Ragan Smith shared the beam title with 9.95s and LeVasseur took home the floor title with a 9.975.

DID IT FOR DAVE
This weekend marks the five-year anniversary of the passing of Dave Richardson, the late husband of athletic trainer Jenn Richardson. Dave passed on Feb. 19, 2019, after a long battle with colon cancer. Since that season, the Sooners have worn blue ribbons in their hair and blue ribbon stickers on their backs to honor Dave. The Sooners won the 2019 national championship, dedicating their season to Dave with the hashtag #DIFD – Do It For Dave.

ROAD WARRIORS
When the Sooners hit the road this weekend, they'll be embarking on their fifth road trip of the season through the first seven weeks of competition. OU has had incredible success on the road in 2024, boasting an 11-0 record away from Norman. The Sooners have also defeated multiple top 10 teams, including the No. 2 team twice, away from Lloyd Noble Center. After starting the year with four road trips in five weeks, the Sooners will have just two more road meets in 2024. OU will head to TWU on March 3 for a quad meet with Clemson and Penn before traveling to Arkansas on March 10 for a dual with the Razorbacks.

WELLS NAMED BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
For the first time this season, an Oklahoma Sooner has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week as Keira Wells took home the honor, the conference announced Tuesday. Wells helped lead the Sooners to a season-high 198.450 in a quad meet against conference foe BYU, Texas Woman's and Utah State. She was instrumental in leading the Sooners to their second highest score on vault this season with a 49.550 and an impressive 49.525 on beam.

On vault, wells set a career high on her Yurchenko 1.5 with a 9.925. This marked the first time this season the freshman earned a 9.9 or higher on the event. Wells was one of just three athletes on the night to score a 9.9 or better on the apparatus. On beam, she earned a 9.875 in the No. 2 spot, a score that would be important so the Sooners could drop a 9.800 in the leadoff spot.

TO 198 AND BEYOND
Oklahoma has totaled 66 scores of 198 or better in program history, including 58 scores since 2016. Of those 66 scores, only 25 have been earned at home, with 41 coming at road or neutral site competitions. Twenty of those scores have come in regional or national competitions, including a 198.3875 at the 2023 NCAA Championship which tied for the highest NCAA Finals score in history. In 2023, the Sooners earned a new program-best with a 198.575 against West Virginia on Feb. 24, 2023. Also in 2023, the Sooners recorded an NCAA record 10 scores of 198-plus, which they accomplished in 2018 and 2022. This season, the Sooners are one of just six schools to reach the 198 mark this season and one of just two (LSU) to achieve the feat more than once. OU is the only school to have all its 198 scores be 198.300 or higher.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Sooners return to Lloyd Noble Center on Friday, Feb. 23 for a conference dual with West Virginia.

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