Sooners Claim Runner-Up Finish at SEC Championships

Saturday, March 21

Tulsa, Okla.

Session II, 7:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

198.150

197.950

LSU

Sooners Claim Runner-Up Finish at SEC Championships

March 21, 2026 | Women's Gymnastics

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TULSA, Okla. — In a battle that came down to the final routine, the No. 1 Oklahoma women's gymnastics team earned a runner-up finish at the SEC Championships Saturday night inside the BOK Center.

The Sooners rallied from fourth place after the opening rotation to take the lead heading into the final rotation. Despite posting a strong 49.600 on floor, OU couldn't overcome Florida's 49.800 on bars to narrowly miss out on the title.

Florida claimed the win with a 198.175, while OU finished just .025 behind at 198.150. LSU placed third with a 197.950, followed by Alabama in fourth at 197.475. The Sooners, who claimed the regular season title, have now posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at the SEC Championships.

A trio of Sooners claimed individual event titles as Faith Torrez won beam and Mackenzie Estep and Keira Wells shared floor.

Torrez went back-to-back as the SEC beam champion, winning the title with her first perfect 10 of the season and second in her career on the event. She now has five conference championships and has won at least one every year of her career.

Estep and Wells won their first career individual championships, sharing the floor crown with LSU's Kaliya Lincoln and Alabama's Gabby Gladieux. Estep is the first freshman to win an individual conference title since Torrez in 2023.

The Sooners found themselves in fourth place after a 49.325 on vault in the opening rotation. Florida led with a 49.525 on beam, followed by LSU with a 49.475 (bars) and Alabama with a 49.425 (floor).

Elizabeth Blessey led off with a 9.90, followed by a 9.850 from Wells. After a 9.800 from Hannah Scheible in the No. 3 spot, Estep added a 9.850. Elle Mueller notched a 9.825 in the No. 5 spot and Addison Fatta anchored with a 9.90.

A 49.600 on bars gave the Sooners a 98.925 through two events, pulling them within .050 of the lead at the halfway mark. LSU moved into first with a 98.975, followed by Florida with a 98.950 and Alabama in fourth with a 98.600.

OU counted all scores of 9.90 or better in an impressive rotation. Torrez and Ella Murphy recorded matching 9.95s to lead the squad. Murphy tallied a career high on the event, while Torrez matched her season best. Back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 27, Lily Pederson started the rotation with a stuck double layout dismount for a 9.90. In the middle of the order, Fatta, Estep and Scheible notched three straight 9.90s to help the Sooners tie their season high on the event.

The Sooners moved into the lead after a 49.625 on beam, bringing their three-event total to 148.550. LSU was second at 148.500, followed by Florida at 148.375 and Alabama at 148.000.

The highlight of the rotation was Torrez's perfect 10.0 in the anchor spot to help OU to its third highest score this season. Fatta led off the rotation with a 9.875, her 13th mark over a 9.85 on beam this season. Wells showed off her consistency with a 9.925, her eighth score of 9.90 or higher on the event. In the No. 3 spot, Murphy was the epitome of poise and grace with a 9.925 and Pederson followed with a 9.850. Mueller notched a 9.90 in the No. 5 spot as OU counted four marks of 9.90 or better.

A 49.600 in the final rotation pushed OU to its seventh mark of 198 or better this season. Murphy led off with a 9.90, followed by a 9.925 from Fatta. Wells earned a career high with a 9.950 in the No. 3 spot and now has a career high of 9.95 on all three events she's competed. Kamila Pawlak added a 9.875 and Mueller notched a 9.850 in the No. 5 spot. Estep matched her career high with a 9.95 as the anchor securing the second-place finish for the Sooners.

UP NEXT
Regional competition is set for April 1-5, with the 36-team field and site assignments to be announced Monday, March 23 at 11 a.m. CT. The four host sites for 2026 regionals are Arizona State, Kentucky, LSU and Oregon State.

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