Sooners Claim Big 12 Championship With NCAA Record Team Score

The Sooners claimed their third-straight and 15th overall Big 12 title with a record-breaking performance, setting an NCAA team scoring record with a 198.950.

Oklahoma topped Denver (197.975), BYU (197.050), Iowa State (196.350) and West Virginia (195.125) in their final Big 12 Championship before departing for the SEC in July of this year.

"This record, that has stood for twenty years, that is very unusual," head coach K.J. Kindler said. It's very impressive, I can't even tell you. Vault in particular has changed since then, almost all the vaults were 10.0 back then, so the 1.5, which is the vault that we predominantly do, with the exception of Hannah, but all six of our vaults are 10s. Not every team has that around the country, so we do have that little advantage. Back then they all started from a 10. It is harder to do now because of that. It is harder because there are some incredible athletes out there, there are great athletes all over the country doing great things."

For the first time in conference history, every event was won with a perfect 10 as the Sooners completed a team gym slam. Junior Jordan Bowers claimed the vault title with her first perfect 10 of the year on the event, the uneven bars title with her second of the year on the event and floor with her third-straight perfect 10 on the event. Ragan Smith earned the beam title for the second year in a row with a perfect 10, her fifth of the season and 10th of her career. Faith Torrez shared the floor title with Bowers, earning her first career perfect mark.

Bowers also claimed the all-around with a 39.925, the highest individual all-around score by a Big 12 athlete at a conference championship. Bowers, who is the first OU gymnast to earn three perfect 10s in one meet, tied Maggie Nichols program all-around record and is only the second OU gymnast to ever earn a 39.900-plus in the all-around.

"It's exciting, everything coming together," Bowers said. "We all work so hard in the gym. Especially vault, I've really been working on those landings, and I stick multiple in practice every day. I've been super close the past few meets, so sticking that was a highlight for me. I've really worked on my confidence, my consistency and working on the little things this year. I'm having a great year so far, and I'm looking forward to the future and building off of that."

Following the conclusion of the meet, Big 12 Yearly Awards were announced. Bowers was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Year, the first Sooner to achieve the honor since Anastasia Webb in 2021. Bowers is the 13th Sooner to be named Gymnast of the Year and the sixth to earn both Newcomer of the Year and Gymnast of the Year honors in her career, joining Anastasia Webb, Nichols, Brenna Dowell, Chayse Capps and Haley Scaman. Kindler was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the 13th time as the head coach of Oklahoma and the 15th time overall.

The Sooners used a 49.675 on vault to open the meet. The mark was a season high and the highest by a Sooner squad at a Big 12 Championship. Bowers was the highlight of the rotation, nailing her Yurchenko 1.5 for a perfect 10. The junior has now earned a perfect 10 three weeks in a row, following back-to-back 10s on floor. Freshman Hannah Scheible added a career-high 9.975 on a stuck handspring pike half in the No. 5 spot. Wells, Siegfeldt, Torrez and LeVasseur all showcased stunning 1.5s for 9.9s as the Sooners counted only scores of 9.9 or higher on the event.

After a bye in the second rotation, the Sooners earned a 49.725 on bars, tying their highest score on the event at conference championships. Danielle Sievers got things started with a stick on her full-in dismount for a 9.9, followed by another stuck dismount and a 9.9 from LeVasseur. In the No. 3 spot, Torrez rebounded from a fall in her last meet for a 9.85. In the No. 4 spot, Smith nailed her double layout for a 9.95. Audrey Davis was nearly perfect, earning a 10 from two of four judges for her 13th score of 9.975 in her career. Anchoring was Bowers with her second perfect 10 of the night and fifth of the year.

OU came out firing on beam, notching a 49.775 in the fourth rotation. Davis led off with a 9.925, her seventh 9.9-plus score in a row. Ava Siegfeldt added a 9.95 as she stuck her gainer full dismount. In the No. 3 spot, Bowers continued her strong night with a 9.925. A stuck gainer full and gorgeous tumbling on the beam earned Torrez a 9.95 in the No. 4 spot. Showing off her stunning flexibility, LeVasseur added a 9.95 in the No. 5 spot. Smith anchored with her fifth 10 of the season on beam, in her final performance in the LNC.

The Sooners posted their highest floor score at a conference championship with a 49.775 on the event. Davis got the final rotation started with a beautiful opening pass for a 9.925, followed by a 9.9 from Bell Johnson in her final routine inside the LNC. In the No. 3 spot, Smith showed off a big double back for a 9.9. LeVasseur stuck her opening full-in cold for a 9.95. Showcasing her stunning double layout, Torrez earned her first career perfect 10 in the No. 5 spot. Nailing her double pike, Bowers clinched the scoring record with her third-straight perfect 10 on the event, setting the OU program record with four perfect marks on floor.

UP NEXT

The Sooners will await their regional destination, traveling to either Ann Arbor, Mich., Berkeley, Calif., Fayetteville, Ark., or Gainesville, Fla. Teams to compete in the three-day competition will be announced Monday, March 25 at 11 a.m. CT.