In the last four seasons, OU has claimed one national title, two third place finishes, and one second place finish while posting a total record of 101-10.

The problem that sometimes comes with that kind of continued success is complacency and a sense of entitlement among athletes. This team has very lofty goals, and the members of the No. 1-ranked Sooner squad are not afraid to admit it.

“We want to finish off this season like we started the preseason, ranked No. 1,” junior Chris Stehl said. “And then go on to win the national championships as well as conference.”

Of course setting high goals and actually having the dedication and ambition to accomplish those goals are two different things.

The gymnasts who are good enough to crack the lineup at Oklahoma are among the best in the country, and suddenly they are a part of the nation’s No. 1 college program. So, how does a coach keep a gymnast motivated when he has essentially reached the pinnacle of his sport?

Coach Mark Williams said that is not difficult because the high level of competition at Oklahoma does not allow any sense of entitlement.

“You kind of have to earn your place at the top,” Williams said. “Nothing is guaranteed. Even if we have talented guys, they still have to do the work. So, by no means are they entitled to anything. Every year is a new year.”

It makes sense that the OU gymnasts have to stay hungry. After all, the best gymnasts in the nation are arriving at Oklahoma year after year. If an older guy is not doing his job, he will not be hard to replace.

Gymnastics is unlike many sports, though. A gymnast can be a national champion and even make the national team and compete against the best in the world even if he is part of a very average team.

Take OU junior Jake Dalton, for example. Dalton won two individual NCAA championships last year and competed with the Senior National Team at the World Championships. Regardless of how the Sooners fare as a team this season, Dalton has high hopes of competing in this summer’s Olympic games. What, then, is it that keeps athletes like Dalton involved during the grind of the NCAA season?

“I’m the type of person that I don’t even like to have a bad workout,” Dalton said. “I don’t think anybody does, but I don’t like to fall. I don’t like to mess up. I know perfect isn’t really possible, but it’s what I try to shoot for all the time.”

Perfect. That word is used a lot around the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center. The Sooners strive for perfect practices, perfect routines and perfect meets. However, the team’s perfect season was spoiled Saturday by No. 2-ranked Illinois. The Sooners led the Illini for the entire meet. However, Illinois was able to pull ahead of OU on the final rotation of the night .

It was an early season setback the team certainly had not planned on. However, it could be just what this young team needed. Oklahoma’s 18-man roster is made up of 10 freshmen. Williams hopes the loss will serve as a lesson to his young team to always show up ready to go down to the wire.

“Maybe some of the guys started believing a little bit what we’ve been saying that we can’t take for granted that we can just go to a meet and feel like showing up is enough to win,” Williams said. “It was a great lesson.”

The OU squad is young and inexperienced. However all the talent is in place for big things. The Sooners just need to follow Dalton’s example and always strive for perfection.