The No. 1 Sooners opened their season with a 197.750-196.700 win over No. 3 Alabama on Friday night.
The squad began the night on vault where sophomore Brenna Dowell, who deferred her 2016 season, scored a new career high of 9.950, leading the team in the event and placing first in individual results.
“I’ve been looking forward to coming back to OU since the day I left,” Dowell said. “To really start off the competition on a good note really helped my mindset going forward knowing that I was back and everything was going to be good.”
Freshman Maggie Nichols, who was awarded the Kelly Garrison Gymnast of the Meet award and made her college career debut, scored no less than a 9.900 during the meet, scoring higher than her teammates in almost every event except for vault where she trailed Dowell by 0.05. However, Nichols placed second in individual results on beam following Alabama's junior Kiana Winston (9.950).
“It was the hard work from preseason that’s paying off,” Nichols said. “I’m really excited for the rest of the season and to continue to grow and get even better each weekend.”
According to head coach KJ Kindler, getting the first meet underneath the team’s belt is very important.
“I was telling them to loosen up, they were kind of tight,” Kindler said. “They were definitely over-thinking things and they need to trust their training ... but they’ll get better at that.”
Particular moments where the Sooners struggled include dismounts on the uneven bars by Dowell and senior McKenzie Wofford, Nichols wobbling on beam, and junior Natalie Brown falling off of the beam during her routine giving her a score of 9.225.
“(It was) an uncharacteristic mistake, rarely ever see that from (Brown),” Kindler said. “She was doing a new series; perhaps had all her eggs in her mind into that basket and maybe lost a little focus there.”
Kindler said the team will also be focusing on their stamina and fitness on the floor.
“We’ll get better as the year goes on; it’s nice to get that first one done,” Kindler said. “Doing floor last, when you have all of that adrenaline and everything going on, it’s difficult to do.”
All-arounders Nichols and senior Chayse Capps took first and second place, respectively, with 39.725 and 39.575.
The Sooners will face No. 4 UCLA Jan. 15 at home giving the team a little over a week to fine-tune their routines.
