The No. 1 Sooners will face No. 3 Alabama Friday for their first meet of the season at 6:45 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The team begins their season after a second national title in program history scoring 197.6750.
“To us right now, the ranking is a compliment and that’s all that means,” head coach KJ Kindler said. “We have to earn it every single week, so we’re going to go out there and do what we’ve been training in the gym and really trust that training.”
Kindler’s mentality is shared amongst the team.
“New team, same goal,” senior Charity Jones said. “We’re not thinking about the past national championship, we’re trying to think about what we can do this year in order to win another one.”
The first meet will help the Sooners prepare for the rest of their season followed by a home meet with No. 4 UCLA and at No. 29 West Virginia.
“Until you have that first competition, it’s really hard to gage where you are and where you need to go from here,” Kindler said.
For some members, like freshman Maggie Nichols and senior Nicole Turner, it’s their first season competing with the Sooners.
“I’m feeling really good,” Nichols said. “It’s a different kind of pressure (from the Olympic trials). It’s the first time I’m experiencing this type of competition, it’s more team oriented, so I’m just really excited to feel the ropes and to show my routines that I’ve been practicing in the gym.”
Nichols will be one of two all-arounders competing against Alabama. The other, senior Chayse Capps, who has competed every season since her freshman year, will not be taking her last one for granted.
“It’s kind of surreal at this point,” Capps said. “I still don’t realize it, I don’t think quite yet. I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was 18 months old, so it’s really all I’ve been doing my whole life. The fact that it’s going to be over, it’s weird.”
Capps is one of six seniors this season. She is joined by Turner, Jones, Reagan Hemry, Kara Lovan and McKenzie Wofford.
“I’m just trying to go out there, have fun and do what I can for the team to succeed,” Jones said.
The Sooners have a long journey ahead of them before they have a shot at their second consecutive national title. The West Virginia meet will be followed by Iowa State, Denver, Nebraska and TWU, along with the Perfect 10 Challenge, GYMQuarters Invitational in St. Charles, Missouri, one last home meet against Georgia and three away meets.
