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ALERT

Weather Alert

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM CDT FRIDAY...

The following statement was issued by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality.

An Air Quality Alert for Ozone has been issued for Friday, August 28
for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area due to expected high
concentrations of ozone.

Public Health Recommendations: Persons with existing heart or
respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor
activity.

The general public is encouraged to help alleviate the problem by
reducing vehicle miles traveled by riding the bus, carpooling, or
avoiding unnecessary trips. The public is also asked to avoid
refueling during the morning and early afternoon hours, and to avoid
the use of two cycle engines such as lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed
trimmers, and outboard engines. It is also advised to limit outdoor
burning.

To view the latest air quality map, visit airnow.gov or the AirNow
app.

For hourly updates on concentrations and possible health warnings,
telephone the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality at
405-702-4100. For more information on health effects, call the
American Lung Association of Oklahoma at 405-748-4674

Oklahoma men's gymnastics: Sooners prepare to compete for fourth consecutive national title

Yul bars

Then-OU gymnast Yul Moldauer celebrates after the parallel bars Feb. 24, 2018.

 Caleb Weller/The Daily

This season has been nothing but success for the Sooners. Going undefeated, winning a seventh consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title and winning awards along the way, the Sooners have been an absolute powerhouse in and out of the gym.

Struggling against a canceled meet, outstanding competitors and heartbreaking injuries, the Sooners have fought to where they stand, going into the NCAA Championship as No. 1 yet again. On Friday and Saturday, Oklahoma will compete for what could be its fourth consecutive national title.

Oklahoma has dominated for the past three years, and achieving yet another title would only further prove the point they’ve already made throughout the season. The Sooners are all in, or “All4One” as they would put it.

This team is led by some of this season’s gymnast stars like world champion junior Yul Moldauer and senior Hunter Justus, a Nissen-Emery Award finalist.

For Justus and fellow senior Reese Rickett, winning this championship would mean not only securing another national title but also leaving their collegiate gymnastics careers behind without a single loss.

Newcomers like freshman Gage Dyer have breathed new air into lineups as well, with Dyer posting big scores on both vault and floor throughout the season, leading to his nomination for rookie of the year.

During this final week of preparation, coach Mark Williams has been active in his support of the team.  

Williams was recently named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation coach of the year, and he has proven it in his experience and ability to drive his team to this level of competition on a consecutive basis. 

Oklahoma faces pressure in the final week leading up to the climactic finish of the season, but, to the team, it's just another week in the gym perfecting its craft.

"We see every team as the team to beat, so this is no different," said junior Levi Anderson.

Competing against several of the nation's best teams, the Sooners will need this mindset to secure another title. 

Starting April 20, the championships will begin with two pre-qualifying sessions conducted at the UIC Pavilion on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. From there, three teams will move on to the finals April 21.

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