The No. 1 Sooners came out on top 197.675 to 196.925 over No. 7 Georgia on senior night despite struggles on the beam and floor.
“Probably a very emotional week leading up to senior night — I mean, a third of our team are seniors,” coach KJ Kindler said.
Senior Charity Jones opened on vault with 9.875 to match her career best. She was followed by senior Chayse Capps with a 9.85, but both were overshadowed by sophomore Brenna Dowell’s 9.95. Dowell tied with Georgia’s Sydney Snead for top spot on the event.
“I was a little nervous before (beam), but I just wanted to go in there thinking...doing what I know how to do,” Jones said. “It was a great one to finish out at the Lloyd Noble (Center).”
On bars, senior McKenzie Wofford came in first place with a 9.95, followed by freshman Maggie Nichols in second with 9.925 and junior Stefani Catour and sophomore Nicole Lehrmann tied for third with 9.9s.
“I thought we were trying a little too hard on our landing,” Kindler said. “We were a little soggy on our landings tonight, not quite our normal selves, but I think that’s going to happen this season. We’ve got to come down a little bit from where we were the last few weeks, so I think that’s a good thing.”
For the third rotation, the Sooners struggled with junior Natalie Brown taking a spill collecting a 9.25 — the last time she fell was the opening meet against then No. 3 Alabama where she scored a 9.225.
“(Natalie) warmed up great, it was just kind of a flukey thing,” Kindler said. “(I was) really excited about how Charity started us off.”
With Jones’s 9.9 to open and Capps and Nichols’s 9.95, the Sooners were able to end the event with a 49.450. The team moved to floor where senior Nicole Turner took over for Nichols.
“She wasn’t feeling a hundred percent and there’s no reason to risk it at this point in the season,” Kindler said.
There were also a few out-of-bounds routines with Turner and sophomore Brenna Dowell. OU squeaked by in the event 49.325 to Georgia’s 49.300.
“I feel like they were a little tired tonight,” Kindler said.
Although it was the last night at home for OU and emotions were running high, the team still has three meets left before the Big 12 Championships on March 18.
“Some of them were very emotional this week,” Kindler said. “I, personally, know that it gets a little harder as you go on as you get toward your last meet, so we need to make sure we really keep those emotions in check. When you know the end is coming and there’s nothing you can do about it, you just have to keep that in mind: there’s nothing you can do about it.”
The Sooners will travel to Denton, Texas, Feb. 26 for their double-meet weekend to take on Texas Woman’s University for the second time this season.
“(We’re) resting a lot of people, actually,” Kindler said. “We’re going to see a lot of changes, I think that’s good for our team — I think it’s going to challenge other people and they’ve been working hard in the gym, too.”
Seniors on senior night:
Vault: Jones (9.875), Capps (9.85)
Bars: Capps (9.75), McKenzie Wofford (9.95)
Beam: Jones (9.9), Capps (9.95)
Floor: Jones (9.875), Turner (9.65), Capps (9.925)
Senior class by the numbers:
One hundred-ten wins
Two national titles
Fourteen All-American honors
