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A sea of white filled the Lloyd Noble Center as the crowd prepared to watch Oklahoma compete in a top 10 matchup.

A total of 8,875 fans were in attendance for the Sooners’ (20-0) 198.650-197.325 win over the No. 7 Wolverines (9-5) on Friday night in Norman. Before the meet even started, the energy radiating from the fans, many of whom likely came from OU softball’s first games at Love’s Field could be felt from OU’s gymnasts.

“It was a big crowd tonight … Softball had their big thing, so there were so many fans all over Norman for them to come to our meet today, it’s awesome,” Senior Katherine LeVasseur commented. “And I think that’ll just get (us) ready for the next one and bring out more fans for Bama.”

After the first round the Sooners were in the lead by a score of just 49.525-49.500. OU was likely in for a hotly contested meet, and the crowd was seemingly ready to be on the edge of their seats throughout.

When a gymnast stuck a landing, the crowd roared with excitement. LeVasseur and senior Audrey Davis posted near-perfect (9.975) routines on uneven bars. After each stuck the landing, the crowd erupted with cheers shouting “Ten! Ten! Ten!”

“I think the energy of the crowd is getting better every week because they’re really grasping what’s going on. They really are understanding the sport and kind of what is excellent,” Head coach K.J. Kindler stated. “You can feel the temperature rise after a great routine. After a stuck landing you can feel that these fans are educated now.”

On beam, it was much of the same. The Sooner faithful erupted and cheered as OU continued to stick many of its landings.

The reaction from the crowd was different when fifth-year Ragan Smith stepped onto the platform to perform her beam routine, however.

As Smith performed her beam routine, which she had scored a perfect 10 on the past two meets, a hush fell over the Lloyd Noble Center.

After Smith stuck her landing, the sea of white returned to the roars that filled the LNC prior to her performance, knowing they just witnessed history. Smith’s perfect 10 was not only her third consecutive perfect beam score, but the eighth of her career, making that the most perfect 10s on beam in program history. Not only could the crowd tell it was a perfect routine, Smith also knew it was a 10 the second her feet landed on the mat.

“I just feel like I know when I do my best routine and when I hit the landing,” Smith said. “I just see the crowd and that feeling never goes away.”

Olympic gold-medalist Aly Raisman was in attendance as one of the commentators for ESPN. Another star athlete in attendance Friday night was NBA All-Star and guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

No. 1 Oklahoma will travel to compete against Texas Woman’s University at 2 p.m. Sunday in Denton, Texas.

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