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ALERT

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...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING...
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 10 PM CDT SATURDAY...

The following statement was issued by the Oklahoma Department of
Environmental Quality until 10 PM CDT Saturday evening.

An Air Quality Alert for Ozone has been issued for Friday, October
9th, and Saturday, October 10th, 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
Alert

'We're capable of so much more': OU gymnastics advances to regional final despite up-and-down performance

Ragan Smith

Senior Ragan Smith during the NCAA Norman Regional Semifinal on March 30.

 Reghan Kyle/OU Daily

Following its first rotation, OU gymnastics was in a strange position: second place. 

Despite a perfect 10 from Ragan Smith on beam to end the rotation, the Sooners began their NCAA regionals tournament trailing No. 16 Ohio State by .500.

Sophomore Jordan Bowers later earned a 10 of her own on bars, but Oklahoma struggled by sticking only three of their 18 dismounts on the night.

The win wasn’t pretty according to head coach KJ Kindler, but it was enough to advance.

“That was definitely consequential to our score, and I also felt like it stopped us from ever gaining any momentum,” Kindler said. “We’re capable of so much more. It just felt like we could never get the momentum going because we weren’t hitting on all cylinders. We were a little up and down.”

Despite the shaky night, No. 1 Oklahoma’s (20-1, 3-0 Big 12) 197.925 was enough to edge out a victory to advance to Saturday’s regional final at 5 p.m. against No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 16 Ohio State. The top-two finishers advance to the national semifinals on April 13 in Fort Worth.

OU first ran into trouble on beam when junior Katherine LeVasseur wobbled on a front aerial and scored a season-low 9.725. LeVasseur’s performance was her first on beam since Feb. 3.

"If I was going to take an opportunity to see what Kat could do for us, I was going to do it today," Kindler said.

The Sooners then moved to floor for their second rotation where junior and leadoff performer Bell Johnson under-rotated her last tumbling pass and almost caught herself with her hands for a 9.725. Luckily, freshman Faith Torrez lifted the Sooners back to first place with her rotation-high 9.925.

Oklahoma didn’t stick a single vault in its third rotation but fifth-year senior Olivia Trautman was the closest to doing so with her event-winning 9.950.

Notably missing from Oklahoma’s lineups were Jenna Dunn on beam and Danae Fletcher on vault and floor, but Kindler said to expect to see lineup changes by Saturday.

“You know, we just weren’t landing well, right?” Kindler asked Trautman and sophomore Danielle Sievers after the meet. “We just weren’t landing well. So, I think we’ll get in a little better groove here for Saturday and we’re gonna make some adjustments to help with that.”

Bars was the best rotation of Oklahoma’s night where it scored a 49.600 and Jordan Bowers scored the first 10 of her career on bars. With the achievement, Bowers is now a 10 on beam away from the Gym Slam accomplishment, when a gymnast scores a 10 on four different events. The only OU gymnast to earn that feat was Maggie Nichols, who competed from 2017-20.

“Honestly, I think she really needed that,” Kindler said of Bowers. “She wasn’t having her normal night. For her to cap off her night in a better place than she was on the other events, I think that will be hugely helpful moving forward."

Sievers added Bowers is close to the accomplishment.

“She hits 10.0 (worthy) beam routines day in and day out, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she got it on Saturday,” Sievers said.

The Sooners will look to rebound from an uncharacteristic night in the upcoming regional final.

“We definitely weren’t ourselves tonight,” Sievers said. “But we’re going to go after it Saturday.”

This story was edited by Austin Curtright and Colton Sulley. Ansley Chambers copy edited this story.

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