OU travels to Tempe to take on the Gym Devils at 3 p.m. CT Saturday.
Jan. 11, 2013
THE SERIES
Oklahoma and Arizona State are meeting for the first time since competing at the same NCAA Regional in 2008. Oklahoma is 1-5 all-time in Tempe with its lone win coming in a 196.400-196.275 defeat of the Gym Devils in 2007. The 2007 matchup was K.J. Kindler's fifth meet as head coach at Oklahoma and represented her seventh win as a Sooner. OU and ASU have competed against each other during the regular season just once since 1999 and have not competed against each other in a dual meet since OU defeated ASU 184.45-181.50 in Norman in 1987.
LAST WEEKEND - AT GEORGIA
Oklahoma came from behind to open the season with a 196.450-195.425 win at No. 11 Georgia on Jan. 5 in front of 7,083 fans. The win was OU's first-ever victory in Athens over the Gym Dogs and the Sooners' first road win in a dual meet season opener since 2001. Down .400 after two rotations and .125 after the third, OU finished strong on floor and beam to close out the meet with the highest team score in a season opener in program history and third-highest score of any team in the nation last weekend.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
Last weekend at No. 11 Georgia, three freshmen competed for the Sooners for the first time in their collegiate careers. Haley Scaman scored a 9.8 or higher in all three events in which she competed, winning the floor title with a 9.875 and tying for the bars title with a 9.875 on her way to being named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. Keeley Kmieciak competed in the all-around, highlighted by identical 9.85 scores on vault and beam, the vault score finishing tops among all OU competitors. In addition, Hunter Price saw her first experience stepping in for an injured Erica Brewer to compete on vault.
TAY AT THE TOP
Junior Taylor Spears was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week after her performance at No. 11 Georgia, marking her seventh Big 12 weekly award of her career. Spears, a junior from Plano, Texas, won the all-around title with a score of 39.375, just .025 shy of her career high. The all-around title was the fourth of her career and included team-high scores of 9.875 on bars and beam.
SPECIAL SEASON OPENER
OU's season opener on Jan. 5 at No. 11 Georgia was historic for the Sooners. Not only was the win OU's first against Georgia in Athens in program history, but the squad's 196.450 team score was the highest in a season opener by any Sooner team. The score was also third-highest mark of any team in the country on the season's opening weekend.
SPECIALIST STREAK
With junior Madison Mooring earning Big 12 Specialist of the Week honors to kickoff the season, the Sooners have now won the award 12-straight times, including all 11 weeks last season in 2012. Last season, current OU graduate assistants Megan Ferguson and Sara Stone combined to win the award eight times, while current Sooners Brie Olson and Taylor Spears won the award twice and once, respectively.
