THE CHALLENGE
No. 2 Oklahoma (11-0) comes into the Perfect 10 Challenge undefeated after the first six of the meets of the year and is one of three teams in the nation to be undefeated and have at least seven wins. The Sooners will compete against No. 16 Boise State, BYU and TWU at the COX Convention Center in Oklahoma City on Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. CT. Oklahoma has an 8-2 record over the Boise State and has won the last five meetings. The Sooners lead their series with BYU 5-2, having last met in 2005. OU and TWU have been long-time opponents, with Oklahoma holding a 61-3 lead, including a 197.225-194.650 victory last season.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS No. 16 Boise State (4-0)
Boise State enters its fifth meet of the season and second on the road. The team sits at No. 16 in the nation and No. 4 in the West Region in addition to holding national event ranks of No. 14 on vault, No. 8 on bars, No. 24 on beam and No. 18 on floor. Boise State enters the week with a season-high of 196.325.
BYU (5-4)
BYU has topped 195 in consecutive meets for the first time since the end of the 2011 season. The Cougars scored a season-best 195.150 vs. Southeast Missouri State in last week’s meet in Provo. Ranked No. 31, the Cougars rank No. 31 in the nation on vault, No. 24 on bars, No. 33 on beam and No. 37 on floor.
TWU (4-7)
Ranked No. 56 in the nation, TWU enters the week with a season-high score of 193.150. As a team the Pioneers rank No. 48 on vault, No. 60 on bars, No. 50 on beam and No. 51 on floor.
LAST WEEKEND - IOWA STATE
After defeating West Virginia last weekend, the No. 2 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics squad finished a sweep of the Big 12 regular season with a win over Iowa State, 197.625-194.775. The Sooners’ score was its third-highest in program history and broke its season high team score for the second-straight week. OU has now won 11-straight Big 12 regular season contests, including six straight over the Cyclones over the past six seasons. The Sooners’ 197.625 team score also marks the fourth-straight meet of 197 or better, a feat accomplished just twice before by OU, once in 2003 and again in 2012. Oklahoma is currently the only team in the country this seaosn to have three scores above 197 on the road.
SOONERS EARN BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS
For the fourth straight week and fifth time this season, Oklahoma swept the Big 12 weekly gymnastics awards. Taylor Spears was the Gymnast of the Week recipient, while Madison Mooring and Keeley Kmieciak were named Event Specialist of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, respectively. Spears picked up her sixth Gymnast of the Week award and 10th career weekly recognition while Mooring nabbed her second straight specialist award and third of the season. This is the second newcomer honor for Kmieciak. Oklahoma has swept conference honors five of six weeks this season, winning 17 of 18 honors. Eight different Sooners have earned at least one award this season.
MAGIC NUMBER
The Sooners are the only team in the country to have scored a 197.000 or higher at three road meets this season and one of only three teams in the country to have done it even once on the road. OU currently holds a season average of 197.125 overall and has scored above a 197.000 in four-straight meets.
BEST ON BEAM
Oklahoma retains its No. 1 ranking nationally on beam with a 49.358 average, almost two-tenths higher than second place Florida’s average of 49.179. The Sooners’ score of 49.525 at Iowa State and 49.475 at West Virginia are the two highest scores of any team in the country on beam. Junior Taylor Spears ranks No. 1 individually with a 9.9 average, one of a national-best four Sooners in the individual rankings along with Lauren Alexander (No. 8), Erica Brewer (No. 13) and Madison Mooring (No. 19).
RANKED AT THE TOP
Coming in ranked No. 2 in the nation this week, the Sooners have been ranked in the top 3 all six weeks of the 2013 regular season. OU has been ranked in the top 5 each of the past 17 regular season rankings and in the top 10 for 57 consecutive weeks overall dating back to midway through the 2009 season.
