OU women's gymnastics: Takeaways from No. 1 Sooners' victory over No. 5 Utah

Ryan Aber, Oklahoman
·4 min read
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NORMAN — As Danielle Sievers ran down the vault lane, Lizzo blared from the sound system at Lloyd Noble Center.

“I’m not the girl I was or used to be,” the chorus rang out. “I might be better.”

It remains to be seen if this edition of OU’s women’s gymnastics team is going to be better than last year’s team, which brought the program’s fifth national title.

But so far, so good. Sievers got the Sooners started right, with a career-high 9.95 on the vault as OU knocked off No. 5 Utah 197.925-197.275 in the home opener Sunday night.

"The crowd was fantastic," OU coach K.J. Kindler said. "That kind of energy in the arena makes a big difference."

It was the 65th consecutive home victory for the Sooners, who have not lost at Lloyd Noble Center since 2014.

Here are three other takeaways from the Sooners’ home-opening victory:

More:Want to know how OU women's gymnastics has become a juggernaut? It starts on balance beam.

OklahomaÕs Jordan Bowers celebrates after competing in the vault against Utah at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.
OklahomaÕs Jordan Bowers celebrates after competing in the vault against Utah at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.

Honoring champions

The last time the Sooners were on the floor with Utah was last April in Fort Worth, when OU came back from being in last place after the first rotation to beat not only the Red Rocks but Florida and Auburn to win the championship.

Before Sunday’s meet, the Sooners’ national title banner was unveiled as gold streamers floated down from the Lloyd Noble Center rafters.

Also during the meet, a large group of OU women’s gymnastics alumni were honored.

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Vault gets the Sooners going

The day before OU took on the Red Rocks, Sooners assistant Lou Ball pulled the trigger on a change in the vault lineup, moving Danielle Sievers to the leadoff spot and placing Allie Stern third.

Stern and Sievers had an idea the switch was coming during Saturday's practice, but it wasn't until that night that Kindler and Ball told them they'd change spots.

Kindler and Ball began talking about the move during the Jan. 16 win at LSU.

The move paid dividends immediately.

Sievers set the tone from the beginning, and Stern soon followed with a season-high 9.975. Then Jordan Bowers posted a 9.95 and Katherine LeVasseur a 9.925.

Sooners coach K.J. Kindler said she thought Stern's vault might've earned her a perfect score.

"Vault was pretty incredible," Kindler said.

By the time it was over, the Sooners posted a 49.65 on the event, tied for the eighth-best in program history and tied for the best mark in the country this season.

The program record for the vault is 49.775, set in 2020 against West Virginia and Texas Woman’s at Lloyd Noble Center.

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Oklahoma reveals the 2022 WomenÕs Gymnastics championship banner before the start of their meet against Utah at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.
Oklahoma reveals the 2022 WomenÕs Gymnastics championship banner before the start of their meet against Utah at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.

Strong beam finish rights the ship

It was a bit of a rough start on the balance beam for the Sooners.

Freshman Ava Siegfeldt slipped and posted a 9.225, Jordan Bowers a 9.725 and Jenna Dunn a 9.875.

With the lead slipping, though, OU finished strong in K.J. Kindler’s favorite event.

Faith Torrez sent things firmly in the right direction with a season-high 9.9, followed by another 9.9 from Audrey Davis.

Then Ragan Smith closed it out strong with a season-high 9.95, giving the Sooners a 49.35.

Kindler was particularly happy with the way Torrez handled the situation.

"Faith has never, ever been in that position," Kindler said. "The pressure is different (from elite gymnastics)."

Torrez's double-back dismount on the beam is one of the toughest in the country and she nailed it in her home debut.

It wasn’t the best performance for the Sooners, but it was enough to extend their lead heading into the final rotation.

Torrez then highlighted OU's performance in the floor exercise, with a 9.95, tying her season high.

"I just really wanted to have my team's back," Torrez said.

Kindler said the Sooners' struggles in the uneven bars and balance beam can be an important learning step after the first two matches had gone without much in the way of missed routines.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma women's gymnastics: No. 1 OU Sooners beat No. 5 Utah Utes