OU Gymnastics: Two Perfect 10s Highlight Oklahoma's Romp Into Saturday

Jordan Bowers, Ragan Smith and Olivia Trautman all posted big numbers for individual titles as the Sooners advanced to the regional finals.

John E. Hoover | Mar 31, 2023

By OU Media Relations

NORMAN — Top-ranked Oklahoma's posted a 197.925 Thursday night to advance to Saturday’s regional final, topping North Carolina State, Ohio State and Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Norman Regional inside Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners will face No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Kentucky (those teams scored a 197.375 and a 197.475 Thursday afternoon, respectively) and No. 16 Ohio State (scored a 197.350 Thursday night).

Sophomore Jordan Bowers and senior Ragan Smith each registered a perfect 10 to win the bars and beam titles, respectively. It was Bowers’ fourth career NCAA regional title, while Smith earned her first.

Super senior Olivia Trautman earned her third career NCAA regional title and first on vault with a 9.950.

Kentucky’s Raena Worley won the all-around with a 39.625 and a share of the floor title with a 9.950. Joining Worley as floor champions were Ohio State’s Elexis Edwards and Arkansas’ Frankie Price.

Audrey Davis :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Sooners matched their seventh-best beam score at an NCAA Regional with a 49.475 in the opening rotation. Going perfect in back-to-back postseason competitions, Smith anchored the lineup with her fifth career perfect 10, all on beam. She is now tied for second in program history for career perfect 10.0 scores with Trautman, Haley Scaman and 2021 NCAA all-around champion Anastasia Webb. Smith also became the first Sooner to earn a perfect score on beam at a regional since OU legend Maggie Nichols in 2018.

Trautman got the meet started with a solid 9.875, followed by a 9.725 from junior Katherine LeVasseur, who competed in the official beam lineup for the first time since Feb. 3 against Iowa State. Bowers followed with a 9.800 and freshman Faith Torrez earned her seventh score of 9.9-plus with a 9.925. Junior Audrey Davis posted a 9.875 in the No. 5 spot and the Sooners trailed Ohio State 49.525-49.475.

Jordan Bowers :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

In the second rotation, OU posted its eighth-best floor score at a regional for the fifth time in program history with a 49.450 to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Sooners ended the rotation with three scores of 9.900 or higher, starting with back-to-back 9.900s from Bowers and sophomore Danielle Sievers. Torrez anchored the lineup with a 9.925, her 12th score of 9.9-plus in 13 meets. Junior Bell Johnson got the floor rotation started with a 9.725 and was followed by Davis (9.875) and Smith (9.850).

The Sooners posted their 10th-best vault score in regional competition with a 49.400. Trautman anchored the rotation, bringing energy to the crowd with a sky-high Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.950. The score matched the fourth-best individual regional score in program history. Sievers started the lineup with a near-stuck Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.900. Super senior Allie Stern returned to the lineup with a 9.850 before junior LeVasseur added a 9.900 in the No. 3 spot. Bowers followed with a 9.800 and Davis earned a 9.750 in the No. 5 spot.

Olivia Trautman :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

The bars squad ended the night with OU’s fourth-best score on the event in regional competition (49.600). In the No. 5 spot, Bowers earned her first perfect 10 on the event and third overall (tied for sixth-most in program history with LeVasseur and NCAA champions Brenna Dowell and Nicole Lehrmann). Bowers’ perfect score was OU’s first on bars in regional competition since Webb in 2021 and third overall.

Sievers swung strong with a season-high 9.950 to start the Sooners. Sophomore Danae Fletcher followed with a 9.825, while Trautman recorded her sixth score of 9.900 or higher on the event this season with a 9.925. Smith stuck her double-layout dismount for a 9.900, while Davis anchored the rotation with a 9.800.

The Sooners will compete Saturday at 4:45 p.m. in the regional final for a chance to advance to the NCAA Championships semifinals in Fort Worth on April 13.

Published Mar 31, 2023

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.