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OU Gymnastics: Oklahoma Dominates National Championship as Sooners Go Back-to-Back

The Sooners opened well, finished strong and led wire-to-wire to land the program's sixth national title under coach K.J. Kindler.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma dominated the national scene all year.

It was only fitting the Sooners dominated the postseason.

OU won the program’s sixth national championship on Saturday at Dickeys Arena in Fort Worth — it’s back-to-back crowns for the best women’s gymnastics program in the country — and made a statement in bringing home the gold.

The Sooners opened on vault and kept the pressure on the competition all day.

Danielle Sievers got things started with a .98625, and Allie Sterns followed with a 9.90. Kat LeVasseur scored 9.8875, Jordan Bowers went 9.90, Faith Torrez 9.925 and Olivia Trautman — the Sooners vault specialist and Thursday’s national champion in the event — topped things off with a 9.95.

That put OU in front after one rotation, with a 49.5625 — just ahead of Florida (49.5250), Utah (49.5000) and LSU 49.3125).

Sievers went high to start OU’s rotation on bars, scoring 9.925, and Danae Fletcher supported that with a 9.9125. Trautman, a super senior, stuck a career-best 9.95. That was followed by Ragan Smith’s 9.8875 and Bowers’ 9.925. Audrey Davis finished the bars routine also with a 9.925.

Another National Championship for Oklahoma.
Another National Championship for Oklahoma / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

That increased the Sooners’ lead over Florida after two rotations, 99.2000 to 98.9500. Utah made the turn in third at 98.6500, and LSU was fourth at 98.5500.

Jenna Dunn scored 9.850 to open the third rotation on beam. Trautman wrapped up her career with a 9.825, and Bowers landed a 9.9125. Torrez went 9.90 and Davis put OU back in front — to stay — with a stellar 9.95. Smith finished strong at 9.90 to all but clinch it.

OU went into the final rotation at 148.7125, well ahead of Florida (148.5250), Utah (148.2000) and LSU (148.0000).

On floor, OU immediately got a big number from Davis, who posted a 9.90. Smith went 9.9125 and Bowers landed a 9.950. Torrez hit a 9.925 and Fletcher upped that with a 9.9375 to unofficially clinch the title and set off the celebration.

OU coach K.J. Kindler now owns national titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023. This is their second repeat title. The Sooners also finished runner-up in 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2021.

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John E. Hoover
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.

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