Oklahoma finishes second to Michigan at NCAA gymnastics championships

Sooners briefly held a slim lead as everyone waited to see the Wolverines' final score on balance beam

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The margin was razor thin.

No. 1-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday capped off the 2021 gymnastics season as the NCAA National Runner-Up with a score of 198.1625, just behind first-time national champion Michigan.

The Wolverines scored a 198.250, including a clinching performance on the balance beam, on the final day of competition inside Dickies Arena.

Utah took third with a 197.875, and co-No. 1 Florida finished fourth with a 197.1375.

Oklahoma posted scores of 49.575 on vault, 49.5625 on bars, 49.4875 on beam and 49.5375 on floor during the finals. The Sooners have now earned eight consecutive top-3 finishes at the NCAA Championship.

The Sooners fell just short of winning their fifth national championship and finished the 2018 season with a 30-2 record, including five scores of 198-plus during the season. The 198.1625 OU scored Saturday is the fourth-highest in an NCAA Finals competition in program history.

OU opened the meet with a big 49.575 on vault but sat in second place behind Michigan, who tallied a 49.625 on floor.

Freshman Audrey Davis led things off with another stuck Yurchenko full for a 9.850. Junior Allie Stern nailed her 1.5 when it mattered most to earn a season-best 9.950 in the No. 2 spot. Senior Anastasia Webb, the 2021 NCAA Vault Champion, earned a 9.875, followed by a 9.9375 from Evy Schoepfer on a tucked 1.5. Freshman Katherine LeVasseur added a 9.8375 on a huge 1.5 in the No. 5 spot. Junior Olivia Trautman anchored with the high score of the rotation and a stuck 1.5 for a 9.9625.

The Sooners bettered their score from Friday with a 49.5625 on bars in the second rotation.

Trautman had an incredible routine and stuck dismount for a 9.9125 in the leadoff position. LeVasseur added a 9.8625 in the No. 2 spot. Senior Jordan Draper earned a career high as she nailed her double front dismount for a 9.9375. Webb followed with a stick and a 9.9375 of her own in the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Ragan Smith rebounded from a fall on Friday night to earn a 9.875. Davis anchored with a strong routine and a 9.9.

The third rotation saw Oklahoma post a 49.4875 on beam to remain just over a tenth of a point off Michigan’s pace.

Trautman once again led things off for OU in the third rotation, earning a 9.875. Davis followed with another impressive performance and a stuck dismount for a 9.8875 in the No. 2 spot. Senior Carly Woodard came up clutch after a fall to earn a 9.9 in the No. 4 spot. Smith kept the 9.9s coming with a 9.9 of her own in the No. 5 spot. Webb anchored strong with a 9.925.

The meet came down to the final rotation, and when OU finished its floor exercise, the Sooners temporarily held a slim lead while Michigan finished its last routine on beam.

The Sooners scored a 49.5375 on floor to secure the second-place finish.

In her final collegiate routine, Draper earned a 9.8875 to lead things off on floor. Schoepfer followed with a 9.9 as she too wrapped up her collegiate career. Junior Emma LaPinta and freshman Bell Johnson tallied matching scores of 9.85. Webb, Friday’s All-Around champion, earned a meet-best 9.9625 in the No. 5 spot, setting up Trautman as the anchor. Trautman notched a 9.9375 to close out the competition.