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OU Gymnastics: No. 1 Oklahoma Shines in Impressive Win at No. 11 Auburn

Jordan Bowers led another SEC victory with her fifth all-around crown of the season, while Faith Torrez continued her hot streak.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma gymnast Jordan Bowers
Oklahoma gymnast Jordan Bowers / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By OU Media Relations

AUBURN, AL – Behind its third-highest road score this season, the No. 1 Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team took down No. 11 Auburn, 197.925-196.900, Friday night inside Neville Arena.

The Sooners improved to 13-1 on the season and 6-1 in SEC action with the victory.

Jordan Bowers claimed her fifth all-around title of the season with a 39.675 on the night and all marks of 9.9 or higher. Bowers also claimed the beam title with a season-high 9.95. Faith Torrez claimed bars and floor with matching 9.95s and Elle Mueller’s near-perfect 9.975 on vault gave the freshman her first career event title.

Through one rotation, the Sooners led the meet 49.575-49.200. Dani Sievers stuck her full-twisting double back dismount to start off with a 9.90. Lily Pederson followed with a stick of her own on a double layout for a 9.90. Addison Fatta kept the 9.90s coming as her unique Church release was on display in the No. 3 spot. The highlight of the rotation was a beautiful routine and stuck double layout from Torrez for a 9.95. Audrey Davis showed off her stellar handstands for a 9.925 and Bowers added a 9.90 in the anchor spot after a solid routine.

A strong 49.475 on vault extended the lead to a 99.050-98.400 at the halfway point. Pederson nearly got the stick on her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.85 in the leadoff position. Torrez added a 9.875 in the No. 2 spot, followed by a 9.85 from Keira Wells. Competing one of her strongest vaults of the season, Fatta added a 9.875 of her own. Entered into the lineup after warmups, Mueller stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 for a career-high 9.975. Bowers ended the rotation with a near stick for a 9.90.

A 49.375 on floor gave OU a 148.425-147.675 lead with one rotation to go. Davis got the third rotation going with a 9.875, followed by a 9.75 from Pederson. After nailing her opening double back, Mueller drilled her second pass for a 9.875 in the No. 3 spot. Fatta added a 9.65 after an out-of-bounds deduction, but Bowers got the team back on track with a stuck opening pass for a 9.925. Showing off her incredible double layout, Torrez anchored with a 9.95.

OU secured its victory with a 49.500 on beam. Poised and confident in the leadoff position, Davis earned a 9.825. A strong routine from Fatta in the No. 2 spot earned her a 9.90, while Pederson stuck her dismount for a 9.90 of her own. Bowers put on one of her best performances of the season in the No. 4 spot, showing off a strong series and a stuck dismount for a season-high 9.95. On her second event of the night, Wells added a 9.90 in the No. 5 spot. Torrez anchored with a 9.85 to close out the meet for the Sooners.

The Sooners return to Lloyd Noble Center for the final home meet of the season on Friday, March 7. OU will host No. 15 Michigan for Senior Night, where Bowers, Davis, Danae Fletcher and Sievers will be honored in a post-meet ceremony.

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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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