OU Gymnastics: Oklahoma Hosts Arkansas Looking to Stay Undefeated

After beating Alabama on the road last week, the Sooners host No. 13 Arkansas on Friday, looking to stay unbeaten.

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Oklahoma returns to the Lloyd Noble Center on Friday, looking to stay undefeated.

The No. 1 Sooners, 8-0, host Arkansas for their second home SEC meet. OU is fresh off a win against No. 10 Alabama after the squad beat Missouri for its first-ever SEC meet.

Jordan Bowers was one of many Sooners that stood out against Alabama.

The senior all-around gymnast won three event titles — the all around, the bars and the floor. Her trio of titles earned Bowers SEC Co-Gymnast of the Week honors.

“She just keeps churning out great results, week in and week out,” OU gymnastics coach K.J. Kindler said on The Franchise 107.7’s TV on the Radio show. “She’s worked very hard to be in this position. It’s not just magic that happens when she steps onto the floor; it’s definitely intense preparation.”

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OU’s successful start to the 2024-25 season, though, has been far from a one-woman show.

The Sooners have won at least one weekly honor in the first four weeks of the season, and OU leads the SEC in total weekly awards.

Overall, Kindler thinks her team has gotten better and better throughout the season.

“We’re through 25% of the season, so now we’re kind of through the part of trying to figure out what we can do and what is the potential of what we can do,” Kindler said. “We’re analyzing right now and trying to refine, so that’s a big part of gymnastics. The small details and having them come out in big moments.”

OU will look to continue its early-season success against Arkansas, a familiar foe.

The Sooners and Razorbacks have battled in the regular season or the postseason in 17 of the last 18 seasons. It’s a rivalry that OU has dominated, with the Sooners leading the all-time series 24-1.

A year ago, Oklahoma and Arkansas squared off twice in the regular season, with the Sooners winning both contests.

The Razorbacks, despite their struggles against OU in recent memory, are a formidable foe. They enter Friday’s match No. 13 in the Road to Nationals rankings. 

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Most recently, Arkansas beat No. 3 LSU, the 2024 NCAA champions. The win was the Razorbacks’ biggest upset since 2011, when they took down No. 1 Florida.

Arkansas is one of nine SEC squads ranked in the top 15 of those rankings, along with Oklahoma (No. 1), Florida (2), LSU (3), Kentucky (7), Missouri (9), Auburn (11), Georgia (12) and Alabama (14).

Friday’s meet against the Razorbacks will begin at 7:45 p.m. It is the second of five home meets for the Sooners in the 2024-25 season, as they will host Kentucky, Florida and Michigan later in the season.