OU Gymnastics: Two Oklahoma Athletes Land Conference Accolades

Fuzzy Benas and Jack Freeman continued the Sooners' dominant season by bringing home two more weekly awards from the MPSF.

John E. Hoover | Feb 27, 2024

OU Gymnastics: Two Oklahoma Athletes Land Conference Accolades /

By OU Media Relations

NORMAN – Oklahoma sophomore Fuzzy Benas was named the MPSF Gymnast of the Week and fifth-year senior Jack Freeman was named MPSF Specialist of the Week after their performances over the weekend at Winter Cup, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Benas registered the highest finish among collegiate gymnasts in the all-around standings at Winter Cup, tying for fifth place and earning a spot on the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team. His total all-around score of 163.600 was comprised of an 82.950 on Sunday and an 80.650 on Friday. Benas climbed the standings on Sunday with the second-highest all-around score in the finals to finish in a fifth-place tie after entering the day in eighth following Friday’s round of competition.

The Richmond, TX, product scored highest on vault with a combined 29.050 score (14.650 on Friday and 14.400 on Sunday), and he finished among the top-14 in every other event. He placed fifth on parallel bars with a total of 28.400, and totaled 27.200 on floor exercise (10th), 27.050 on still rings (12th), 26.150 on high bar (13th) and 25.750 on pommel horse (14th).

Freeman, a Palestine, TX, product, placed fourth in the high bar competition at Winter Cup, registering a combined score of 27.450. He notched a 13.950 in the opening round on Friday and followed with a 13.500 in the finals on Sunday to earn a fourth-place finish on the event.

This is Benas’ third MPSF weekly award this season and the fifth of his career. This is Freeman’s first conference weekly honor of the season and the second of his career.

Oklahoma gymnasts have now won 13 MPSF weekly awards this season. Benas was also named MPSF Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 23 and Feb. 13, senior Zach Nunez was named Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 20, junior Emre Dodanli was named Specialist of the Week on Jan. 16 and Jan. 30, sophomore Ignacio Yockers was named Specialist of the Week on Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and Feb. 13, sophomore Kelton Christiansen was named Specialist of the Week on Feb. 20, and freshman Colin Flores was named Freshman of the Week on Jan. 23 and Feb. 6.

The Sooners return to NCAA action this week, and travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday for a noon CT meet at No. 4 Michigan.

Published Feb 27, 2024

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.