Oklahoma Sooners Seek Redemption at NCAA Championships in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Oklahoma Sooners are back in Fort Worth for the NCAA Women’s Championships, seeking redemption from their disappointing performance a year prior. On Saturday, April 19, they will face off against UCLA, Utah, and Missouri, aiming to exorcise the ghosts of their previous semifinal failure.

Coach KJ Kindler expressed the challenges that have weighed on the team since last year’s event, where Oklahoma, the top-ranked team, was eliminated after struggling on vault and beam. “It’s been a long 364 days,” Kindler said on Thursday. “And I don’t ever want to see TV footage of Oklahoma falling over and over again on vault. That dragon is slayed and we’re past it.”

Last year, three falls on vault and two on beam derailed their hopes of a seventh national title. The team’s failure to advance left behind a trail of criticism from fans and media alike. “They had a heavy weight on their shoulder,” Kindler acknowledged. “Not from their teammates, but the public and the media. It’s been tough to have that kind of criticism coming at you every week for these 18 to 22-year-olds.”

On Thursday, the Sooners opened their competition on uneven bars, scoring a solid 49.400. Despite a slip from Lily Pederson on balance beam, senior leader Jordan Bowers delivered a near-perfect routine, helping to stabilize the team. They finished the event with a score of 49.350 and moved to floor exercise, earning their highest total of the day at 49.525. With a combined score of 197.550, Oklahoma claimed the top score in the first semifinal.

The University of Missouri followed closely with a score of 197.300, earning a place in the final right alongside Oklahoma. The University of Florida also advanced with the same score, while Alabama trailed slightly with 196.825.

“It’s definitely been a challenge, especially being a senior trying to lead the team,” Bowers commented, reflecting on the previous year’s obstacles. “It’s a new year, it’s a new team. What happened last year doesn’t matter.”

Oklahoma will now look to cement their legacy with one more chance at glory. They are joined by Utah and UCLA, who dominated the second semifinal with scores of 197.7625 and 197.7375, respectively. Defending champions LSU fell short with a score of 197.525, and Michigan State rounded out the standings with 197.3625.

This year also marked a historic moment for the Missouri Tigers, who celebrated their first-ever qualification for the finals. The team pulled off a nail-biting finish, edging out Florida after coming into the final rotation with less than a tenth of a point lead. Mizzou’s anchor Helen Hu, the standout of their season, delivered a near-perfect routine on balance beam, scoring 9.9875 from the judges.

“I really felt like this was a special team this year, and we had an opportunity to be the best in the University of Missouri gymnastics history,” said head coach Shannon Welker. “It’s just so nice to see what I thought could be actually come to fruition.”