WOMEN S GYMNASTICS. University of Oklahoma 2008 OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS

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1 University of Oklahoma WOMEN S GYMNASTICS Phillip Rogers, OU Women s Gymnastics Media Relations Contact 180 W. Brooks, Suite 2525, Norman, OK O: (405) C: (405) F: (405) philliprogers@ou.edu SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/results @ Cancun Classic $... First, @ Central Michigan...6:00 p.m @ Texas Woman s University...7:00 p.m @ West Virginia =...12:00 p.m NEBRASKA...7:00 p.m @ Denver ~...7:00 p.m IOWA STATE +...7:00 p.m @ Missouri...6:30 p.m TEXAS WOMAN S UNIVERSITY...7:00 p.m AUBURN!...7:00 p.m @ Arkansas...2:00 p.m @ Minnesota...6:00 p.m BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS *...7:00 p.m NCAA SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL *...6:00 p.m NCAA Team Finals #... TBA NCAA Individual Finals #... TBA All times listed are central. ALL HOME MEETS ARE AT THE LLOYD NOBLE CENTER $ Meet features: OU, Denver, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Minnesota, TWU, West Virginia and Wisconsin-Whitewater = Also competing are William & Mary and George Washington ~ Meet includes Denver, Air Force and Utah State + Beauty and the Beast Night (Paired with Wrestling Dual)! Senior Night * Norman, Okla. - Hosted by the University of Oklahoma # Athens, Ga. - Hosted by the University of Georgia No. 8 Sooners return to the road for match-up with central michigan MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Fresh off its title at the season-opening Cancun Classic, the No. 8 OU women s gymnastics squad travels to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas on Friday, Jan. 11, at 6 p.m. (CST) inside Rose Arena. The Sooners opened the 2008 competition slate in grand fashion, defeating No. 22 West Virginia, Iowa and UW-Whitewater in Cancun, Mexico on Jan. 4. Oklahoma (3-0) all-but sealed the victory in the third rotation after scoring a on beam, which tied the second-highest score in program history on the apparatus. Senior All-American Kiara Redmond-Sturms took home the seventh all-around title of her OU career at the event, while Ashley Jackson finished third in her first collegiate all-around competition. Central Michigan opens its 2008 season against Oklahoma after going last year. The Chippewas return nine of 11 letterwinners from a squad that finished third in the Mid-American Conference under Jerry Reighand, who enters his 23rd year at the helm of the CMU gymnastics program. Live scoring will be available at Setting The Scene Date: Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 Location: Mount Pleasant, Mich. Venue: Rose Arena TV: None Webcast: None Live Scoring: Available at SoonerSports.com WHAT TO WATCH FOR After sitting out the season-opening Cancun Classic due to injury, senior Caitlin Hinkis could see action on the bars this weekend against Central Michigan. oklahoma Sooners CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS 2008 SEASON HIGHS 2007 SEASON HIGHS* (Kiara Redmond-Sturms) VAULT (Katie Simon) (Redmond-Sturms / Jackie Flanery) BARS (Vanessa Rodriguez) (Haley DeProspero) BEAM (Jessica Suder) (Redmond-Sturms) FLOOR (Katie Simon) (Redmond-Sturms) ALL-AROUND (Katie Simon) * scores are listed for CMU as the OU meet marks the start of the Chippewas season OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS

2 O K L A H O M A s oo n e r s Name Yr. Ht. Hometown (High School) (Club) Pronunciation Candace Cindell Fr. Frisco, Texas (Frisco HS) (Kurt Thomas Gymnastics) Haley DeProspero 5-0 McKinney, Texas (Plano Christian Academy) (University of Gymnastics) Jacqueline Flanery Plattsburg, Mo. (Plattsburg HS) (Eagles Gymnastics) Caitlin Hinkis Sr. 5-1 Simsbury, Conn. (Simsbury HS) (C.A.T.S. Gymnastics) Ashley Jackson 5-1 Hudsonville, Mich. (East Kentwood HS) (Geddart s Twistars) Jessica Kinder 5-2 Kansas City, Mo. (Raytown HS) (Best Gymnastics) Gina Lesko 5-3 Allen, Texas (Allen HS) (University of Gymnastics) Stephanie LoPiccolo Sr Melbourne, Australia (Melbourne Girls College) (Victorian High Performance Centre) Mary Mantle 5-4 Bellvue, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS) (GK Gymnastics) Natalie Ratcliff Fr. Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest HS) (GAGE) Kiara Redmond-Sturms Sr. 5-1 Los Angeles, Calif. (California HS) (S.C.A.T.S) Melanie Root Fr. 5-3 Cartersville, Ga. (Cartersville HS) (Cartersville Twisters) Kristin Smith 5-3 Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City HS) (Dynamo Gymnastics) Hollie Vise Dallas, Texas (Spring Creek Academy) (WOGA) sin-dell dee-pross-per-oh KIN-der low-pick-o-low key-are-uh VICE Head Coach K.J. Kindler Second Season Assistant Coach Lou Ball Second Season Assistant Coach Tom Haley Second Season KIN-dler CANDACE CINDELL haley deprospero JACQUELINE FLANERY CAITLIN HINKIS ASHLEY JACKSON JESSICA KINDER GINA LESKO STEPHANIE LOPICCOLO MARY MANTLE NATALIE RATCLIFF KIARA REDMOND-STURMS MELANIE ROOT KRISTIN SMITH HOLLIE VISE 2008 OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS

3 General Information Location...Norman, Okla. Enrollment...29,721 Founded President...David L. Boren VP / Athletics Director... Joe Castiglione Nickname...Sooners Colors... Crimson & Cream Conference...Big 12 Arena...Lloyd Noble Center Capacity...12,000 OU s All-Time Record (.658) Team Information 2007 Overall Record (.714) High Score Big 12 Finish... Second NCAA Finish... Eighth Letterwinners Returning/Lost... 11/2 All-Americans Returning/Lost... 2/1 Coaching Staff Head Coach...K.J. Kindler Year... Second Season Alma Mater...Iowa State, 92 Record at OU Career Record Assistant Coach...Lou Ball Year... Second Season Assistant Coach... Tom Haley Year... Second Season Women s Gymnastics Office Phone...(405) Women s Gymnastics Office Fax...(405) Shipping Address... OU Athletics Media Relations Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Suite 2525, 180 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK ON THE ROAD AGAIN By Haley DeProspero 2008 MARCH-IN ORDER Name Class Hometown Pronunciation 1. Candace Cindell...Fr.... Frisco, Texas sin-dell 2. Natalie Ratcliff...Fr.... Overland Park, Kan. 3. Melanie Root...Fr....Cartersville, Ga. 4. Jacqueline Flanery... Plattsburg, Mo. 5. Mary Mantle... Bellvue, Colo. 6. Kristin Smith...Oklahoma City, Okla. 7. Hollie Vise...Dallas, Texas VICE 8. Haley DeProspero...McKinney, Texas dee-pross-per-oh 9. Ashley Jackson... Hudsonville, Mich. 10. Jessica Kinder... Kansas City, Mo. KIN-der 11. Gina Lesko...Allen, Texas 12. Caitlin Hinkis...Sr...Simsbury, Conn. 13. Stephanie LoPiccolo...Sr... Melbourne, Australia low-pick-o-low 14. Kiara Redmond - Sturms...Sr... Los Angeles, Calif. key-are-uh COACHING STAFF K.J. Kindler... Head Coach (Second Year) Lou Ball... Assistant Coach (Second Year) Tom Haley... Assistant Coach (Second Year) 2008 GYMINFO Preseason Coaches Poll Rank Team Points First Place Votes 1 Georgia Florida Utah UCLA Stanford Alabama Nebraska Oklahoma Michigan LSU Oregon Arizona Penn State Arkansas Denver Missouri Iowa State Arizona St Auburn Ohio State 202 STEPHANIE LOPICCOLO 21 Michigan St. 197 S e n i o r A l l - A m e r i c a n 22 West Va Illinois Kentucky N.C. State 72 New for 2008, junior Haley DeProspero will give OU gymnastics fans a glimpse into life on the road for the Sooner squad through her blog that will be featured on SoonerSports.com during every road event. The official site of OU Athletics supplies Sooner fans worldwide with the latest news and features on Oklahoma athletics direct from Norman. The site provides the latest press releases, rosters, bios, schedules, statistics, notes, quotes, athlete blogs, photo galleries and audio and video available to both Sooner fans and the media OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS 3

4 TENTATIVE OU/CMU LINE-UP Vault Bars 1. Ashley Jackson 1. Jackie Flanery 2. Haley DeProspero 2. Ashley Jackson* 3. Mary Mantle 3. Haley DeProspero 4. Jackie Flanery 4. Caitlin Hinkis 5. Melanie Root 5. Stephanie LoPiccolo 6. Kiara Redmond-Sturms* 6. Kiara Redmond-Sturms* Natalie Ratcliff Jessica Kinder Hollie Vise Mary Mantle / Jessica Kinder Beam Floor 1. Kristin Smith 1. Kristin Smith 2. Ashley Jackson* 2. Melanie Root 3. Stephanie LoPiccolo 3. Haley DeProspero 4. Hollie Vise 4. Jackie Flanery 5. Haley DeProspero 5. Ashley Jackson* 6. Kiara Redmond-Sturms* 6. Kiara Redmond-Sturms* Jessica Kinder Natalie Ratcliff *All-Arounders Mary Mantle VAULT Bars 1. Kyla Krygier 1. Jessica Neel* 2. Jenna D Alie 2. Kyla Krygier 3. Cheryl Conlin 3. Andrea Delagarza* 4. Jessica Neel* 4. Jenna D Alie 5. Andrea DeLaGarza* 5. Katie Simon* 6. Katie Simon* 6. Vanessa Rodriguez Beam Floor 1. Kyla Krygier 1. Laura Rogers 2. Cheryl Conlin 2. Cheryl Conlin 3. Andrea Delagarza* 3. Andrea Delagarza* 4. Jessica Neel* 4. Jessica Neel* 5. Katie Simon* 5. Katie Simon* 6. Danielle Espinoza 6. Danielle Espinoza *All-Arounders THE BEAM DREAM TEAM Oklahoma posted a staggering score on beam at the season-opening Cancun Classic. The mark tied the second-highest score in program history and was the highest by an OU beam team since April 3, A CAREER NIGHT Numerous Oklahoma gymnasts either tied or posted career bests at the season opener. Haley DeProspero s on beam tied her career high. Hollie Vise set a career best on beam (9.875). Redmond-Sturms matched her career best on floor (9.925). Rounding out the career best s was Kristin Smith s on beam. AT THE ROOT OF THINGS Freshman Melanie Root jumped into the starting lineup, competing on vault and floor in Mexico. The Cartersville, Ga., native posted a on floor, the Sooners third-best score in the event. CANCUN CLASSIC RECAP Jan. 4, 2008 CANCUN, Mexico -- The No. 8 OU women s gymnastics team rang in the new year in style with a season-opening win over Iowa, West Virginia and Wisconsin Whitewater at the Cancun Classic, held at the Hilton Golf and Beach Resort in Cancun, Mexico. The Sooners swept all four event titles to best second-place Iowa to No. 22 West Virginia finished third with a team total of while Wisconsin-Whitewater rounded out the competition at Senior All-American Kiara Redmond-Sturms took home all-around honors after winning three-of-four individual event titles, highlighted by a career-best-tying on the floor. Junior Ashley Jackson tied for third in the first all-around competition of her career. Anytime you come out with a victory it builds confidence for the rest of the season, said head coach K.J. Kindler. At this point of the season, confidence is what they need and tonight s victory will benefit us as we move forward throughout the rest of our season. Along with the colder-than-normal temperatures that have welcomed the Sooners during their stay in Cancun, OU took some time to heat up for the capacity crowd, finding themselves in second place after their first rotation on vault. The Sooners pulled away on the uneven bars, winning the title with a mark, and never trailed again. In all, the Sooners won three event titles outright (vault, bars, beam) and tied for top floor honors to complete the sweep. Oklahoma swept the beam standings after a team total of , tying its highest score since April 3, 2004 and marking the second-best beam score in OU history. Junior Haley DeProspero stood atop the podium after tying her career best at Senior All-American Stephanie LoPiccolo was second at Sophomore Hollie Vise and Redmond-Sturms capped off the sweep with a pair of 9.875s to tie for third. Today is a day that you dream of as a beam coach, said Kindler. I don t think we had one wobble and counted very little in deductions on landing. This is what they have trained for, know they are capable of and to come out and display it like we did tonight, you know we are going to have a great beam team this season. Ending the night on floor, the Sooners finished with a to clinch the win. Junior Ashley Jackson (pictured left) finished in a tie for third in the all-around at the Cancun Classic. The event marked the first time the Hudsonville, Mich., native had competed in the all-around OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS 4

5 COMING UP NEXT After returning from Michigan, the Sooners hit the road again for the third consecutive meet when they travel to Denton, Texas, to take on Texas Woman s University. OU begins the 2008 season with four-straight road events before hosting Nebraska on Feb. 1. Sooners open season ranked no. 8 The Oklahoma women s gymnastics team is ranked eighth in the preseason GymInfo Coaches Poll, the second-highest ranking of any Big 12 team. The Sooners return All-Americans Kiara Redmond-Sturms and Stephanie LoPiccolo from a Sooner squad that finished eighth last season at the NCAA Championships under first-year head coach K.J. Kindler, marking a program-best. OU returns 11 letterwinners from last season s squad that went 20-8 and finished second in the Big 12. kindler signs three for 2008 The Oklahoma women s gymnastics team posted its best finish in NCAA history last spring and recruits are taking notice. Head coach K.J. Kindler announced one of the most decorated classes in OU history during the early announcement period, signing three gymnasts to National Letters of Intent. Megan Ferguson, Natasha Kelley and Sara Stone will join the Sooners in the fall of We feel that this signing class will be instrumental in the future of the Sooner Gymnastics Program, said Kindler. Megan, Natasha and Sara bring with them numerous accolades including many National titles both in the Elite arena and at the Junior Olympic level. All three of these women have displayed an absolute desire to be Sooners and we salute their enthusiasm for the University and our program. Ferguson, a Level 10 from Blue Valley High School in Olathe, Kan., trains at Eagles Gymnastics, the former club of current OU gymnast Jacqueline Flanery. Ferguson was two-time Junior Olympic Nationals beam champion and five-time J.O. Nationals qualifier. She has dominated state competition, winning the level 10 all-around title in 2005, 06 and 07 while sweeping every individual event honor all three seasons as well. Kelley enters the OU program as a four-time U.S. National Team member. The senior elite gymnast from Katy, Texas, has found success on both the international and national stage, finishing second in the all-around of the 2006 Visa Championships, after capturing the all-around title a year prior in the junior division of the Visa Championships. In her 06 Visa Championships runner-up finish, Kelley finished second on the uneven bars and beam, and fourth on the floor exercise. Kelley shared all-around honors at the 2006 U.S. Classic, placing first on the uneven bars, second on vault and fourth on beam and floor. At the 2007 Visa Championships, Kelley finished 10th in the all-around after placing sixth on the beam and ninth on the uneven bars. On the International stage, Kelley won the all-around title at the 2007 Houston International Invitational, placing first on the beam, floor, uneven bars, and second on the vault. The 17-year old placed second at the 2007 Tyson American Cup and fourth in the all-around of the 07 USA vs. Great Britain International Competition in Lisburn, Ireland. She also captured all-around titles at both the 05 Junior Gymnastics Competition in Yohohama, Japan, and the Olympiad Elite in Ensenada, Mexico, a year prior. Kelley helped the U.S. squad to a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships as a finalist on floor. A native of Dallas, Texas, Stone is a member of Metroplex Gymnastics where she is coached by Bryan Streeter, Dave Marus, and Jana and Marcus Harlin. The Spring Creek Academy senior and junior elite gymnast is a two-time qualifier for the U.S. Classic. She won the all-around title at the 2005 Metroplex Challenge and won the beam title at the 2006 level 10 Texas state competition event breakdown VAULT Oklahoma must replace vault All-American Brittney Koncak-Schumann and Lori Winn, whom the Sooners relied on for solid scores all of last season. The Sooners return a solid nucleus of five gymnasts who competed on vault last season, including first team All-American Redmond-Sturms who took home five event titles on the apparatus. Her top mark was a 10.0 earned against TWU, George Washington and Centenary. DeProspero, Flanery and Jackson have posted strong scores on the apparatus and look to provide veteran leadership throughout the season. Mary Mantle, who saw limited action on vault last season, should be a staple in the OU lineup on this event. Watch for freshmen Natalie Ratcliff and Melanie Root to immediately contribute in the lineup for the Sooners. Junior Jessica Kinder has stepped up and secured a position in the lineup after a fruitful summer of training and senior Caitlin Hinkis is prepared to compete as well. UNEVEN BARS If the Sooners are to reach their lofty goals for the 2008 season, bars could be the determining factor. OU needs to replace two routines from last season (Brittney Koncak-Schumann and Lori Winn) while continuing to climb the ladder in the national rankings. OU looks to improve on last season s 14th-place final event ranking, which should be bolstered thanks to the return of Hollie Vise, the 2003 World Champion on Bars, who did not compete on the event last season. Oklahoma returns Stephanie LoPiccolo, who garnered All-America honors as the only OU NCAA finalist in 06. The Sooners will look to experienced veterans Caitlin Hinkis, Haley DeProspero, Mary Mantle and Kiara Redmond-Sturms for leadership. All four saw action last season. Adding depth to the squad will be Jackie Flanery, Ashley Jackson, Jessica Kinder and Vise. If Jackson snags a spot in this lineup, it will be the first time she has competed bars in collegiate competition and would open her up as a potential all-around competitor for OU. BEAM Finishing the `07 season as the fourth best team in the nation on beam, a strong cast of talented gymnasts must replace Koncak-Scumann and Winn who combined for 11 titles last season. Oklahoma is led by the trio of DeProspero, Redmond-Sturms and LoPiccolo, who all posted careerhigh scores last season. DeProspero ended the `07 campaign as the 13th best gymnast in the country on beam last season with a regional qualifying average of Redmond-Sturms turned in a top three finish on Beam at the Big 12 Championships while LoPiccolo boasts experience as an Australian national team member. On the horizon are key contributors Vise, Jackson and Smith. All three competed for the Sooners last season and gained valuable experience. Vise was flawless, hitting 100 percent of all routines performed in Jackson turned in the top score on beam for OU at the National Championships while Smith provides an excellent repertoire of skills and an amazing presence. FLOOR EXERCISE Ratcliff, Kinder and Gina Lesko are prepared to step in and add depth to the squad. All-America honoree Redmond Sturms leads Oklahoma on the floor exercise after posting a careerbest on the event last season. She is expected to anchor the floor squad for the second consecutive season. DeProspero and Jackson both posted 9.9s and provide veteran leadership to a promising line-up of supporting cast members. Flanery, Smith and Kinder will undoubtedly round out the top six on this event. All three have shown growth on this event during the off season and are expected to post big scores for the Sooners. Hinkis, Ratcliff and Root look to break into the lineup and provide support in the alternate position OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS 5

6 OU team records Event Score Date Set Total March 14, 2003 Vault March 2, 2002 Bars March 14, 2003 Beam March 14, 2003 Event Score Gymnast, Date Set All-Around Kasie Tamayo, 2004 Vault Redmond-Sturms, 2007 Leah Mueller, 2002 Amber McCracken, 2000 Bars Allison Landis, 2003 Erin LaBarr, 2005 Beam Kasie Tamayo, 2002 Kelly Garrison, 1988 Floor Patricia Aoki, Season High... Event... Career High Haley DeProspero Vault Bars Beam Floor N/A... All-Around Jacqueline Flanery Vault Bars Floor Caitlin Hinkis N/A... Bars N/A... Beam N/A...Floor jessica kinder N/A...Vault N/A... Beam N/A...Floor Ashley Jackson Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around Stephanie LoPiccolo Bars Beam Mary Mantle Vault Bars N/A... Beam Five-time All-America honoree Kiara Redmond-Sturms holds a share of the OU vault record with a perfect 10.00, set last season. Her three All-America honors last season were the most for an Oklahoma gymnast since Kelly Garrison won five in The OU senior has won seven all-around titles during her career with the Sooners, including a win at the season-opening Cancun Classic. kiara redmond-sturms Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around melanie root Vault Floor kristin smith Beam Floor hollie vise Beam OU WOMEN S GYMNASTICS