OKLAHOMA 10\ GYmNASTICS
ROSTERS, LINEUPS AND PREVIEW NORMAN, Okla. - Ranked No. 7 in the latest GymInfo poll after a posting the highest road score of any squad in the NCAA last weekend (196.800), the OU women s gymnastics team hosts Illinois State and TWU on March 6, at 7 p.m. (CT) inside the Lloyd Noble Center. Closing out their home schedule on Friday, the Sooners will honor seniors Haley DeProspero, Ashley Jackson, Jessica Kinder and Gina Lesko, who are competing in Norman for the final time. Holding the highest team RQS (regional qualifying score) of any Big 12 or South Central Region squad. OU leads the conference on all four events and ranks fourth in the country on beam with a RQS of 49.175. The Sooners also hold top 10 NCAA marks on floor (sixth - 49.170) and vault (eighth - 49.155), while standing 12th in the country on bars (48.985). Oklahoma is coming off of a 196.800-195.525 victory over Iowa State in which the Sooners swept all four event titles and a share of every event honor in Ames, Iowa. DeProspero (vault-9.875), Melanie Root (bars-9.825), Hollie Vise (beam-9.95, bars-9.825) and Kristin Smith (floor-9.9) all won individual event titles as DeProspero bested ISU s Jasmine Thompson for the all-around title. It s the second of a pair of season meetings with TWU, as the Sooners bested the Pioneers by a final tally of 197.175-189.600 on Jan. 17 in Denton, Texas. OU s team tally in the first meeting was the highest score in the NCAA at the time and still stands as a season high for the Sooners. TWU enters the tri-meet off of a season-high 193.600 on Feb. 27, nearly upsetting then-29thranked N.C. State (193.850). The Pioneers finished second in the home quad meet, beating Centenary College and Wisconsin-Whitewater, behind a team-record all-around tally of 38.975 from Rashonda Cannie. 4Rotation Schedule Oklahoma TWU Vault Uneven Bars Uneven Bars Balance Beam Balance Beam Floor Exercise Floor Exercise Vault 4No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners (7-3) Illinois State Floor Exercise Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Name Yr. Hometown Cindell, Candace Sr. Frisco, Texas DeProspero, Haley Sr. McKinney, Texas Ferguson, Megan Fr. Olathe, Kan. Flanery, Jacqueline Jr. Plattsburg, Mo. Jackson, Ashley Sr. Hudsonville, Mich. Kelley, Natasha Fr. Katy, Texas Kinder, Jessica Sr. Kansas City, Mo. Lesko, Gina Sr. Allen, Texas Mantle, Mary Jr. Ft. Collins, Colo. Ratcliff, Natalie So. Overland Park, Kan. Root, Melanie So. Cartersville, Ga. Smith, Kristin Jr. Oklahoma City, Okla. Stone, Sara Fr. Dallas, Texas Vise, Hollie Jr. Dallas, Texas Wagner, Hailey Fr. Tulsa, Okla. Illinois State dropped a 194.100-192.325 decision to in-state foe Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 28. The Redbirds picked up their lone event title with a 48.425-48.175 win on beam. Head Coach - K.J. Kindler (Third Year) Assistant Coaches - Lou Ball and Tom Haley DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULTS Friday, Jan. 9...@No. 3 Florida... L (196.500-195.075) Saturday, Jan. 17...@Texas Woman s... W (197.175-189.600) Monday, Jan. 26...Arkansas... L (196.900-195.625) Friday, Jan. 30...Minnesota... W (196.500-195.675) Sunday, Feb. 8... @Nebraska... L (196.175-196.000) Saturday, Feb. 14... @Denver... W (196.025-194.825) Friday, Feb. 20...Brown/Missouri/W. Va.... (First of 4) Friday, Feb. 27... @Iowa State... W (196.800-195.525) Friday, March 6...TWU/Illinois State... 7 p.m. Friday, March 13... @Alabama/with UNC... 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21... @Big 12 Championships*... 2 p.m. Saturday, April 4... @NCAA Regional Champ.... TBA April 17-19... @NCAA Championships**... TBA ALL TIMES LISTED ARE CENTRAL HOME MEETS ARE AT THE LLOYD NOBLE CENTER ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS (6-7) Team: 192.210 (44th) Vault: 48.295 (45th) Bars: 47.905 (50th) Beam: 48.060 (38th) Floor: 48.485 (39th) 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. SENIOR NIGHT MARCH 6, 2009 LLOYD NOBLE CENTER VERSUS TWU PIONEERS (3-10) Team: 191.815 (48th) Vault: 48.255 (47th) Bars: 48.130 (46th) Beam: 47.710 (48th) Floor: 48.030 (52nd) NO. 7 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (7-3) Team: 196.105 (10th) Vault: 49.155 (Eighth) Bars: 48.985 (12th) Beam: 49.175 (Fourth) Floor: 49.170 (Sixth)
IN THE KNOW: A SPECTATOR S GUIDE TO WOMEN S GYMNASTICS 4Team Competition Collegiate team competition involves the totaling of the five best individual scores on each event to arrive at a team score. Each team can put up a maximum of six competitors on each event. Two judges per event evaluate each athlete s performance. The judges scores are then averaged to arrive at a final mark. A perfect team score is 200. MARY MANTLE VAULT In a dual meet, the host team begins on vault, followed by the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The visitor flip-flops with the host, starting on bars, and moving onto the vault, floor exercise and finishing on the balance beam. If there are more than two teams competing, each team will start on a different event, following the home order: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. 4Vault The object is to get as high as possible off the horse, to stay up in the air long enough to flip and/or twist and to land far from the horse in perfect control. A proper, motionless landing is called sticking the vault. The vault is judged in the areas of pre-flight (board to horse), repulsion (push off the horse), after-flight (distance and height), and landing. Gymnasts may only perform one vault. At the individual event finals at the NCAA Championships, gymnasts must perform two different vaults, which will be averaged for a final score. Max value: 10.0. 4Uneven Bars This event requires tremendous upper body strength. A smooth routine with circling moves, steady handstands, flips, release and re-grasp moves, and flight from bar to bar will usually score well. Ten or more skills are required. Special requirements include two bar changes, two different flight elements and a high level dismount. Max value: 10.0. ASHLEY JACKSON BARS 4Balance Beam The balance beam is 16 feet long, four feet high and a mere four inches wide. Beam routines combine dance elements such as turns, leaps and jumps with acrobatic skills such as cartwheels, somersaults in the air, handsprings and rolls. Performing on the beam requires precise movement and intense concentration throughout the entire routine, which lasts from 70 to 90 seconds. Special requirements on beam include a dance or acro/dance combination, a full turn, a large leap or jump requiring a split, an element close to the beam and an acrobatic series with two or more flight elements. Max value: 10.0. 4Floor Exercise Floor exercise is an artistic event that combines powerful tumbling with beautiful dance. The selection of music and choreography showcase each gymnast s individual style. Two tumbling passes are required, with three different flips required within the exercise. The combination of creative dance and daring acrobatics makes floor exercise one of the most enjoyable events. Max value: 10.0. HOLLIE VISE BEAM 4Point Deductions The following deductions will be made from a gymnast s event score: 1. Missing a requirement... 0.20 2. Fall... 0.50 3. Out of bounds (floor exercise only)... 0.10 4. Hop or step... 0.10 5. Small step... 0.05 6. Large step or hop... 0.20 7. Handstand not vertical (uneven bars only)... 0.05 JESSICA KINDER FLOOR SENIOR NIGHT MARCH 6, 2009 LLOYD NOBLE CENTER