Champions: Sooners win fourth national title

Fort Worth, Texas – Did it for Dave.

The Sooners, who dedicated their season to Dave Richardson, the late husband of their sports coach Jenn, posted 198,3375 at the Four on the Floor to win the national title at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The competition, which included four of the NCAA's Top 5 Seeds took place at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday night.

"We had moments of sadness and triumph," said head coach KJ Kindler. "That's what families do, they live all these emotions together, this year was a miracle, we chose a song for each meeting, which had a particular meaning and place in which we wanted to be in this world. Yesterday, we chose Bruno March 's 24k song The staff always meets before and we choose this song and I noticed that Jenn started yelling at the back of the room. did, I thought, "Oh, did I shoot anything?" After everyone left, she says, "it's Dave's song" and when it comes , their daughter says, "It's Daddy's song." I did not know when we had chosen it, I know someone there and I know who is working on a serious magic. "

Oklahoma wore blue ribbons in her hair and wrote the hashtag "DIFD" on her hands for every competition this season with the "Do it for Dave" mantra.

"I know it's hard what we experienced as a team," said junior Maggie Nichols. "We are not a team, we are a family, we have become so close this season, and after losing Dave, we did everything for him, every training session tonight was for him, he was with us and we were helped to win this national championship. "

The national title is the fourth overall and the third in the last four years for the Sooners, tied with Florida in 2014 before outright winning in 2016 and 2017. OR took the lead in the first rotation with 49,450 at the bars and never. looked back, recording three consecutive scores of 49,600 or better with a 49,6125 on the beam, a 49,6500 on the floor and a 49,625 on the jump to crown the victory.

The Sooners' 198.3375 is the second highest total in NCAA history, with the Sooners now holding the top two scores with a score of 198.3875 set in 2017.

Oklahoma was followed by LSU No. 3 in second place (197.8250), while UCLA took third place (197.5375) and Denver was fourth at 197.000.

Saturday marked the OU's seventh consecutive victory and his ninth participation in the team final. At each of their nine appearances in the final, the Sooners finished in the top three.

The Sooners opened the game at the bars and took a slight lead after posting a score of 49.450 in the first rotation. Sophomore Anastasia Webb started with a 9.8125, followed by 9.85 matches from senior Alex Marks and sophomore Karrie Thomas. Senator Brenna Dowell started a 9.9 series, scoring 9.9 in 4th place. Senior Nicole Lehrmann followed with a 9.9125 and Nichols anchored with a 9.9375.

Moving on to the beam, the Sooners gained momentum, recording a 49.6125 in the second rotation. Rookie Olivia Trautman took the lead with a solid record of 9.875 in her first night routine. Dowell was 9.8625 in second place, followed by 9.9375 for Lehrmann. Sophomore beam specialist Carly Woodard scored 9.9375 points and Webb added 9.93 points. Nichols threw the anchor with a 9.9625 as the Sooners increased their lead at the halfway mark.

The impetus was raised to the third rotation while Oklahoma turned 49.6500 on the ground. With an outstanding performance by Webb at 9.925, the Sooners rebounded after a crash while Junior Jade Degouveia was 9.8875 in third. Nichols recorded an incredible 9.95 followed by a 9.9375 Dowell. Trautman anchored with a 9.95, his 15^th score 9.925 or better this season.

With a lead in the hand, the Sooners recorded their best vault turnover since the first meeting of the 2019 season, with a score of 49.625 in the last rotation. Lehrmann scored 9.9 first, scoring 21^st In her last 24 routines, she scored 9.9 or higher. Webb followed with a score of 9.85 in second place and Degouveia added a score of 9.875 in third place.

A whopping 1.5 trautman went for a 9.95 and Nichols scored a 9.9125 to bring the anchor. In his latest routine in Crimson and Cream, Dowell was superb, scoring a 9.9875 mark and receiving four 10.0 of six judges to close his career in the OU.

"I was impressed," said Dowell. "This was the first vault I really wanted to block the whole season." To do it last night and win that win and look at Lou's face, KJ was already crying and I got on my team and got a big hug Group was great. "

The national title is the culmination of an incredible season in which OU recorded a record of 32-0, its second unbeaten season in the history of the program. The Sooners have also won eight consecutive titles in the Big 12 and won a regional title in the NCAA for 10^th year right. On Friday night, Degouveia, Dowell, Lehrmann, Nichols, Thomas, Trautman, Webb and Woodard combined for 17 American honors. Dowell was the national floor champion in 2019 and Nichols defended his all-around title while winning an individual title on vault.

"Tonight we picked Carrie Underwood's champion song that came to the very end (of the trophy presentation)," said Kindler. "It's amazing, it's coincidence, blessings or whatever you call them in. Every week, all the time, I can not put it into words." It was the sum of our season and tonight Dave was absolutely throwing us in. I know that Jenn just lost her cookies at the end of the competition, and so did we, because she said, "All I can say is, that there must be a more important purpose for that, it must be that, everyone can agree that it was worth it. "