Oklahoma Men’s Gymnastics Sets New NCAA Record
Posted on 23 March 2009 by admin
Top-ranked Oklahoma posted a blazing team All-Around score of 366.85 to torch 8th-ranked Penn State last weekend. The top score easily set a new NCAA record. The Sooners added insult to injury by sweeping every team event title. Talk about a team that is peaking at the right time.
Steven Legendre scored a career high 92.25 to win the All-Around. Legendre also dominated on floor, vault and parallel bars, while teammate Chris Brooks was victorious on rings and high bar. Penn State’s Casey Sandy, the defending NCAA All-Around Champion, lost for the first time this season. It’s now very apparent that the 2009 All-Around title is completely up for grabs.
Meanwhile, in a dual meet that also took place this past weekend, Michigan demolished Ohio State 357.60 to 349.70. The 5th-ranked Wolverines posted their season-high All-Around score of the season, and Chris Cameron turned in another dominating performance by winning on pommel horse, parallel bars and the All-Around (89.25).
Good news for gym fans. There will be plenty of action to watch on television in the upcoming days before the conference championships and the NCAA Championships. Here is the schedule:
Michigan vs. Ohio State on the Big 10 Network
March 25 @ 6:00pm EDT
March 26 @ 4:00am EDT
March 26 @ 2:00pm EDT
2009 Pacific Coast Classic on Comcast Sports Net
March 29 @ 11:00pm EDT
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I’m speechless… How can a team that lost a guy that got a SILVER medal at the olympics, in horton and an AA NCAA champion in Taqyi do what they did? Their freshman aren’t really contributing so it looks as though they were supposed to get worse yet they put up a score that I don’t believe will be touched more many many many years to come.
March 24th, 2009 at 10:28 am
The difference is that the returnees are really stepping it up. Legendre’s AA score is a season high, and he’s only a sophomore. He has really become a brilliant all-arounder. Brooks is having a monster season. Having two gymnasts on the senior national team is bound to pay big dividends! OU will be reloading next season with a hot crop of freshmen.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I agree with all that you are saying but horton and taqyi? Lengendre was no chump last year. 2 time NCAA Champ, 3 All-A. They both (Steve and Chris) have been doing amazing! But it is still unbelievable to me that there improvements match and surpass the entire existence of Horton and Taqyi. And once again on paper even though they are getting a great freshman class they can’t be compared to the senior class that they are losing. On paper they will be getting worse in my opinion without brooks, Russ, jacob, jason, and kyle and probably a couple more that im missing. You just can’t make that up with three freshman however talented they are. But i’ve learned that what it looks like on paper doesn’t really matter.
March 30th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Though the comments on the upper classmen are correct I believe that you are not giving the freshmen a fair break. There have been many early season ending injuries and the ones that have competed have been consistant on their scores for the most part and a couple have shown good progression. Though at this point they are far from the level of the upper classmen, these freshmen show great promise and if anyone can mold them into champions you know Coach Williams has proven he has the ability to do so.
I have heard and read great things about the incoming 2010 freshmans and they deserve all their kudos. But don’t kid yourself, the current freshmen are no slouches and will pay big dividends in the coming few years.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Soonerbills – you are absolutely correct. Williams has a proven track record of developing talent, and there is no doubt that the current freshmen will continue to contribute. By the time they are upper classmen, they will play pivotal roles in the team’s success. As MG pointed out, it is very impressive how the Sooners have performed, given the loss of Horton and Taqiy. Given this track record, their future success should not surprise.