The No. 1 University of Oklahoma Sooners are set to compete against No. 5 Alabama, No. 7 Michigan, and West Virginia at the Perfect 10 Challenge in Oklahoma City on Friday, February 21. 

 

The Cox Convention Center in OKC will have a podium style set up, where all four events are raised above the arena floor, and will closely resemble the structure of a championship arena. 

 

Coming off a big win, the Sooners are gearing up to defend their No. 1 spot in the rankings this weekend. OU’s team score at the Metroplex Challenge of 198.175 is the highest posted score in the nation this season. Alabama’s high score this season is a 197.5 and Michigan’s high score is a 197.325. 


Alabama Senior Kim Jacob

 

NAMES TO WATCH FOR:

Oklahoma sophomore, Haley Scaman, scored the first 10.0 of her career last weekend on the floor exercise. Scaman’s dynamic and crowd-mesmerizing presence stands out on vault, bars, and floor. She received the honor of Big 12 Gymnast of the Week after her performance at the Metroplex. Freshmen, Chayse Capps and McKenzie Wofford, have both been huge assets to the Sooner line up so far this season. Wofford scored a 9.975 on the uneven bars this past weekend and Capps scored a 9.975 on beam. 
 

With a season high all-around score of 39.525 and the high score for the team on three of the four events, Alabama’s Kim Jacob is sure to make waves in the line up for the Crimson Tide. Jacob has scored a 9.9 or higher on bars, beam, and floor exercise this season. 
 

Michigan senior, Joanna Sampson, stands strong in the line up of all four events, scoring greater than a 9.9 on each this season. She is currently ranked eighth in the nation in the all-around and is a leader for the Michigan program. Sampson’s season high on the uneven bars is a 9.975. 

 

The Sooners go into this meet with the highest team score on all four events. Details will be a key factor in this top 10 showdown between Oklahoma, Michigan, and Alabama. Stuck dismounts and vertical handstands will be prominent things to look for and could potentially make the difference in the final outcome. As season begins to wind down, it is very important that these athletes continue refining their skills and polishing routines before the championships begin.