Recruiting Breakdown: Get To Know Oklahoma's Incoming Class
Recruiting Breakdown: Get To Know Oklahoma's Incoming Class
Get to know the incoming freshman class who will be competing for the defending national champion Sooners in the upcoming NCAA gymnastics season.
The 2018 NCAA gymnastics season is still months away, but it's never too early to get to know the incoming freshman class for each team. Here's a breakdown of the new additions Oklahoma has made for next year.
The defending national champion Sooners will bring in four athletes in the incoming recruiting class. K.J. Kindler has had a knack for finding gems in the Level 10 world, and the incoming class is no exception.
Three of the recruits -- Abigail Matthews, Evy Schoepfer and Anastasia Webb -- competed at the 2017 Junior Olympic Nationals last month. All four members of the 2018 class competed at the 2016 JO Nationals.
Outgoing: Chayse Capps, Charity Jones, Reagan Hemry (medically retired), Kara Lovan, Nicole Turner, McKenzie Wofford
There will certainly be some big shoes to fill in the Sooners' lineups for the 2018 season. Chayse Capps was an all-around standout, while Charity Jones was a solid and consistent performer in the leadoff spot on vault, beam, and floor. McKenzie Wofford contributed a great score on bars, while both Kara Lovan and Nicole Turner added depth particularly on beam and floor.
Incoming: Jordan Draper, Abigail Matthews, Evy Schoepfer, Anastasia Webb
Trained at Empire Gymnastics
Coached by Chris Brashier, Betty Mihaila, and April Pyle
Draper finished third in the all-around at the 2017 state championships and was eighth in the all-around at regionals. She finished 18th in the all-around at the 2016 JO nationals and was 12th on both bars and floor. Draper was last year's Region 3 champion on floor exercise and finished fourth in the all-around.
Video courtesy of Jordan Draper)
Impact events: Balance beam and floor exercise
Trains at Cincinnati Gymnastics
Coached by Mary Lee Tracey, Ashley Preiss, Whitney Snowden, and Rachael Gardner
Matthews finished 16th in the all-around at the 2017 JO National Championships and landed a fifth-place finish on the uneven bars. She finished second on bars and third on floor at the Region 5 championships in early April. At the 2016 JO national championships, Matthews earned a sixth-place finish on the uneven bars. She was the 2016 Region 5 champion on bars and finished second on balance beam. Matthews qualified as an elite and competed at the 2014 Secret U.S. Classic. She began competing Level 10 following the 2015 season.
Video courtesy of Region 5 Gymnastics Insider
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Trains at Triad Gymnastics
Coached by Tom and Donna Moretti and was Kara Lovan's club teammate
Schoepfer went to JO National Championships five straight years from 2013 through 2017. After finishing 42nd in the all-around at the 2013 JO Championships, Schoepfer has finished in the top seven each of the last four years. Her best result came just a month ago when she finished tied for second in the all-around at 2017 JO Nationals. She won the all-around at the Pikes Peak Cup, which qualified her to the 2015 Nastia Liukin Cup. Schoepfer finished 11th at the Nastia Liukin Cup with her best finish being fourth place on the uneven bars.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact event: all-around
Trains at IGI, the same gym of former Sooner Haley Scaman
Coached by Todd Gardiner
Webb finished seventh in the all-around at the 2017 JO National Championships and tied for first on vault, where she scored a 9.900. She was the Region 5 all-around champion in the Senior E division in April. She earned titles on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise and was second on balance beam. The Illinois native finished ninth overall at the 2017 Nastia Liukin Cup. Webb was a member of the 2016 JO national team after a second-place finish in the Senior B division. She won all-around titles at the 2016 state and regional meets as well. Webb trained elite during the 2014 season and competed at the Secret U.S. Classic as a junior elite. She continued training as an elite and aimed to compete at the 2015 Secret U.S. Classic, but an injury prevented her from competing.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact events: Vault and floor exercise
The defending national champion Sooners will bring in four athletes in the incoming recruiting class. K.J. Kindler has had a knack for finding gems in the Level 10 world, and the incoming class is no exception.
Three of the recruits -- Abigail Matthews, Evy Schoepfer and Anastasia Webb -- competed at the 2017 Junior Olympic Nationals last month. All four members of the 2018 class competed at the 2016 JO Nationals.
Outgoing: Chayse Capps, Charity Jones, Reagan Hemry (medically retired), Kara Lovan, Nicole Turner, McKenzie Wofford
There will certainly be some big shoes to fill in the Sooners' lineups for the 2018 season. Chayse Capps was an all-around standout, while Charity Jones was a solid and consistent performer in the leadoff spot on vault, beam, and floor. McKenzie Wofford contributed a great score on bars, while both Kara Lovan and Nicole Turner added depth particularly on beam and floor.
Incoming: Jordan Draper, Abigail Matthews, Evy Schoepfer, Anastasia Webb
Jordan Draper
Bedford, TexasTrained at Empire Gymnastics
Coached by Chris Brashier, Betty Mihaila, and April Pyle
Draper finished third in the all-around at the 2017 state championships and was eighth in the all-around at regionals. She finished 18th in the all-around at the 2016 JO nationals and was 12th on both bars and floor. Draper was last year's Region 3 champion on floor exercise and finished fourth in the all-around.
Video courtesy of Jordan Draper)
Impact events: Balance beam and floor exercise
Abigail Matthews
Virginia Beach, VATrains at Cincinnati Gymnastics
Coached by Mary Lee Tracey, Ashley Preiss, Whitney Snowden, and Rachael Gardner
Matthews finished 16th in the all-around at the 2017 JO National Championships and landed a fifth-place finish on the uneven bars. She finished second on bars and third on floor at the Region 5 championships in early April. At the 2016 JO national championships, Matthews earned a sixth-place finish on the uneven bars. She was the 2016 Region 5 champion on bars and finished second on balance beam. Matthews qualified as an elite and competed at the 2014 Secret U.S. Classic. She began competing Level 10 following the 2015 season.
Video courtesy of Region 5 Gymnastics Insider
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Evy Schoepfer
Ames, IowaTrains at Triad Gymnastics
Coached by Tom and Donna Moretti and was Kara Lovan's club teammate
Schoepfer went to JO National Championships five straight years from 2013 through 2017. After finishing 42nd in the all-around at the 2013 JO Championships, Schoepfer has finished in the top seven each of the last four years. Her best result came just a month ago when she finished tied for second in the all-around at 2017 JO Nationals. She won the all-around at the Pikes Peak Cup, which qualified her to the 2015 Nastia Liukin Cup. Schoepfer finished 11th at the Nastia Liukin Cup with her best finish being fourth place on the uneven bars.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact event: all-around
Anastasia Webb
Morton Grove, ILTrains at IGI, the same gym of former Sooner Haley Scaman
Coached by Todd Gardiner
Webb finished seventh in the all-around at the 2017 JO National Championships and tied for first on vault, where she scored a 9.900. She was the Region 5 all-around champion in the Senior E division in April. She earned titles on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise and was second on balance beam. The Illinois native finished ninth overall at the 2017 Nastia Liukin Cup. Webb was a member of the 2016 JO national team after a second-place finish in the Senior B division. She won all-around titles at the 2016 state and regional meets as well. Webb trained elite during the 2014 season and competed at the Secret U.S. Classic as a junior elite. She continued training as an elite and aimed to compete at the 2015 Secret U.S. Classic, but an injury prevented her from competing.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact events: Vault and floor exercise