Feb. 20, 2013

 

 

 

NORMAN, Okla. - Four-time national champion and 2012 Olympian Jacob Dalton will perform on two events Saturday during the No. 3 University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics team's meet against No. 12 Air Force at the Field House. The meet also is Cleveland Elementary School Night and Military Appreciation Night and will air live on Sooner Sports TV at 7 p.m. CT.

Dalton, a four-time NCAA national champion, earned 13 All-American honors, helped the Sooners win two conference titles and won eight individual conference titles in three seasons competing for OU. Dalton made his Olympic debut in 2012 in London, has been a U.S. senior national team member since 2009 and has won four U.S. championships. The OU senior will do exhibition routines on pommel horse and high bar on Saturday.

"It's an opportunity to appreciate Jacob Dalton, a 2012 Olympian that was a floor finalist at the London Olympics," OU head coach Mark Williams said. "This will be a final tune up for him in preparation for the American Cup which is a World Cup event that will have some of the best athletes in all of gymnastics competing in Worcester, Mass. in a week. Saturday's also a chance for the Oklahoma fans to see him do a couple of exhibition routines and sign autographs afterwards."

The top-12 matchup between the Sooners and Falcons is Cleveland Elementary School Night, Military Appreciation Night, Sooner Kids Club Night and Norman Public Schools Night. 

As part of Cleveland Elementary School Night, OU will honor its longtime community service partnership with the school, which has brought the gymnasts into the classroom to interact with the students before, during and after class. Each Sooner spends an hour with a class once a week for the entire year as well as attending special functions. At Saturday's meet, Cleveland students will serve as junior judges, score flashers, march-in leaders, junior PA announcers and award presenters. 

All fans in attendance will receive a "Protect the Field House" fan, and there will be free face painting and pre-meet activities for all children in attendance. Additionally, a giant American flag will be presented during the national anthem and t-shirts will be thrown into the crowd throughout the meet. At the conclusion of the competition the Sooners and Dalton will be available to sign autographs. 

"There's a lot going on, and we want to make it entertaining and fan friendly," Williams said. "We want the student-athletes to have energy and help continue the streak of being undefeated at the Field House in the past five seasons. We're excited about having two weeks in a row at home and really looking forward to having Air Force in this weekend." 

The meet will be broadcast by Sooner Sports TV and air on Fox Sports Southwest + and Fox College Sports Atlantic. Former Oklahoma gymnasts Bart Conner and Jason Laughton will call the action. Conner, one of OU's most decorated athletes, is a three-time Olympian, was awarded the Nissen-Emery Award in 1981 as the nation's top gymnast, won national titles in 1977 and '78, is a three-time individual national champion and 14-time All-American. Laughton was a member of OU's 2006 and '08 national championship teams, helped the Sooners win three conference titles and earned All-American honors on pommel horse in '08.

Saturday's contest will re-air on Feb. 26 at noon CT, on Fox Sports Southwest. 

Single-meet tickets for all regular-season home meets are available for $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Season and group ticket plans are also available. Tickets can be purchased online here or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free (800) 456-GoOU.

Ranked third in the latest GymInfo rankings, the Sooners are 11-1 after a 443.350-435.450 home-opening victory over Minnesota on Saturday. All but two of OU's 10 victories have come against teams ranked in the top 11. Oklahoma has the No. 2 floor, pommel horse, rings and high bar team and is ranked in the top six nationally on every event.


Via soonersports.com http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-gym/spec-rel/022013aab.html