PHOTO ESSAY: No. 2 UCLA at No. 1 Oklahoma

March 7, 2019 College Gym News Event Coverage, Featured Carousel, Features, NCAA WAG, Recap

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In likely the most anticipated matchup of the 2019 season, No. 2 UCLA, the defending national champion, traveled to chilly Norman, Oklahoma, to face off against No. 1 Oklahoma. The rematch of the 2018 NCAA final was broadcast on ESPN. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Both Oklahoma and UCLA also used the national stage to pay tribute and remembrance to Dave Richardson, the husband of the Sooners’ athletic trainer Jenn Richardson, who passed away a couple of weeks ago due to cancer. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Oklahoma was the first team in the country to put up a full lineup of 10.0 start value vaults and did so again today, giving it a one-and-a-half tenth advantage over UCLA to start the meet. Junior Jade Degouveia (right image) led the Sooners on the event with her stuck Yurchenko one and a half for a 9.950. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

After a lackluster first five competitors, junior Kyla Ross capped off the Bruins’ first rotation with a bang, notching her second perfect 10 in a row on bars and fourth in 2019 on the event alone. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

It was like the team knew she had hit perfection again. Here, sophomore Paulina Tratz flashes 10 hands after congratulating Ross after her routine. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field embraces Ross after the gymnast’s 10.0 is posted in the arena. Ross certainly is making Kondos Fields’ final season before retirement one to remember. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Standout Sooner Maggie Nichols, a junior, has been out of the all around since injuring her heel on her floor routine week two. Her presence has been missed for Oklahoma, especially on floor. Nichols competed just bars and beam here. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Olympian and volunteer assistant coach Jordyn Wieber has been an integral part in UCLA’s recent success. While primarily the Bruins’ floor coach, she has made an impact across the board. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Perfect 40 watch officially began as Ross stuck her Yurchenko one and a half for her second perfect 10 of the night. It was her third 10.0 in four meets on the event. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Associate head coach Randy Lane, the Bruins’ vault coach, has worked hard with the gymnasts since last April to elevate the team’s vault presence. Ross in particular has benefited from Lane’s coaching, having competed a Yurchenko one and a half for the first time in college this season and scoring the team’s first vault 10.0 since Vanessa Zamarripa in 2013. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

It’s been a long road toward senior Brenna Dowell making the difficult-to-crack Oklahoma beam lineup. Here, she lead off the Sooners with a 9.750. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Looking to score her first ever perfect 10 on floor, Ross performed a much-improved routine from years past on the event, nailing every pass and leap combination to the delight of even the away crowd. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Senior Katelyn Ohashi, who knows floor perfection well, and Wieber, call for a 10 after Ross’ routine. Ross had little mistakes in past meets keeping her at 9.950, but it was obvious the Bruins thought she had done it in Norman. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Ross celebrated her near-perfect 9.975 on floor with freshman Sekai Wright. While the hopes of a 40 all around were dashed, the score was a career-best mark for the junior. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Viral sensation Ohashi, likely the gymnast many of the fans in the stands came specifically to see, celebrates another stellar floor routine, earning her fourth 10.0 on the event this season. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Meanwhile, Oklahoma wasn’t having as good of a time on beam, having to count two 9.7-range scores thanks to a fall in the fourth spot. This specific judging conference occurred after sophomore Evy Schoepfer’s routine, which has a couple of questionable connections and wobbles. She ultimately scored a 9.750. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Nichols righted the ship for Oklahoma, scoring a big 9.975 that ultimately won the event. The score was also good enough to raise the Sooners to a tie with UCLA heading into the final rotation. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Grace Glenn, who was out of her signature event for four meets at the beginning of the season due to injury, hit a stellar routine for a 9.900 that ended up being the Bruins’ second-highest score of the rotation. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

The pressure was still on Ross to hit her third perfect 10 of the night to not only earn a career-best all around total but also to perform a last-ditch effort to push her team to the win. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

However, Ross scored a controversial 9.875 for a routine that most thought would still score at least a 9.900. Associate head coach Chris Waller and Wieber even discussed submitting an inquiry to review the score. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Oklahoma regained its confidence on floor, counting all scores above 9.900, including a 9.925 from Dowell, who performed her eponymous skill to open her routine. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Ohashi did all she could to squeeze every last tenth out of the meet for UCLA. This routine, where she mixed things up by performing a front aerial front aerial back handspring series, tallied a 9.950. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Freshman Olivia Trautman sealed the win for Oklahoma with her 9.950 floor routine, giving the Sooners a 197.775 to UCLA’s 197.575 to remain undefeated. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

The No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup brought in a record number of fans to the Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners nearly doubled their previous attendance record to 10,177. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Essay by Elizabeth Grimsley

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