Air Force, Oklahoma and SEMO at Texas Woman’s

Recap

The Big Storyline: OU posted another 198 as both TWU and Air Force notch season high scores.

Implications: Two strong performances this weekend means Oklahoma will bump Michigan out of the No. 1 spot, the first time the Wolverines have not been the top-ranked team in 2022. Both TWU and Air Force will be able to drop low scores from earlier in the season and significantly raise their NQS. TWU will distance itself from Lindenwood atop the USAG rankings while Air Force will also slide ahead of the Lions for the first time this season. 

Records: On floor, TWU’s Isabel Goyco tied her career high of 9.925 to capture a share of the event title.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 53 Air Force, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 57 SEMO at No. 49 Texas Woman’s

Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: Oklahoma is making its near-annual trip to Denton, Texas, this weekend. Many members of the Oklahoma roster are originally from Texas, including Ragan Smith, Katherine Levasseur and Emma Lapinta, so the stands are expected to be packed and full of energy. The last time a top-10 program made its way to Kitty Magee Arena, the attendance record was broken. It’s possible for that to happen again this week with so many athletes capable of posting 10.0s on the competition floor. The Sooners will be looking for an NQS-worthy score to put the pressure on Michigan. This meet is also a preview of the USAG national championship as TWU, Air Force and SEMO are all within the top five USAG teams. TWU just positioned itself on top after last weekend’s superb 195.450 season high. Meanwhile, SEMO posted a season high of its own last weekend thanks to a pair of 9.95s from Jolie Miller and Anna Kaziska. 

You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: The entirety of Oklahoma’s vault rotation is a must-see. The Sooners’ vault and floor performances will be big determining factors on whether the team will challenge Michigan for the No. 1 spot in the country this weekend. Jordan Bowers is the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the fourth time this season, so watch out for her in the all-around competition. Air Force has a duo of freshman all-around performers of its own that are capable of some big gymnastics. In fact, Genevieve Sabado and Ayla McKean are the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked athletes in USAG, respectively. SEMO’s Jolie Miller combines unique skill combinations and beautiful lines on bars. There’s a reason she’s the top bar worker in the country and tied the program record last weekend. Texas Woman’s will be celebrating its senior night, so be on the lookout for big gymnastics from Isabel Goyco. She has been a strong floor worker for the Pioneers all four years, but her huge double pike can rival the best. Sky high tumbling and entertaining choreography in a home finale sounds like the ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon.