BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 19, 2014 – The University of Oklahoma and the University of Florida tied for the team title tonight at the 2014 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships at the Birmingham (Ala.) Convention Complex Arena. Louisiana State University was third. Competition wraps up tomorrow with the individual event finals, airing live on ESPN3.com at 3 p.m. ET.
Oklahoma and Florida earned scores of 198.175 followed by LSU with 197.600.
The University of Oklahoma started off the night on the uneven bars, led by Keeley Kmieciak’s 9.950 routine. They totaled 49.500. Kmieciak dismounted with a full-twisting double back. In the second rotation on the balance beam, Taylor Spears posted a 9.925, executing an Onodi to back handspring swing down series. The Sooners finished with a 49.525. Lara Albright posted a 9.950 for the Sooners on the third event, opening her routine with a front double full. Maileana Kanewa followed and mounted with a piked full-in for a 9.900. OU posted a 49.600 on the floor exercise. The Sooners closed out their first-ever title with a 49.550 on the vault with Chayse Capps and Hayley Scaman sticking Yurchenko fulls for matching 9.950s.
The University of Florida began on the vault where Bridget Sloan’s Yurchenko full twist and Kytra Hunter‘s Yurchenko one-and-a-half delivered matching scores of 9.950, contributing to the team’s 49.450 total. Alaina Johnson closed the uneven bars rotation for the Gators, executing a toe-on Tkatchev and a stuck double layout dismount for a 9.900. They posted a 49.600 team total on the event. Sloan was nearly flawless on the beam in the third rotation, performing a front aerial to back handspring and sticking a double twist dismount. She scored 9.950. Hunter closed the rotation with a 9.900, giving Florida a 49.500 on the event. The Gators closed on the floor and earned a 49.550 to match OU’s 198.175 total.
Louisiana State University opened on bars, highlighted by Britney Ranzi’s stuck double layout for a 9.900 and Sarie Morrison’s 9.925, which included a stuck full-twisting double back dismount. Their bars total was 49.400. The Tigers were solid on the balance beam, where Rheagan Courville posted a 9.900 for her routine after executing a standing Arabian. They finished with a 49.325 on the event. On the floor, Courville and Lloimincia Hall were nearly perfect and earned matching 9.950 scores. The Tigers posted a 49.550. On the vault, LSU scored a 49.325.
In 2013, the University of Florida won its first-ever NCAA team title ahead of Oklahoma and Alabama. With the title tonight, OU joins Florida, the University of Utah, the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia and the University of California-Los Angeles as the only schools to win the team title.
Last night, Alabama’s Kim Jacob posted a 39.625 to win the all-around title ahead of the University of Arkansas’ Katherine Grable and Florida’s Alaina Johnson, who tied for second with 39.600.