© John Cheng

ST. LOUIS, April 15, 2017 – Led by a perfect mark on the balance beam from 2015 World team gold medalist Maggie Nichols, the University of Oklahoma won the National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships team title tonight at Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena. The title is the program’s third overall and second-straight. Their 198.3875 team total is an NCAA Super Six record.

Louisiana State University was second with a 197.7375, with the University of Florida in third, notching a 197.7000 team total. The University of California at Los Angeles earned a 197.2625 for fourth. The University of Utah, 196.5875, and the University of Alabama, 196.0000, were fifth and sixth, respectively.

OU came out of the gates, firing off five stuck dismounts on the uneven bars. The Sooners threw out a 9.8875 as they amassed a 49.5875. Nichols floated from high to low on her Pak salto and stuck her double layout dismount to score 9.950 in the anchor position. Oklahoma scored a 49.700 on the balance beam, highlighted by a perfect 10.0 from Nichols. The perfect score for Nichols was the first in Super Six history on beam. (UCLA’s Peng Peng Lee matched the mark later in the competition.)

On the floor, OU earned a 49.6125 behind 9.9500s from A.J. Jackson and Nichols. Needing just a 49.2760 on vault to set a new NCAA Super Six team total record, the Sooners put together another stellar rotation, notching 49.4875.

LSU, which posted the top score among yesterday’s two national semifinals, finished second with team event totals of 49.3000, vault; 49.3875, uneven bars; 49.7250, balance beam; and 49.3250, floor exercise. LSU’s beam total is a Super Six record. Florida was third after earning totals of 49.3625, vault; 49.5375, uneven bars; 49.3000, balance beam; and 49.5000, floor exercise.