Oklahoma
LSU, Oklahoma Have Unfinished Business Ahead of Powerhouse Gymnastics Matchup
LSU gymnastics did it all last season—well, almost.
The Tigers’ program won its first NCAA Division I title after a 31–3 season, highlighted by an all-around-championship performance from Haleigh Bryant, while also capturing first in the SEC championship meet. But one thing that eluded the team was the SEC regular-season title, which was claimed by Florida (the Gators’ 6-1-0 conference record topped the Tigers’ 5-2-0 mark).
This year, No. 2 LSU is hoping to get that title—if No. 1 Oklahoma doesn’t have something to say about it.
The Sooners are spending their first season in the SEC circuit after making the move from the Big 12 last summer. A perennial contender that has won six titles in the past 11 years, Oklahoma remains undefeated midway through the season and currently holds the top spot in the conference with a 4-0-0 record, while LSU trails at 3-1-0.
An opportunity for both programs to make their mark this year awaits Friday, when No. 2 LSU hosts No. 1 Oklahoma.
It will be a meeting of gymnastics powerhouses with plenty to prove by both parties. The Tigers will be competing as reigning champions looking to take hold of the SEC and No. 1 spot in the nation, while the Sooners are eyeing redemption for their errors in the national semifinals that saw them miss the championship meet for the first time since 2012 after entering as heavy favorites.
LSU’s Bryant says the regular season SEC title is still at the forefront of the team’s mind despite everything accomplished in 2024.
“That’s something [that was on] our goal sheet back in August,” Bryant told Sports Illustrated last summer. “Getting that and winning the actual SEC competition would be amazing.”
Bryant is coming back into form for the Tigers after missing the first meet of the season with an elbow injury. She most recently made her return to vault in LSU’s victory over No. 14 Alabama on Feb. 7, while also competing in floor and beam.
Haleigh Bryant: Queen of floor 👑@espnW | @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/VtXxCY7OtR
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 1, 2025
A graduate student, Bryant ultimately decided to return to the Tigers this year alongside teammate and friend Olivia Dunne, who is also in her last collegiate season.
“We had so many conversations. We went back and forth a lot, but we were in it together and we wanted to do it together, because she’s been one of my best friends before we even came to LSU,” Bryant said. “So just getting to do it with her and live out our LSU collegiate dreams one more time and because it’s gonna be the last year of gymnastics [for us].”
Bryant made a splash with her accomplishments last season, leading her nominations for ‘Best Breakthrough Athlete’ and ‘Best Collegiate Athlete’ at the ESPYs. Though she did not win, Bryant says it was a “dream come true” just to be there and see her name among the likes of C.J. Stroud, JuJu Watkins, Victor Wembanyama and Caitlin Clark. Bryant was also honored at the ‘ESPYS x Power of She’ luncheon held by Athleta ahead of the ceremony with her fellow nominees, calling the event highlighting female athletes “one of the best experiences of my life.”
Beyond Bryant, LSU has been powered by new and familiar faces this season. Freshman Kailin Chio has been a standout performer for the Tigers in her first season, so far winning nine titles and most recently being named back-to-back SEC Freshman of the Week. Senior Aleah Finnegan has also continued to shine for LSU, winning 11 titles through the program’s first eight meets.
9️⃣ . 9️⃣ 7️⃣ 5️⃣ to start things off for Faith Torrez and Oklahoma gymnastics‼️
📺 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on ABC | NOW 🍿 pic.twitter.com/xz2v3dgOcZ
— espnW (@espnW) January 11, 2025
Meanwhile, Oklahoma boasts three of the top four all-around scorers in the nation in junior Faith Torrez, senior Jordan Bowers and graduate Audrey Davis. Torrez most recently was named back-to-back SEC Gymnast of the Week after earning another three titles in the Sooners’ victory over No. 8 Kentucky.
Oklahoma and LSU meet again after competing in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad meet earlier this season alongside California and Utah, which saw the Sooners edge out the Tigers, 197.950–197.650. Bowers won the all-around title in the meet, while Bryant was only able to compete in beam while returning from injury.
The SEC currently is home to the top three gymnastics programs in the nation in scoring in Oklahoma, LSU and Florida. When the competition is that stiff, a regular-season title just means more, even in the grand scheme of competing for a national title.
Oklahoma has an opportunity to reassert its dominance this season, while LSU has its eyes on overtaking the top of the conference. The Tigers have already achieved some redemption after beating last year’s regular-season champion in Florida this year, but facing undefeated Oklahoma will be an even bigger test.
“Just being willing to change, willing to sacrifice things and just being there for one another,” Bryant said on what it will take to succeed this season. “Just supporting everybody, being there for one another and just working so hard and keeping our eyes forward, keeping our foot on the gas and just giving it all we got.”
LSU’s Dunne has been vocal about the lack of fans at meets this year, but with the talent and stakes between Oklahoma and LSU, the Baton Rouge crowd is sure to be in for a treat Friday night.
NORMAN — After an up-and down week that saw Oklahoma drop the lone Bedlam match of the season, and then split two tight games with Arkansas before blowing out the Razorbacks on Sunday, the Sooners remained No. 1 in the NFCA/Go Rout coaches’ poll released Tuesday.
But there’s far from a consensus.
Oklahoma received 12 first-place votes — the same total they had last week — but five other teams received first-place votes.
Texas Tech remained No. 2 with four four-place votes and Alabama No. 3 with seven. Nebraska moved up two spots to No. 4 with four first-place votes, followed by Florida with two and UCLA with two.
Texas is No. 7, followed by Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida State.
Texas A&M, the Sooners’ opponent for the final regular-season weekend in two weeks, comes in at No. 11.
Other SEC teams include Georgia at No. 15, Mississippi State at No. 17 and LSU at No. 20.
OU hosts the Georgia Bulldogs in a three-game series beginning Friday.
Other Sooners’ opponents this season in the polls include No. 14 Duke, No. 18 Oklahoma State, No. 19 Arizona, No. 24 Arizona State and No. 25 Washington.
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Oklahoma also remained in the top spot in the D1Softball poll, with Alabama No. 2 there followed by Texas Tech, Nebraska at Texas.
The Sooners dropped a spot in the Softball America poll, with Nebraska elevating to No. 1 behind the two-way stardom of former OU standout Jordy Frahm (formerly Jordy Bahl).
Frahm is 13-4 with a 1.36 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings in the circle and hitting .440 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs. Another former Sooners player, Hannah Coor, is among the Cornhuskers’ regulars as well.
The Sooners have 158 home runs, just three away from tying their own season record in the category, but UCLA has closed the gap in a major way, sitting just four behind Oklahoma.
OU freshman sensation Kendall Wells leads the nation with 34 home runs, three ahead of UCLA’s Megan Grant. Wells tied Jocelyn Alo‘s program record for home runs in a season with her home run in Sunday’s win.
The Sooners host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. Tuesday in their final non-conference game of the season before opening the series against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Love’s FIeld.
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Putnam City West High School will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday after an incident involving two students prompted an investigation by the district and Oklahoma City police, according to Putnam City Schools.
District officials said administrators were alerted near the end of the school day Monday to an altercation involving two students in the school’s arena area.
Officials said the students left campus, and the case was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for investigation.
District officials said no students or staff were harmed and there is no ongoing safety threat related to the incident.
What we know
Putnam City West sent the following email to all families and staff at the school:
All PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st.
Today, an isolated serious incident involving two students occurred on school grounds. Near the end of the school day, administrators were alerted to an altercation between two students in the arena area. The individuals involved quickly left campus, prompting an initial fact-finding response by school administrators before the matter was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for further investigation. Because this is an active investigation involving students, no further information will be released at this time.
We understand this information may be concerning to students, staff, and families. Please know we are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. At Putnam City Schools, student and staff safety remains our highest priority. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a thorough investigation, all PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st. Students will need to check Google Classroom for updates from teachers.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of PC West.
Putnam City Schools
All students and staff at Putnam City West will transition to virtual learning on Tuesday, April 21, while investigators continue their work, according to the district.
Students were told to check Google Classroom for instructions from teachers.
The district said it is withholding additional details because the case involves students and remains under investigation.
School officials have not said what triggered the incident or whether any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as more information becomes available.
TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — A new program in Oklahoma is giving adults another way to finish high school by allowing them to use past credits and test scores to earn a diploma, an option officials say could help thousands of people and strengthen the state’s workforce.
For years, adults in Oklahoma who did not finish high school largely had one main option: earning a GED. Now, Oklahoma CareerTech is rolling out the Career Readiness Diploma, a pathway designed to build on what students have already completed rather than requiring them to start over.
“So in Oklahoma right now, if you look at the demographics, we have about 279,000 people in our state without a high school diploma. So it’s almost 10% of our population doesn’t have a high school diploma,” said Lance Allee, an adult education and family literacy specialist with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Allee said the program allows adults to apply previously earned high school credit and combine different assessment scores into a single record to qualify for a diploma.
“It allows the student to use previously earned high school credit. So, it’s kind of like a portfolio where you can take multiple assessment scores and put them into one portfolio to get your high school diploma,” Allee said.
The program is open to adults 21 and older. In some cases, officials said, participants can finish in just weeks, depending on how many credits they already have.
CareerTech officials say the program is also aimed at improving job prospects for individuals while helping Oklahoma remain competitive when attracting employers.
“When you’re a company and you’re looking at moving into Oklahoma, you look at the demographics and say, is there a workforce there that we can employ? And you say, well, about 10% of the population doesn’t have a diploma, they may start looking at states that surround us. So, we definitely want to get as many diplomas out there as we can,” Allee said.
The program started issuing diplomas in recent weeks, and officials said dozens more people are already in the process. For more information or to sign up click here.
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