Natalie Orr | Posted: 1 Mar 2021 | Updated: 15 Mar 2021

No. 11 BYU travels to face reigning NCAA champions, No. 2 Oklahoma

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PROVO, Utah – On a three-meet winning streak, No. 11 BYU prepares to face No. 2 University of Oklahoma on Friday, March 5, at 6:45 p.m. CT in the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma. 

The Cougars are currently the highest-ranked team in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference, with No. 15 Southern Utah following behind. Nationally, BYU boasts impressive rankings on each apparatus: No. 6 on bars, No. 7 on floor, No. 9 on beam and No. 16 on vault. 

BYU and Oklahoma last battled in 2017 at the NCAA Seattle Regionals, where six teams fought for a spot in the National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships. There, Oklahoma secured a win among the teams, notching a 198.075.

This is nostalgic for head coach Guard Young as he once served as the assistant men's gymnastics coach at Oklahoma for nine years. In fact, he coached four NCAA championship teams (2002, 2003, 2005, 2015.)

Meet Information

  • When: Friday, March 5
  • Time: 7 p.m. CST
  • Location: Lloyd Noble Center
  • Live TV: Fox Sports OK
  • Live Stats: Statbroadcast

THE COUGARS. On Friday, BYU soared over MRGC rival Utah State, 196.925-196.600. There, the Cougars notched a 49.600 on floor, their highest score on the apparatus since 2003. This stands as the sixth-highest score in program history. Additionally, senior Abbey Miner-Alder captured the highest floor score in the MRGC for 2021, a 9.975. Junior Brittney Vitkauskas stands as No. 2 in the conference, earning a 9.950. 

THE SOONERS. No. 2 Oklahoma boasts four national championship titles (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019), nine NCAA finals appearances and 11 Big 12 titles in the last 12 years. Currently, the program ranks No. 2 on vault, No. 2 on beam, No. 3 on bars and No. 4 on floor. The team’s current average comes in at 197.138. A notable gymnast is Anastasia Webb, who ranks No. 3 in the all-around, No. 6 on vault, No. 4 on beam and No. 8 on floor nationally.