WOMEN's GYMNASTICS Ashley Jackson Gymnast to Watch
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O K L A H O M A SOONERS Phillip Rogers, OU Women’s Gymnastics Media Relations Contact OKLAHOMA 180 W. Brooks, Suite 2525, Norman, OK 73019 O: (405) 325-8413 | C: (405) 880-0794 | F: (405) 325-7623 WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS [email protected] | www.SoonerSports.com DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULTS SATURDAY, FEB. 14 | 7:00 P.M. (CT) | HAMILTON GYMNASIUM | DENVER, COLO. Friday, Jan. 9 .................@No. 3 Florida ........ L (196.500-195.075) Saturday, Jan. 17 ...........@Texas Woman’s ... W (197.175-189.600) NO. 22 DENVER PIONEERS (6-5) Monday, Jan. 26 ...............Arkansas ............. L (196.900-195.625) 2009 TROESTER RANKINGS Team: 194.121 (22nd) Friday, Jan. 30 ..................Minnesota .......... W (196.500-195.675) Vault: 48.771 (19th) | Bars: 48.317 (31st) Sunday, Feb. 8 ...............@Nebraska ............ L (196.175-196.000) Beam: 48.379 (24th) | Floor: 48.654 (21st) Saturday, Feb. 14............@Denver ....................................... 7 p.m. VERSUS Friday, Feb. 20 ..................Brown/Missouri/W. Va. ............. 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 ...............@Iowa State ................................. 7 p.m. NO. 8 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (2-3) Friday, March 6 .................TWU/Illinois State ...................... 7 p.m. 2009 TROESTER RANKINGS Team: 196.075 (Eighth) Friday, March 13 ............@Alabama/with UNC ............... 7:30 p.m. Vault: 49.095 (Seventh) | Bars: 48.930 (Ninth) Saturday, March 21 .......@Big 12 Championships* ............. 2 p.m. Beam: 49.035 (Fifth) | Floor: 49.015 (Seventh) Saturday, April 4 ............@NCAA Regional Champ. ................. TBA April 17-19 ....................@NCAA Championships** ............... TBA EIGHTH-RANKED OKLAHOMA BATTLES PIONEERS IN THE MILE HIGH CITY The Oklahoma women’s gymnastics squad makes its fourth road appearance in five weeks on * — CONTESTED IN AMES, IOWA Saturday, traveling to Denver, Colo., for a meeting with the 22nd-ranked Denver Pioneers at ** — TO BE HELD IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 7 p.m. (CT), inside Hamilton Gymnasium. It’s DU’s Burnsley Invitational/Link to Pink Meet in support of breast cancer awareness, as the squads will wear pink leotards and the fans will have TIMES ARE CENTRAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE the opportunity to donate via pledge cards called “Stick it to Cancer,” with all profits going to the ALL HOME MEETS ARE AT THE LLOYD NOBLE CENTER Denver Komen Foundation. OU is coming off of a 196.175-196.000 defeat at No. 12 Nebraska in which the Sooners were forced to count their first fall on bars this season. Oklahoma rebounded from its initial struggles on the apparatus with three-straight team scores of 49-plus to close the meet, including a 49.325 on beam in which every OU gymnast posted a score of 9.825 or higher. 2008 Big 12 Champs Ashley Jackson and Haley DeProspero finished one-two in the all-around standings against the Huskers, as Oklahoma picked up event wins on vault and beam, while also notching individual gymnast to watch: titles on vault (Jackson - career-high 9.925) and bars (Jessica Kinder - career-high 9.85). Ashley Jackson The Sooners lead the Big 12 on all four events and are the only conference squad to hold a 49- Jackson won her second all-around title of plus average on any apparatus (vault, bars and floor exercise). the season with a career-high 39.375 against Nebraska en route to Big 12 Gymnast of the Oklahoma defeated the Pioneers in both 2008 meetings. The two squads squared off in Denver Week honors. The Hudsonville, Mich., native in a quad meet on Feb. 9, with the Sooners besting all four squads, including a 195.925-195.700 also earned the vault title against the victory over second-place DU. OU posted a 196.075 in the first session of the NCAA preliminaries, Huskers with a career-high 9.925. while Denver scored a 194.200 in the night session. On the year, Jackson has posted five individual titles including 11 routines of 9.8 or greater, OPPONENT PREVIEW with a 9.925 vault score (NU) and a 9.95 floor Denver enters Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma off of a 197.025-193.350 loss at Alabama tally (TWU). on Feb. 6. The Pioneers were led by senior All-American Jessica López, who won the all-around title against the Crimson Tide with her second-straight 39.500. López paced DU on each event, capturing a pair of titles with a season-high 9.925 on bars and a 9.900 on floor. López shares second nationally in the all-around rankings with a season average of 39.500. The official site of OU Athletics supplies Sooner fans worldwide with the latest news and features on Oklahoma athletics direct from Norman. The site provides the latest press Tickets for the meet can be purchased by calling the DU Ticket Office at 303-871-2336. Tickets are releases, rosters, bios, schedules, statistics, notes, quotes, athlete blogs, photo galleries and audio and video available to both Sooner fans and the media. also available on-line at www.DenverPioneers.com. 2009 OU WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS 1 O K L A H O M A SOONERS NAME HEIGHT YEAR HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) CLUB PRONUNCIATION Cindell, Candace 5-5 So. Frisco, Texas (Frisco HS) Kurt Thomas Gymnastics sin-DELL DeProspero, Haley 5-0 Sr. Van Alstyne, Texas (Plano Christian Academy) University of Gymnastics dee-PROSS-per-oh Ferguson, Megan 4-11 Fr. Olathe, Kan. (Blue Valley HS) Eagles Gymnastics Flanery, Jacqueline 5-5 Jr. Plattsburg, Mo. (Plattsburg HS) Eagles Gymnastics Jackson, Ashley 5-1 Sr. Hudsonville, Mich. (East Kentwood HS) Geddart’s Twisters Kelley, Natasha 5-4 Fr. Katy, Texas (Home schooled) Cypress Academy Kinder, Jessica 5-2 Sr. Kansas City, Mo. (Raytown HS) Best Gymnastics KIN-der Kramer, Julie 5-2 Jr. Uvalde, Texas (Baylor Univ. / Uvalde HS) Acrotex Gymnastics Lesko, Gina 5-3 Sr. Allen, Texas (Allen HS) University of Gymnastics Mantle, Mary 5-4 Jr. Ft. Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS) GK Gymnastics Ratcliff, Natalie 5-5 So. Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest HS) GAGE Root, Melanie 5-3 So. Cartersville, Ga. (Cartersville HS) Cartersville Twisters Smith, Kristin 5-3 Jr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City HS) Dynamo Gymnastics Stone, Sara 5-4 Fr. Dallas, Texas (Spring Creek Academy) Metroplex Gymnastics Vise, Hollie 5-5 Jr. Dallas, Texas (Spring Creek Academy) WOGA VICE Wagner, Hailey 5-2 Fr. Tulsa, Okla. (Metro Christian Academy) Jenks Gymnastics HAY-lee OKLAHOMA COACHING STAFF Head Coach: K.J. Kindler, Third Year Assistant Coaches: Lou Ball, Third Year | Tom Haley, Third Year CANDACE CINDELL HALEY DEPROSPERO MEGAN FERGUSON JACKIE FLANERY ASHLEY JACKSON NATASHA KELLEY JESSICA KINDER JULIE KRAMER GINA LESKO MARY MANTLE NATALIE RATCLIFF MELANIE ROOT KRISTIN SMITH SARA STONE HOLLIE VISE HAILEY WAGNER 2009 OU WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS 2 O K L A H O M A SOONERS GENERAL INFORMATION 2009 MARCH-IN ORDER Location .........................................................................................Norman, Okla. Enrollment .................................................................................................29,721 NAME CLASS HOMETOWN PRONUNCIATION Founded ........................................................................................................1890 1. Megan Ferguson .....................Fr. ...................... Olathe, Kan. President ........................................................................................David L. Boren 2. Natasha Kelley ........................Fr. ........................ Katy, Texas VP/Athletics Director .....................................................................Joe Castiglione 3. Sara Stone ..............................Fr. .......................Dallas, Texas Nickname .................................................................................................Sooners Colors ........................................................................................ Crimson & Cream 4. Hailey Wagner .......................Fr. ........................ Tulsa, Okla. Conference ..................................................................................................Big 12 5. Candace Cindell ......................So. ...................... Frisco, Texas sin-DELL Arena ......................................................................................Lloyd Noble Center 6. Natalie Ratcliff ........................So. .......... Overland Park, Kan. Capacity .....................................................................................................12,000 7. Melanie Root .........................So. .................Cartersville, Ga. OU’s All-Time Record ............................................................................391-198-1 8. Jackie Flanery .........................Jr. ................. Plattsburg, Mo. 9. Julie Kramer ............................Jr. .................... Uvalde, Texas TEAM INFORMATION 10. Mary Mantle ..........................Jr. .................... Bellvue, Colo. 2009 Overall Record ........................................................................................2-3 11. Kristin Smith ...........................Jr. ..........Oklahoma City, Okla. High Score ................................................................................................197.175 12. Hollie Vise ..............................Jr. .......................Dallas, Texas VICE 2008 Big 12 Finish ..........................................................................................First 2008 NCAA Finish ....................................................................................... Eighth 13. Haley DeProspero ....................Sr. ..............Van Alstyne, Texas dee-PROSS-per-oh Letterwinners