Women's Gymnastics: Highest NQS Scores and Bowers' Weekly Award

[OUBeliever56A]

There were two things written about the Sooner Women's Gymnastics team this week. On Monday the 18th, the national NQS score results were posted.

Sooners Top Team After Record Breaking Performance - Here is that article written by the Sooner staff writers.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/3/18 ... erformance

"The Sooners increased their record-breaking National Qualifying Score (NQS) to a 198.475 after week 12. The Sooners have held the No. 1 spot every week this season."

On Tuesday the 19th, Jordan Bowers was named the Big 12 Gymnasts of the Week.

Bowers Earns Final Gymnast of the Week Honor - Here is that article written by the Sooner staff writers.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/3/19 ... week-honor

"This is the fifth weekly honor for Bowers this season, and 16th of her career."

Jordan Bowers is certainly on a roll currently for the Sooners. I am not a great fan with all the knowledge of past Sooner Gymnasts, but it seems to me that it is hard to be much better than Bowers is right now, Is my feeling correct? Is she in fact one of the best ever at OU with one more year left?

Boomer Sooner!

[TN Sooner]

Jordan is definitely in the top 5, if not top 3, to my recollection. I think Maggie Nichols was more accomplished (national all around champion - maybe twice? - and several event championships), but Jordan can still do that. I know there have been some other event winners in the run that KJ is on, but I don’t recall. For sure Olivia trautman won at least 1 event title.

And back in the day, Shannon Miller was an event/AA national champion (I think) and Olympic gold medalist.

[TN Sooner]

Well, my memory sucks! I was right, but I missed several others - from the OU media guide:

Kelly Garrison - 97 and 98 all around and 2 event titles

Taylor Spears - 14 beam title

Nicole Lehrmann - 17 bars

Maggie nichols - ‘18 and ‘19 AA, 4 event titles over 3 different years

Brenna Dowell - 2 event titles in 18/19

Anastasia Webb - ‘21 AA and 2 event titles

Olivia Trautman - 2023 event title.

Audrey Davis - 2023 event title.

No Shannon Miller - I know she won a gold medal and was a sooner, but now think she may not have competed for OU.

[AustinTXSooner]

There are several measuring sticks that you can use. In just about every one of them, Maggie Nichols comes out on top. She is OU's most decorated gymnast. Kelly Garrison has a lot of awards as well.

Honda award: Kelly Garrison (2), Maggie Nichols, Anastasia Webb

From the media guide:

WITH JUST FOUR INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLES BEFORE 2014, ALL WON BY KELLY GARRISON IN 1987 AND 1988, THE ATHLETES TO COME
THROUGH THE OU GYMNASTICS PROGRAM IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEGUN CEMENTING THEMSELVES ON THE TOP OF THE PODIUM. TAYLOR
SPEARS BROKE A 26-YEAR DROUGHT TO WIN THE NATIONAL TITLE ON BEAM IN 2014 AND HAS COMBINED WITH FIVE OTHER SOONERS TO EARN
14 INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLES IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. MAGGIE NICHOLS IS THE PROGRAM RECORD HOLDER WITH SIX INDIVIDUAL TITLES,
INCLUDING THREE AT THE 2018 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS AND BACK-TO-BACK ALL-AROUND TITLES IN 2018 AND 2019. NICHOLS’ VICTORY ON FLOOR
AND BRENNA DOWELL’S FIRST-PLACE MARK IN ON VAULT IN 2018 GAVE OKLAHOMA AN INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION ON ALL FOUR EVENTS AND THE
ALL-AROUND, ONE OF JUST EIGHT PROGRAMS TO ACCOMPLISH THE FEAT. IN 2019, NICHOLS AND DOWELL WENT BACK-TO-BACK ON VAULT AND
FLOOR, WINNING NATIONAL TITLES ON THE APPARATUS THEIR TEAMMATE HAD SECURED THE YEAR BEFORE. IN 2021, ANASTASIA WEBB JOINED AN
EXCLUSIVE CLUB, BECOMING THE NINTH GYMNAST IN NCAA HISTORY TO EARN THREE TITLES IN ONE CHAMPIONSHIP AS SHE WON VAULT, FLOOR AND
THE ALL-AROUND. AFTER BEING TOLD TO MEDICALLY RETIRE BEFORE THE 2023 SEASON, OLIVIA TRAUTMAN GAVE GYMNASTICS ONE MORE SHOT
AND ENDED HER FINAL SEASON AS THE 2023 VAULT NATIONAL CHAMPION.

It's also important to note that Nichols 4 years include the 2020 shortened year with no national championships.

OU has 5 gymnasts that have been all American in all five categories in the same year:
Kelly Garrison 1988
Chase Capps 2016
Maggie Nichols 2018, 2019, 2020
Anastasia Webb 2021
Olivia Trautman 2021

Jordan has 5 all American titles, but that puts her in a tie for 13th place in OU history. It's a great start for her first 2 years. Ragan Smith has 6 all American titles, but that's in 2 more years than Jordan. Maggie Nichols holds the record with 18. Anastasia Webb is second with 12 and Chayse Capps has 11.

[OUBeliever56A]

Thanks for your thoughts and your answer.

I just don't have that knowledge although I have become a big Women's Gymnastics fan. I always enjoy your posts and I try to add what I can by just posting the events and particulars. But I am a novice.

[AustinTXSooner]

The Media Guide has all sorts of useful information. That's true for every sport.

2024 Gymnastics Media Guide: https://soonersports.com/documents/2024 ... 1.3.24.pdf

Down at the bottom is the history section.