Three things to know about the 2022 OU men's gymnastics team
NORMAN — The top-ranked OU men’s gymnastics team opens its home schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday against No. 13 Air Force at McCasland Field House.
The meet will be televised on Bally Sports Southwest with delayed coverage on Bally Sports Oklahoma beginning at 10 p.m.
The Sooners (3-0, 2-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) opened the season with a win over Air Force, then-No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 Nebraska and No. 10 Air Force in the Rocky Mountain Open in Colorado Springs last week.
Here’s three things to know about OU’s men’s gymnastics team as they start their home slate:
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New blood
While most of last season’s NCAA runner-up team returns, the Sooners did have some holes to fill, most notably the loss of Gage Dyer.
Dyer finished his OU career last season with nine event titles and two national titles — floor exercise and vault.
The Sooners’ newcomers got off to a hot start last week.
A pair of freshman — Fuzzy Benas and Raydel Gamboa — finished in the top three of the all-around to qualify for the 2022 Winter Cup in Indianapolis on Feb. 24-26.
Benas won the all-around title with an 83.800 while Gamboa finished third with an 80.600.
Sophomore Zach Nunez finished second to qualify as well.
Benas, of Richmond, Texas, won the rings with a 14.200, one of four scores he posted of 14.100 or better. His 83.800 leads the nation in the all-around rankings and his 14.100 on the floor is No. 2 nationally.
Benas performance earned him MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors.
More than a decade without a home loss
Saturday’s meet is the first of four home meets in 2022.
The Sooners also host No. 3 Nebraska on Feb. 19, No. 6 Ohio State on March 12 and No. 8 Cal on March 19.
OU hasn’t lost at McCasland Field House since 2007, winning 76 matchups without a loss since then.
But the last time the Sooners competed at home, they left McCasland with a tie, knotting up 409.300 each with eventual national champion Stanford.
Not going far from home
If the Sooners are to make a run at a 13th national title, they won’t have to go far from home to accomplish it.
OU is hosting the NCAA championships April 15-16 at Lloyd Noble Center.
The qualifiers will be held at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Sooners last hosted in 2015, when they knocked off Stanford to win the first of four consecutive titles.
OU also hosted in 2012, 2006 and 2002 — only failing to win at home in 2012, when it finished runner-up to Illinois.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men's gymnastics: What to know about 2022 Sooners
