April 5-11, 2022 by OU Daily

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | A P R I L 5 -11, 2 0 2 2 | O U D A I LY. C O M

See our best photos from Norman Medieval Fair · 3

OUDAILY

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

MEGAN O’DONNELL/THE DAILY

Sooners celebrate during the softball game against UAB on April 2.

OU victorious in series finale Sooners overcome UAB defensive shifts ahead of Tulsa match JASON BATACAO jason.f.batacao-1@ou.edu

No. 1 O k l a h o m a d e f e a t e d Alabama-Birmingham 2-0 in Norman on Saturday afternoon. Redshirt senior Hope Trautwein pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts and allowed just two hits on the day. Offensively, OU (32-0, 3-0 Big 12) tallied six hits, including two from sophomore utility Jayda Coleman and junior outfielder Rylie Boone. The Sooners’ two runs are tied for their lowest output this season. Coleman smacked a solo shot to left field for Oklahoma’s first run of the game in the sixth inning. Redshirt senior catcher Lynnsie Elam launched a homer to left center in the next at-bat to cap the scoring. Sooners struggle against shift Head coach Patty Gasso had no idea what was coming. After run-ruling the Blazers (2013) 11-1 on April 1, the Sooners’ offense looked primed to explode in a second weekend game. Previously, OU notched nine hits and hammered three home runs against UAB on Friday. In the first inning of Friday’s contest, pitcher Olivia Valbak kept the ball down, forcing OU’s hitter to

scoot back in the box. Ultimately, the strategy only held Oklahoma scoreless for the first inning, but it showed Blazers coach Joe Guthrie was willing to use trickery with the Sooners. Guthrie added another wildcard on Saturday, regularly shifting an infielder out to left or right field depending on the handedness of Oklahoma’s hitters. Notably, his plan kept OU’s bats in check for the majority of the game. The Sooners scattered only six hits, which were their third fewest in a game this season. Alabama-Birmingham also forced 16 combined ground outs and fly outs in the game. Gasso was surprised at the irregular defensive setup, saying she hasn’t seen the shift used in college softball in years. “Their shifts were tough and (right on),” Gasso said. “You can feel a little bit of frustration in our dugout, but they pitched right into us, and we fell into that trap. It’s not something we have felt before, so honestly it was good for us to feel that. “If we could do it over again, I think it might look a little bit different, but we weren’t quite ready to see as much shifting as they did, and then the pitcher did a great job. ... It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a second baseman play left or right center field and still throw us out at first base.” As more conference opponents loom, the shift could be a defensive

strategy implemented against the Sooners more regularly. “It’d be interesting to see if (future opponents do it) because people saw that it was somewhat successful,” Gasso said. “I mean, they had it down. Their coach was giving signals between every pitch. … So with a shift, it also can be beat, and we didn’t beat it much at all today. But, when it gets beat, it hurts and we’ve lived that as well.” Elam, Coleman, Boone and Lyons flash depth As Coleman rounded third base pumping her fist, Elam waited on deck for her next at-bat. Stepping into the box, the redshirt senior proceeded to blast a solo shot to left center. While Oklahoma’s top home run hitters — redshirt senior utility Jocelyn Alo and sophomore infielder Tiare Jennings — went 0-for-5 at the plate, the Sooners third through six-hole hitters registered Oklahoma’s lone six hits in the game. Coleman and Elam finished the game going 3-for-6, clobbering the decisive home runs. Notably, Coleman has been on a brief hot streak, smacking two homers in the past two games. Despite taking the first 11 games to garner a home run, Coleman has registered an impressive .418 batting average, five home runs and 22 RBIs on the season. Gasso noted the sophomore utility, like many hitters in the lineup,

is finally overcoming the pressure she faced early in the season. “I’ll tell you that there are a lot of athletes from last year who had tremendous numbers and sometimes just try to chase those numbers,” Gasso said. “That’s where you could see some of our hitters off, and I think we’re over that.” Outside of Elam and Coleman, junior outfielder Rylie Boone and senior infielder Grace Lyons contributed three hits as Oklahoma’s third and sixth-hole hitters, respectively, in the game. Lyons, much like Coleman, has been on a home run hot streak. In the past three games, Lyons has blasted four home runs, three coming against Wichita State on March 29 and the other being a walkoff grand slam during the first win against UAB on April 1. Boone, while only tallying one home run this season, has excelled in limited action, producing 14 RBIs and a .429 batting average. In the two games against UAB, the junior outfielder garnered two RBIs and four hits. As the season moves forward, Elam noted Oklahoma wants to stay focused in the batter’s box. “We’re always trying to be in attack mode,” Elam said. “Whether that’s the first pitch of the game or the last. I think it just goes down to not trying too hard and continuing to be ourselves, whether we’re run-ruling or whether we’re in extra innings, that’s something really special about this team.”

Trautwein anchoring pitching rotation Trautwein, a right-handed North Texas transfer, has pitched in Oklahoma’s three lowest scoring games this season. In those appearances, Trautwein recorded 18 innings and struck out 29 batters. Ultimately, the right-hander’s experience paid off for the Sooners again on Saturday, as she pitched a complete game two-hit shutout in the win. From the third to the seventh inning, the redshirt senior retired 12 straight batters. Notably, Trautwein credits her experience at North Texas, which included a 21 strikeout perfect game, for preparing her for closing situations. Now, it’s helping Trautwein ready for a likely first Women’s College World Series appearance after she missed postseason play for four years at North Texas. “ E x p e r i e n c e h e l p s a l o t ,” Trautwein said. “I mean, this is my fifth year, so I’ve seen a lot of softball, and it’s just kind of being that rock for the defense and for the team, knowing that I have their back and they’re gonna have mine. So, experience says a lot.” Next, the Sooners face Tulsa (12-20-1) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6 in Norman.

OU Law drops in 2023 top school rankings Methodology changes disrupt university standings KAROLINE LEONARD karolineleonard@ou.edu

OU College of Law dropped 21 spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 top law school rankings, which were released March 29. OU Law ranked 88th out of 196 law schools this year, compared to 67th in the 2022 rankings. Above the Law wrote about the college, saying “the law school’s dropping like a rock,” and the spot decrease was the “most offensive drop in rank.” “Over the last 20 years, the University of Oklahoma College of Law has had an average news ranking of 70 out of over 200 law schools nationwide,” an OU Law spokesperson wrote in a statement to The

Daily. “Year in and year out, the majority of those institutions’ rankings either rise or fall; very few remain in the same standing.” Above the Law predicted the U.S. News and World Report’s change in methodology could lead to major changes in the ranking. U.S. News and World Report looks at various ranking indicators as a part of its methodology to determine rankings. A quality assessment, peer assessments and assessments from lawyers and judges factored into the ranking as well as undergraduate GPA, selectivity, employed-at-graduation rate, resources, bar passage rate and student to faculty ratio. The spokesperson wrote that, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the class of 2020’s employment rates fell, and since U.S. News and World Report places an emphasis on employment rates, this resulted in a drop in ranking. “In 2020, during the global pandemic, the legal landscape in

Oklahoma was hit particularly hard, and as a result, our employment statistics for the Class of 2020 fell to just about the national average,” the spokesperson wrote. “We are pleased to report that the Class of 2021 had an overall employment rate of 97 percent, which we anticipate will again make OU Law one of the top law schools for placement, with an expected rebound to our U.S. News ranking.” In 2019, OU Law saw an employment score of 86.8 percent. However, a significant dip occurred in 2020, resulting in an employment score of 67.8 percent, according to Law School Transparency. For the 2020 graduates, about 21.5 percent were reported underusing their skills, a rise of almost 16 percent since 2019. OU Law was tied with Lewis & Clark College and University of Cincinnati. Out of the three, OU Law had the largest student-faculty ratio with 10.9 students to one faculty member. OU

Law had the lowest in-state tuition of $22,283. However, Cincinnati had the lowest out-of-state tuition with $29,010. OU Law had the largest enrollment of 546 and Cincinnati had the lowest enrollment with 392. OU Law had the lowest employed-at-graduation rate with only 30.2 percent of graduates being employed-at-graduation. Lewis & Clark had a 40 percent employed-at-graduation rate and Cincinnati had 55.3 percent, according to U.S. News and World Report. Law School Transparency reported an employment score in 2020 of 62.4 percent for Lewis & Clark and 69.1 percent for Cincinnati. OU Law had the highest first time bar passage rate of 93.4 percent in 2020 as compared to Lewis & Clark’s 89.5 percent and Cincinnati’s 84.6 percent. The University of Texas at Austin School of Law ranked 17th, dropping only one spot from last year’s rankings. Texas A&M moved up seven spots to 46th in the nation to be a

top 50 law school. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also ranked above OU at 78th in the nation, 9 spots higher than the year previous, and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville rose 10 spots to 86th. In 2019, Above the Law ranked OU Law 44th in the nation and 31st in 2020. Katheleen Guzman also became dean of OU Law in 2021 after serving in the interim dean capacity since 2019. “ OU Law remains the top law school in Oklahoma and one of the best in the region, known for its excellent faculty, its commitment to teaching, and its affordability,” the spokesperson wrote. “Though we of course are disappointed in this year’s ranking, we know that the quality and value of an OU Law degree remain strong, and we are excited for the future.”

NEWS

• April 5-11, 2022

Gov. Stitt appoints new regent OU alumnus to join board, pending Senate approval KALY PHAN kaly.n.phan-1@ou.edu

Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed OU alumnus Robert Ross to the OU Board of Regents in a press release Wednesday. Ross is the Inasmuch

Foundation chairman and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation president and CEO, both of which were founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord. He was also an attorney with McAfee & Taft before joining the Inasmuch Foundation, according to the release. In the press release, Stitt said Ross is the “epitome” of an Oklahoman and has a long history of serving the community.

“He is passionate about making our state the best it can possibly be, loves the University of Oklahoma and will make sure our ROBERT Oklahoma ROSS values are well represented in this new role,” Stitt said in the release.

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said Ross is an “exceptional choice,” and Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest said Ross’ decades of leadership and service have prepared him for this role. A c c o rd i n g t o t h e re lease, Ross has served on the board of directors of the Acorn Growth Companies Advisory Board, Colorado College, Freedom Center of Oklahoma City, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of

Commerce, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center and the Oklahoma State Fair. In the release, Ross said he is thankful to Stitt and is dedicated to helping the university produce the next generations of leaders in Oklahoma. “As a fourth-generation Oklahoman, I have a deep commitment to our state and to the university,” Ross said

in the release. “I look forward to working with President Harroz and my fellow regents to position OU to excel amidst the changes in higher education and our economy.” If confirmed by the Oklahoma Senate, Ross will replace Michael Cawley, who requested to not be reappointed to spend more time with his family, and serve a seven-year term expiring March 21, 2029.

OU opens expanded Starbucks location Students pleased with improved space, offerings KAROLINE LEONARD karolineleonard@ou.edu

The new and improved Starbucks opened this week in OU’s Oklahoma Memorial Union, replacing the ThinkTank study space across from the Union Market. OU announced plans to expand Starbucks in January of 2020, and former Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith told The Daily at the time that the new location would offer an expanded drink menu and keep students in mind.

The new location includes expanded seating options and tables for studying and dining. Students in the cafe agreed they appreciated the extra room, especially since the previous Starbucks had limited space to stand and sit. “It feels like a real coffee shop here,” environmental geology sophomore Jaylah Spence said. “We don’t have to get in and get out or fight for a spot in line or to stand.” Nick Armstrong, a freshman at OU, agreed, saying the original Starbucks did not have any room to sit after getting your food and drinks. Fi n e a r t s s o p h o m o re Isabella Elliott said she especially enjoyed the couches and

tables because it allows her to do work with her classmates. Sisters nursing freshman Alyssa Gainer and psychology senior Maddy Gainer said they had been to the location almost every day since it opened, and they felt the service and aesthetic of the new cafe made it better than the original. “It was hard to cram in that small space, especially when they had really long lines,” Gainer said. “All the places to sit really add to the (location) and make it better.” The new Starbucks is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout the week.

KAROLINE LEONARD/THE DAILY

Students wait in line at the new Starbucks location in the Oklahoma Memorial Union on April 1.

Students decry Senate Bill 2 as transphobic

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

A transgender flag near the OU Gender + Equality Center Oct. 22, 2018.

Organization voices opposition to legislation TAYLOR JONES taylor.p.jones-1@ou.edu

The “disheartened and exhausted” OU LGBTQ+ Student Alliance released an official statement Wednesday regarding the signing of Oklahoma Senate Bill 2, which it said was created to “stifle the livelihoods” of 2SLGBTQ+ people. Dubbed the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” the bill signed into law Wednesday morning requires athletic teams at K-12 schools and universities in the state to designate players based on “biological sex,” or assigned sex at birth. Formerly the Gay Activist Alliance at OU, the LGBTQ+

Student Alliance describes the bill as part of a “slew of discriminatory bills and actions” that affect the 2SLGBTQ+ community, especially trans girls. “Trans women are women,” the statement read. “Trans athletes deserve to compete. Trans students are students. Trans children are children.” Since its inception in 1973, LGBTQ+ Student Alliance wrote they have fought with the Oklahoma State government for the right to be recognized as a registered student organization at OU, funded by the OU Student Government Association, and against “the opinions of bigoted and ill-informed people at the university, local and state levels.” “This bill, and its many recent anti-trans counterparts, are cruel,” the statement read. “Their goal is not to protect sports or children

or families, but to harm trans and LGBTQ+ individuals in our state, and gain traction in a political landscape that has no concern for the damage it causes our communities.” Members of the LGBTQ+ Student Alliance wrote they pledge to stand up for their rights as students and continue to fight the legislation that hurts the LGBTQ+ community. “The LGBTQ+ Student Alliance stands firmly with our community and encourages our allies to stand with us as we weather the great storm that is a state and legislative scene that has no regard for our status as human beings,” the statement read. “We will continue to advocate and fight for the participation and safety of our students, and encourage our peers to do the same.”

CULTURE

April 5-11, 2022 •

2022 Norman Medieval Fair

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

Shop owner during the Norman Medieval Fair on April 1.

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

A knife thrower during the Norman Medieval Fair on April 1.

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

Dragon eggs during the Norman Medieval Fair on April 1.

Universal Crossword RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

A blacksmith during the Norman Medieval Fair on April 1.

Blake Douglas Editor-in-Chief Jillian Taylor News Managing Editor Mason Young Sports Editor Trey Young Visual Editor Justin Jayne Video Editor

Chandler Engelbrecht Enterprise Editor Jazz Wolfe Culture Editor Makenna Buckskin Engagement Editor Francisco Gutierrez Copy Chief Seth Prince Staff Adviser

160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052

The OU Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication. The Editorial Board, which consists of student editors, meets Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 168. The newsroom is open to the public. To advertise in The Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu.

phone:

405-325-3666

email:

dailynews @ou.edu

One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by at 405-325-2521. Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If dailynews@ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections.html to submit a correction form.

Previous Solution

6 8 1 9 8 2

2 6 7

1 9

4 5 1 4 6

2 9 5 3 2 8 9 3 7 4 4 5 3 6 Instructions: Fill in the grid so7that every row, 3 every column 1 8and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that V. EASY in any row, column or box. no number is repeated

HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2022 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t risk your health trying to impress someone. You are better off preparing by yourself and surprising everyone when you are satisfied with the results. Confusion may rear its ugly head.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Step outside your comfort zone and size up what’s happening. Having a clear picture will give you the wherewithal to decline an offer without hesitation. Use your insight to gain perspective.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Put your head down and focus on getting things done on time. Don’t change direction midstream or let someone distract you. Your reputation is at stake, so work hard.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Seize the moment, speak freely and put together a strategy that will help you pursue your long-term goals. Don’t fall prey to someone with colorful ideas that are costly and unrealistic.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) An inquisitive attitude will help you figure out what you can and cannot do. Put everything you’ve got into what you want most, and you won’t be disappointed. Momentum will build.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Hone your skills and structure a plan that encourages you to earn your living doing something that brings you joy. Make domestic changes that incorporate a space conducive to being productive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Check into financial options that will allow you to expand your interests and goals. Gather facts and figures, and don’t assume anything. Budget wisely.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You know the drill and how to get the most out of the least. Stick to your routine, give your all and use your intelligence to make a decision that encourages profit, comfort and convenience.

6 4

7 2 (Feb.520-March 20) 9 2 4PISCES 1 Mind what others say and how they feel you bring about a change that 2 3before 8 6 can affect your reputation. Getting along make your life easier. Play fair and 7 22) 5 8will VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. try to minimize disruptions. Take care of your health. Get involved in 5 4 new prospects that will1give you the 6 edge. Attention to detail and strategy 3 2 will help you overcome any problem you 9 encounter. Don’t let emotions interfere. 5 8 6 7 LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You’ll be privy to4inside information. 7 5 8 9 Attend meetings and participate in events that offer a vivid picture 2of 3 1 8 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Ask reliable people for assistance. A robust support system will help you avoid unwanted changes or restrictions. Use your intelligence to develop a workable plan and then get to work.

what’s to come. Networking and V. EASY partnerships are in your best interest.

Edited by David Steinberg April 5, 2022 ACROSS 1 Sign up 5 Corp. shuffle 10 Orangutans, e.g. 14 Bone, on an Italian menu 15 Fighting 16 Folk knowledge 17 Hundred-toone shot, e.g. (In this clue’s answer, note the first 3 letters + the last 2) 19 Filet mignon source 20 Empty talk 21 Word after “aisle” or “window” 23 Christmas bulb, briefly 24 Tie in chess 26 “NCIS” actor Murray 28 Trade-___ (certain cars) 31 Bad place to see a fox (... first 2 letters + last 2) 36 “Las Vegas of Asia” 38 Greek X 39 Circle dance 40 Rings around castles 41 Cattrall of “Sex and the City” 42 Fanta and Sprite 43 Arrows, to an archer 44 Rock grp. hidden in “free love” 45 Election predictors

4/5

46 Wonder Woman’s secret identity (... first 2 letters + last 2) 50 Dallas-toNew Orleans dir. 51 King of tragedy 52 “Twist, Lick, Dunk” cookie 54 TikTok star Addison 56 Intentions 59 Give in 63 Off-kilter 65 Avoid elimination, or a hint to 17-, 31- and 46-Across 67 Show of hands, maybe 68 Full of energy 69 Gets an A+ on 70 Anna’s sister in “Frozen” 71 Unit of volume 72 Prying DOWN 1 Tease playfully 2 Capital of Norway 3 “That so?” 4 Wanderer 5 Enthusiastic ... or a sarcastic laugh backward 6 Greek H 7 Takes responsibility for 8 Drag strip event 9 Pink Ladies’ rock musical

10 The whole shebang 11 Foam flotation device 12 Lake that sounds chilling 13 Word by a paper plane icon, in Outlook 18 Unicycle site 22 You may count to it 25 Porch furniture material 27 Sound an allergist hears 28 “Grr!” 29 Osaka of tennis 30 Phishing notifications, e.g. 32 Spicy topping for a hot dog 33 Japan’s national dress 34 Spoken exams

35 Out of style 37 Make amends 42 Gettysburg Address, for one 47 Roadside boost org. 48 Like basic instincts 49 Earthen bowl? 53 Humpback’s home 54 Great review 55 Deserter’s acronym 57 Neighbor of Algeria 58 Funny sketch 60 Danish shoe brand 61 Club payments 62 Amazon Handmade competitor 64 Formal affirmative 66 December 24 or 31

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

3/29

Knife Edges by Sterling MacLean

SPORTS

• April 5-11, 2022

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Senior Carly Woodard during the NCAA regional finals against Arkansas, Minnesota and California on April 2.

OU seals NCAA Regionals win Sooners see 12th straight victory at Lloyd Noble Center GRAYSON BLALOCK graysonablalock@ou.edu

Carly Woodard and coach KJ Kindler embraced, both knowing the fifth-year senior gymnast’s 9.95 on beam had sealed Oklahoma’s 12th straight NCAA Regional on Saturday night in Norman. Woodard effectively bookended the Sooners’ 198.250 performance, their second best of the season, only behind their 198.475 against then-No. 1 Michigan on March 4. Her 9.9 on floor jumpstarted a run of eight straight scores on floor and vault at or above 9.9, during which OU built a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Doing so at the Lloyd Noble Center was even more special. “Having regionals here,” Woodard said, “especially after thinking we had our final senior night, it was something that was so exciting because we were supposed to host in 2020 and we never got that opportunity. So getting to have that opportunity as a fifth-year now is something that I’m extremely grateful for, and it was

an experience of a lifetime.” OU didn’t count a score below 9.8 en route to running away from Minnesota, California and Arkansas. The Golden Gophers scored 197.725 to place second and advance to the semifinals. The Golden Bears and Razorbacks scored 197.300 and 196.675 to place third and fourth, respectively, and end their seasons. At the heart of Oklahoma’s scorching stretch was freshman Jordan Bowers. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native scored a 9.95 on floor and vault for one of the best freshman postseason performances in Sooners history. Over the two days of regional competition, five of her scores were 9.95 or better. The only one below that mark was a 9.9 she posted on bars on Saturday. “She has grown tremendously,” Kindler said. “At the beginning of the season, she had some hiccups on vault and she had some things here and there, but she was really just settling into college gymnastics, figuring it out, learning how to handle the pressure of it, and to embrace the pressure of it.” Bowers’ regional performance rivaled that of OU legend Maggie Nichols’ freshman regional performance.

In only one day of regionals in 2017, Nichols had three 9.95s and a 9.9. Nichols went on to lead Oklahoma to its third national championship, scoring a perfect 10 on beam in the finals. “She’s just really embraced the moment, and that’s what’s made the biggest difference,” Kindler said. “She’s reveling in those moments, and that’s so exciting to see for a freshman and someone who is performing at that high of a level in her very first year. I would say we have tremendous confidence when she goes up. She’s made a huge difference for us.” Now, Bowers will have a chance to play a Nicholsesque role alongside one of OU’s deepest rosters in years. Bowers and Oklahoma’s 2022 depth came from a roster that made few major mistakes and reached its healthiest point of the season in April. The Sooners’ only slip up on Saturday came when junior Ragan Smith fell on bars, marking her first blemish on the event in 2022 and the Sooners’ only regional fall. However, she rebounded with a 9.975 on beam and improved the Sooners’ score that Woodard had just sealed for the final performance of the night.

Oklahoma’s health showed in its abundance of scores at or above 9.9 alongside Bowers and Woodard’s performances. Freshmen Danielle Sievers and Danae Fletcher each scored 9.9 on floor, and Smith added a 9.95 there to start the meet. Senior Allie Stern and sophomore Katherine LeVasseur put up 9.9s on vault to pair with a near-perfect 9.975 from senior Olivia Trautman to continue the Sooners’ momentum. Sievers kept the momentum rolling with a 9.925 and sophomore Audrey Davis contributed a 9.9 on bars. Junior specialist Jenna Dunn added a 9.9 on beam and Trautman added a stellar 9.95 to cap the plethora of high scores. Another unique factor for the Sooners was their absence of all-arounders. Davis was the last gymnast to compete in the all-around on March 6 against Texas Woman’s University and Air Force, but because of the team’s healthy depth, having an all-around competitor hasn’t been necessary. “We’ve been talking a lot with the team about what your role is,” Kindler said. “Everyone has a specific role, even (though) you may not be competing, but you have

a role and a reason to be here and you are pushing this team in a direction. Whatever your role is, whether it’s a bar specialist or three-event athlete or to train the all-around and be ready to go if you are called upon, they have embraced their roles.” Woodard and senior Karrie Thomas’ roles are unique as the lone fifth-year seniors on the Sooners’ squad. The duo thought they had their senior night on March 4 when OU upset then-No. 1 Michigan 198.475-197.900. However, they got one more chance to compete at the Lloyd Noble Center, and didn’t waste the moment. Both were sentimental after the meet, telling each other they wouldn’t cry. They kept their word, as neither shed a tear immediately afterwards. Even with the sentiment of a final performance in Norman clearly present, both have another more pressing goal: a national championship. “I’m more focused on, ‘What do I have to do for my team to get to the next step?’” Thomas said. “I mean, we already had our ‘last’ here, so I was more focused on what’s to come.” What’s to come may include Oklahoma’s vaunted

depth getting one more shot in the arm as it heads to the semifinal competition at 1 p.m. on April 14 in Fort Worth. Thomas is preparing to return on beam for the first time since Jan. 14 against Utah. “Spoiler alert, she’s training beam right now,” Kindler said. “My mom doesn’t even know,” Thomas responded to shock and laughter from Woodard and Kindler. Thomas didn’t stick the dismount on beam in the 2021 Tuscaloosa Regional, injuring her knee and ending her fourth season. She chose to exhaust her final year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has focused on bars since the middle of January. The opportunity to return to beam and to compete at the national level in her final season has presented Thomas with one last crack at the event that nearly ended her career, while aiming for what she, and the rest of the roster, desire most. “ In that moment, (in Tuscaloosa), I was like, ‘I’m coming back for a reason,’” Thomas said. “I learned that in that moment. And sitting here now, it’s definitely awesome.”

Sooners snap winning streak in Stanford loss OU prepares for NCAA qualifier following defeat LOUIS RASER louis.d.raser-1@ou.edu

No. 2 Oklahoma snapped its streak of nine consecutive victories in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship with a 424.250-417.200 loss to No. 1 Stanford on Saturday night. The Sooners placed second in the competition, outscoring No. 8 California and No. 13 Air Force. Freshman Fuzzy Benas placed second in the all-around with a 84.700. Fellow freshman Raydel Gamboa and senior captain Vitaliy Guimaraes tied for fourth with a pair of 83.100s. Freshman Emre Dodanli got the Sooners started with a 14.300 on floor. Benas fed off that momentum with a career-high 14.700, immediately followed by a 14.450 from senior Spencer Goodell. Guimaraes nabbed

a 14.050, capping a season high 71.400 on floor for the Sooners. Junior Alan Camillus kicke d OU off on pommel horse with a 13.450. Guimaraes and Gamboa then nabbed a 14.050 and 13.550, respectively. Sophomore Zach Nunez closed out the second rotation with a 14.200 to give the Sooners a 140.300 team score. Competing on still rings in rotation three, Camillus and Guimaraes earned a pair of career-high 13.850s. Benas then continued his stellar showing with a 14.000 and Goodell tacked on a 13.550. Despite a hot start, the Sooners found themselves trailing the Cardinal 212.300-208.600 at the halfway mark. Guimaraes helped the Sooners narrow their deficit by landing a season-high 14.550 on vault in the fourth rotation. Sophomore Daniel Simmons and senior Josh Corona followed with a 14.400 and 14.500,

respectively. A 14.850 from Benas put OU within three points of the reigning national champions heading into the fifth rotation. Goodell built off his solid showing by collecting a 13.650 on parallel bars. Guimaraes tallied a 13.700, immediately followed by a 13.900 from Gamboa. Benas capped the rotation with another strong 14.100, and OU entered the final rotation trailing 353.150-349.100. The Sooners witnessed their chances at a 10th consecutive MPSF Championship slip when Guimaraes landed an underwhelming 12.900. Gamboa picked up the slack with a 14.100 and junior Jack Freeman collected a 14.150. Unfortunately for the Sooners, it was too little, too late as they suffered their second defeat of the season. Next, OU will compete in the NCAA qualifier on April 15 in Norman.

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Freshman Fuzzy Benas during the meet against No. 3 Nebraska on Feb. 19.