Beauty and the Beast: OU chalks up double victory before record crowd at Lloyd Noble Center

The No. 5-ranked gymnastics team thumped No. 20 North Carolina State 196.475-194.075. The Sooners' 10^th-ranked wrestling team trimmed No. 23 Virginia Tech 19-12. A Beauty and the Beast-record crowd of 2,492 watched.

“The event was awesome,” said first-year OU wrestling coach Mark Cody. “It was a really neat atmosphere, and I hope that we can draw some fans from this event and that gymnastics can draw some wrestling fans. Both sports are a lot alike and are very technical.”

Oklahoma had its second-highest team score of the gymnastics season, and it came in the Sooners' first home dual. OU swept all four team event titles and all five individual crowns, plus the all-around from Taylor Spears. It was the second consecutive all-around title for Spears, who scored a 39.200 on Friday night.

At the other end of the arena, the OU wrestling team improved to 11-2 in duals. Kendric Maple, ranked third at 141 pounds, was the only Sooner to get a bonus point win. He beat No. 19 Zach Neibert by a 13-1 major decision. The Hokies did get an upset victory at 149 pounds, when unranked Nick Brascetta decisioned No. 9 Nick Lester, 5-3.