Gymnastics: OU men knock off Nebraska

Sophomore Ian Jackson won his first all-around title of the season as the Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team defeated No. 12 Nebraska 355.500-337.750 Friday night at the Lloyd Noble Center. The sixth-ranked Sooners moved to 3-0 on the season against their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals. OU also defeated the Huskers at the Rocky Mountain Open, Jan. 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and in a tri-meet with the Air Force Academy in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 20.

In a dominating performance in front of a crowd 1,238, the Sooners claimed team titles on all six events and OU gymnasts won at least a share of each individual event crown. Oklahoma set team season highs on the floor exercise (60.250), pommel horse (55.850), still rings (60.800) and vault (63.200) en route to the victory.

“We tried to hit a few markers in this meet,” OU head coach Mark Williams said. “We definitely improved on pommel horse. Overall we had a good enough performance to have a season high team score. We’re still not quite there in terms or everyone being where we need them to be, but I think at this point in the year we’re satisfied that we’re headed in the right direction.”

The Sooners swept the top four spots on floor, with junior Russell Czeschin winning the event title with a season-best 15.450. Freshman Bobby Shortle was second with a 15.300, while sophomore Reed Pitts and freshman Steven Legendre tied for third (14.750).

Oklahoma also took the top four places on rings, vault and high bar. Jackson was the vault champion, tying Shortle’s team season high with a 15.900. Senior co-captain Jonathan Horton took the rings crown for the second straight week with a 15.750 and also won the high bar title with a 14.700.