Over the next three weeks, the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team is stepping outside of the Sooner State to continue its march to the postseason.

Oklahoma is putting its No. 1 ranking to the test in three straight road dual meets to close the regular season after their final home meet this Friday. Their road streak begins with a trip to Denton, Texas, on Sunday to take on No. 51 Texas Woman's University and followed by matchups at No. 9 Michigan on March 4 and No. 19 California on March 12.

This is the second time this month that Oklahoma and TWU have competed against each another. The Sooners hosted the Pioneers in a quad meet on February 3 and captured the overall title with a 197.675 total while Texas Woman's finished fourth with a 193.000.

Oklahoma, which remained atop the rankings after regional qualifying scores (RQS) were calculated this week, has not scored below a 197.425 since late January and has hit the 198 mark three times this season. Last weekend, the Sooners posted a season-high 198.350 to beat LSU, Georgia, and Missouri at the GymQuarters Invitational. 

Like OU, Texas Woman's also posted a season-high score last weekend -- a huge 196.000 to capture the win against higher-ranked rivals Sacramento State, Western Michigan, and Penn State. The Pioneers' total marked a 6.5-point improvement from their opening meet score this season.

Both teams will be looking to continue their upward momentum this weekend. You can watch all the action LIVE on FloGymnastics. Be sure to tune in on Sunday, February 26, at 2 PM CST.

MAGGIE NICHOLS: #1 ON… WELL, EVERYTHING

Oklahoma freshman Maggie Nichols has had a phenomenal first year with the Sooners and is currently ranked No. 1 in the all-around and all four individual events. She posted a season-high 39.925 in the all-around last weekend, making everyone wonder if she'll manage to hit a perfect 40.000 mark at some point in her career. Nichols not only brings a lot of difficulty but also beautiful execution to every event she competes on. Check out a clip below of Nichols' 10.0 floor routine:

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NOTABLE VAULTS TO WATCH

The Sooners have a strong vault lineup, bolstered by three gymnasts who compete 10.0 vaults and are most often the team's highest scorers. Nichols, sophomore Brenna Dowell and junior AJ Jackson all compete the Yurchenko 1 1/2, and all are ranked in the top 10 on the event. 

Another key vault to watch is from TWU junior Schyler Jones, who competes a beautiful Yurchenko layout half. She scored a season high of 9.875 a few weeks ago and nearly stuck the vault last weekend -- check it out below:


Video via TWUPioneer

HIGH-FLYING RELEASE MOVES & TOUGH DISMOUNTS ON BARS

Oklahoma currently holds a 49.495 RQS on uneven bars thanks to its stacked lineup. Nichols, who has gone 9.9-plus in every meet this season and is very close to a 10.0 mark. Junior Stefani Catour and sophomore Nichole Lehrmann are tied for the No. 4 spot. Catour has gone 9.9 or better in the last three meets, and Lehrmann has gone 9.9-plus five times this season.

Texas Woman's best competitors on bars have been sophomore Jenna Cashmore, who has scored a season-best 9.825 three times this year, and freshman Bria Northrop, who has scored a season-high 9.8 three times this year as well. Senior Katie Simpson is another one to watch. She went 9.875 at a January meet against Iowa State and has a lot of difficulty built into her routine, including a full-twisting double layout dismount. Check out her routine below from last weekend:

Video via TWUPioneer

BEAUTIFUL BEAM CHOREO & UNIQUE SKILLS

Beam is always a joy to watch when Oklahoma is competing, because the Sooners treat their rotation like a true performance. Their choreography on beam is unmatched, and the gymnasts not only perform difficult acrobatics and dance elements but also make the movements flow perfectly in rhythm. Nichols is OU's top performer on beam and already has two 10.0s to her name on the event, including one she scored last weekend. Junior Natalie Brown is also one of the team's best on beam, having gone over 9.9 four times this year. While senior Chayse Capps is a stellar all-around competitor, beam is arguably her best event. Check out a clip of her routine below from a few weeks ago, when she scored a 9.95:

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One of the Pioneers' top competitors on beam is Northrop, who is their highest-ranked gymnast on the event and performs some unique skills that are worth watching. Northrop's high score this year is a 9.875 that she earned back in January. Check out that routine below and watch for her beautiful switch leap 1/1 and Korbut:

Video via TWUPioneer

THE BEST EVENT FOR BOTH TEAMS -- FLOOR

Floor is actually the best event for both Oklahoma and TWU, so it will be fun to watch each team perform on Sunday. Oklahoma has four gymnasts ranked in the top 20 on floor: Nichols, Jackson, Capps, and Dowell. Nichols has not scored below 9.925 all year and scored a 10.00 a few weeks ago. Jackson inches ever closer to the 10.0 mark each week -- she scored a 9.975 in OU's past two meets. 

The Pioneers also have a few big floor competitors, including Northrop, Jones, and Erin Alderman. ​​A sophomore, Alderman brings a lot of power to her gymnastics and competes primarily on floor for TWU. She has not scored below a 9.7 all season, and she hit her season high of 9.875 a few weeks ago. Check out her high-energy routine from last weekend below:

Video via TWUPioneer


Related:
WATCH LIVE Sunday at 2 PM CT
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma Dominate At GymQuarters Meet
Recap: Oklahoma Wins Quad Meet Against Denver, Nebraska, And Texas Woman's

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