Junior Nico Hamilton, sophomore Francisco Velez Belendez, and senior Kelton Christiansen each took home their third consecutive individual event titles as the top-ranked Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team wrapped up its regular season with a solid win over No. 8 California. The Sooners scored 325.250, while California finished with 315.100.
This marks the first time since 2021 that Oklahoma finished the regular season undefeated, and it’s the 13th time under head coach Mark Williams they’ve achieved this feat.
Hamilton clinched the floor exercise title with a score of 13.800. Redshirt freshman Colby Aranda tied his career high with a 14.500 to win on the pommel horse. Velez Belendez dominated the still rings with a score of 14.050, and freshman Nathan Roman won the parallel bars at 14.250. Christiansen also continued his strong performance, winning the horizontal bar with a score of 14.000.
Head coach Mark Williams expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I thought we did what we needed to. It was good to compete in the facility where we’ll be at the conference championships. We’re pleased with the regular season, and we feel momentum going into conference and nationals.”
The Sooners performed well across the board, winning five of the team events. They achieved a season-high score of 56.300 on the pommel horse and scored 53.650 on floor exercise and 54.300 on parallel bars. They scored 55.150 on vault and 52.150 on high bar.
Freshman Sasha Bogonosiuk also made a mark by tying for third on the floor with a score of 13.650. On the pommel horse, Oklahoma secured the top three scores, with senior Ignacio Yockers and junior Tyler Flores following closely behind Hamilton.
In total, the Sooners registered or tied six individual season highs and reached four career-best marks. Their performance included seven scores of 14.000 or better and five routines that received execution scores of 9.0 or more.
Historically, this kind of performance ties back to the program’s rich legacy in gymnastics, often placing them in discussions alongside elite teams like Stanford and Michigan. As the Sooners gear up for the conference championships, their current form suggests they could be in for an exciting postseason.
In recent years, college gymnastics has gained more attention, with a surge in viewership and social media trends highlighting stars like Simone Biles and even the Oklahoma team itself. This increased interest is evident on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, where gymnastics clips garner thousands of likes and shares, helping to elevate the sport even more.
As the Sooners prepare for their next challenges, their undefeated season sets a promising stage for the upcoming competitions.
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