Michael Kinney
NORMAN — Last week, three members of the No. 4 Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team traveled to Las Vegas to take on the nation’s top gymnasts in the Winter Cup Challenge.
Junior co-captain Steven Legendre, freshmen Jacob Dalton and Alex Naddour competed against the best in several events during the two-day event.
But it was former Sooner Chris Brooks who made the biggest splash by winning the Winter Cup all-around title and regaining his position on the U.S. Senior National Team.
“I am very proud of Chris and what he was able to accomplish this weekend,” said Sooner coach Mark Williams. “He followed a good performance the first night with an even better performance to win the competition. To finish ahead of a talented field, that includes Jonathan Horton, says a lot about how hard he has trained. He will do great on the national team.”
Brooks, who still trains in Norman, earned the all-around title by recording a two-day total of 175.800. He posted an an all-around score of 87.500. That includes the floor exercises, the pommel horse and rings.
With the addition Brooks, a four-year letterwinner, and Horton, the most celebrated gymnast in Sooner history and a medal winner at the last Olympics, five of the national team’s 15 selections have direct ties to the Sooner program.
No other Division I men’s gymnastics program claims more members on the Senior National Team than the Sooners.
The five current and former Sooners, along with the other 10 members of the squad, will comprise the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team through the Visa Championships in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 11-14.
The Sooners will be back in action at 7 p.m. Saturday when they play host to Nebraska.
