ESPN2 to Air Sooners' National Title Victory Thursday
April 24, 2008
NORMAN, Okla. -- ESPN2 (Cox Channel 28, HD Channel 721 in OKC) will air the 2008 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships on Thursday, April 24 at 3 p.m. CT. The meet will also re-air on ESPNU (Cox Channel 253) on Saturday, April 26 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 7 p.m. CT. Check your local listings for coverage in your area.
The second-seeded Sooners captured their eighth national title and fifth in the last seven years by upsetting top seed Stanford 363.200-363.750. Mike Gleason and two-time Olympic gold-medalist Bart Conner will call the action from inside Maples Pavilion on the Stanford University campus.
In addition to the team championship, Oklahoma brought home three individual national titles at 11 All-America honors. Freshman Steven Legendre captured the floor exercise and vault crowns, while senior co-captain Jonathan Horton was the still rings champion. Legendre became the first freshman in OU history to win multiple NCAA event titles, and Horton extended his own program mark by earning his sixth career individual national championship.
Collecting All-American honors for OU were Horton (AA, SR, PB), Legendre (FX, V, HB), Chris Brooks (PB, HB), Russell Czeschin (FX), Jason Laughton (PH) and Reed Pitts (FX).
With eight national championships the men's gymnastics team owns the most NCAA titles of any OU athletics program, breaking a tie with the football and wrestling teams (seven).
The Sooners will be honored Friday at an assembly at Norman's Cleveland Elementary School. The OU gymnastics team has partnered with the school and members of the team make weekly visits to help tutor and mentor students.