Oklahoma Sweeps Gymnast and Coach of the Year Honors
April 8, 2012
Oklahoma junior Jake Dalton (Reno, NV), currently the No. 1 national all-around gymnast, claimed four individual MPSF Championships on April 7, 2012. He won the MPSF Gold on still rings (15.300), parallel bars (15.350), and high bar (15.200), before defending his all-around conference title (89.250). He added a silver finish on floor (15.800) and vault (15.150). Including that competition, Dalton has captured 26 event titles in his junior year. He was a five-time MPSF Gymnast of the Week this year, which led all male athletes in all sports in the conference. He is also a two-time NCAA Gymnast of the Week. Dalton is a member of United States National Team and helped the U.S. qualify for the 2012 Olympics as part of the 2011 World Championship Team. At the 2011 NCAA Championships, he claimed first two NCAA titles of his career on floor (16.200) and vault (16.550), in addition to earning All-America status on floor, vault, parallel bars and high bar.
2012 MPSF Coach of the Year
MARK WILLIAMS · HEAD COACH · OKLAHOMA · 13TH YEAR
Oklahoma head coach Mark Williams guided the Sooners to the 2012 MPSF Championship, the 10th conference title in the 13 years at the helm of the program. On March 24, Oklahoma completed its 11th season out of the last 12 attempts with one or less losses, while Jake Dalton was the nation's top all-around gymnast for the majority of the year. Williams has coached five national title teams in the last 10 years, along with 11 top-three NCAA finishes in his first 12 seasons. Williams has also overseen 22 individual national champions, 126 All-American honors, 42 individual conference champions (including 2012) and three Nissen Emery Award winners (Steven Legendre in 2011, Jonathan Horton in 2008 and Daniel Furney in 2003), presented annually to the nation's top senior gymnast. This marks the ninth MPSF Coach of the Year honor for Williams.