Oklahoma’s dominance in women’s collegiate gymnastics is undeniable. While it is apparent across all four events, it has been most noticeable on vault.
Since 2014, the Sooners have not finished the regular season ranked lower than No. 4 on vault. When the Yurchenko full was downgraded to a 9.950 start value in 2015, it gave the Sooners the opportunity to set themselves apart from other teams in the country. It also allowed their individual athletes to shine. Oklahoma stars like Maggie Nichols, Brenna Dowell, and Anastasia Webb all won national titles on the event. Since 2014, seven additional Sooners have been in the top 10 during the regular season, with the most recent being Jordan Bowers and Katherine LeVasseur, both of whom compete a Yurchenko one and a half.
The secret to a good vault team lies not only with the athletes themselves but also in how they are coached. Enter vault coach Lou Ball. He’s a former vault and floor specialist at the University of Nebraska, who, according to his team, is the glue that holds the vault squad together.
“He’s turned [Oklahoma] into a vault team,” said Trautman, who is now a student coach after her time as an athlete under Ball. “He’s great at all of the technical stuff, from starting with your run and building…
