#2 OU and #3 LSU Rematch LIVE at Metroplex Challenge

Feb 13, 2014 by Anne Phillips

All eyes will be on Fort Worth, Texas this weekend as the Metroplex Challenge club gymnastics meet plays host to the weekend's biggest NCAA women's match up. This year's field includes #2 Oklahoma, #3 LSU, #17 Arizona, and Kentucky.

#3 LSU rolls into Fort Worth on a hot streak armed with their best squad in program history. All arounders Rheagan Courville and Jessie Jordan are both ranked in the top 10 nationally and will be gunning for the individual title as they hope to lead their team to victory in Fort Worth.

Last weekend, LSU shattered 197 once again to upset the Sooners and earn the nation's top road score of 2014! The final score was LSU 197.650, Oklahoma 197.325. Senior Sarie Morrison started off the meet with a 9.975 for a stuck vault and the always entertaining Lloimincia Hall clinched the victory with a 9.95 floor routine. Both athletes even earned 10.0's from one of their judges.

Now, the Sooners have a shot at redemption as the teams face off once again this Saturday at the Metroplex Challenge. OU let the team title slip away on Sunday when they had to count a fall on beam, historically their best event. Coach K.J. Kindler will ensure this mistake is not repeated in Fort Worth. The Sooners are coming back for the Metroplex Challenge Trophy they earned last year in an epic battle with LSU, Georgia, and Oregon State.

OU capped off their 2013 season by finishing a program-best 2nd place at the NCAA Championships. They have even more talent on their roster this year with a balanced team across each event. Kindler has always been known to recruit gorgeous beam workers like senior beam queen Taylor Spears. But recently, she and her staff have put a focus on finding powerful vaulters and tumblers. As result, the Sooners have improved to 3rd nationally on vault with a lineup primarily composed of freshmen and sophomores including Haley Scaman who ranks 7th on the event.

On paper, Oklahoma has the edge over LSU, but only by the smallest of margins. After last weekend, only four one-thousandths of a point separate OU and LSU in the latest national rankings based on season averages. Expect the team race to come down to the final routine! But first, the Sooners and Tigers will also have to get past the other two squads.

The powerhouse top 5 teams will be joined by #17 Arizona. And don't let the ranking fool you - the Wildcats are more than capable of pulling off an upset. They've knocked on the door of 197 twice this year and boast a season high of 196.925. However, the team has been very inconsistent. A miserable mid-194 last week at Utah caused them to plummet four spots in the National Rankings. Arizona needs to get their beam lineup back in check and this Saturday will be a huge test. Their best event is floor where they rank 10th nationally. Former level 10 National Champion Allison Flores has really stepped up for the Wildcats this year and ranks 13th nationally in the all around.

Finally, the University of Kentucky travels to Fort Worth with momentum. The SEC's Wildcats are looking to build off a season-high score last weekend at home. For the first time this year, Kentucky scored a 49.0 or higher on two events with a 49.00 on vault and a 49.025 on floor. They will be looking for a strong team total at Metroplex to climb their way back into the Top 25 rankings.

Watch all the excitement LIVE this Saturday at 6:45pm CST right here on Gymnastike! With our multi-stream technology, viewers will be able to watch every single routine live. It gives fans the ability to easily switch back and forth between their teams of choice or to watch two events simultaneously while getting all the scoop from expert commentators. It doesn't get much better than that.

Click here to sign up for Gymnastike Gold and watch the 2014 Metroplex Challenge LIVE. Broadcast begins at 6:45pmCST.

What else is new in Gymnastike Gold? Check out our made for TV series, Beyond the Routine. Our latest series features the #1 ranked University of Florida and reigning NCAA All Around Champion Bridget Sloan. Watch here.