OU men's gymnastics: A look at Yul Moldauer's unparalleled career
With the likes of two-time Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner (1984), Jonathan Horton (2008 silver medalist) and Alex Naddour (2016 bronze medalist), OU has developed some of the top men’s gymnasts in the world. Yul Moldauer could become the eighth Sooner to make the U.S. Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
CHRIS BROOKS
Years: 2012-*, 2016
Notable: The 32-year-old Brooks won four gold medals at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships. He's now an assistant coach at OU.
BART CONNER
Years: 1976, ‘80-@, ‘84
Notable: Became a star at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games with two gold medals.
JAKE DALTON
Years: 2012, 2016
Notable: Won four world championship medals and qualified for two Olympic teams.
JONATHAN HORTON
Years: 2008, 2012
Notable: Won silver on the high bar in Beijing in the 2008 Olympic Games.
STEVEN LEGENDRE
Year: 2012-*
Notable: Became the first freshman in OU history to win two NCAA event titles in 2008.
ALEX NADDOUR
Year: 2016
Notable: Was the NCAA pommel horse champion in 2010 and 2011.
GUARD YOUNG
Year: 2004-#
Notable: Won a silver medal as part of the team in the 2004 Olympics.
KEY: *-Alternate; #-Won silver medal while serving as OU assistant coach; @-Did not participate due to boycott
By the numbers
113: Meet winning streak for OU (Best in the nation)
90.150: Career-best all-around score (2016, Rocky Mountain Open)
87.928: All-around score (2018 NCAA Championships, one of his four individual titles)
14.933: Parallel bar score (No. 1 in the nation this season)
Next stop: Tokyo?
The five-person 2020 U.S. men’s gymnastics Olympics team (plus alternates) will likely come from the 2019 Men’s Senior National team. That team includes several OU gymnasts. Here’s a look at each:
Donothan Bailey, USOTC Gymnastics: 2018 U.S. parallel bars and high bar silver medalist
Allan Bower, Oklahoma: 2019 Winter Cup all-around bronze medalist
Trevor Howard, Ohio State: 2019 Winter Cup still runs champion and vault silver medalist
Sean Melton, Ohio State: 2018 Winter Cup still rings champion
Sam Mikulak, USOTC Gymnastics: Finished seventh in the all-around at the 2016 Olympics
Akash Modi, Stanford: Alternate for 2016 Olympic team
Yul Moldauer, Oklahoma: Three-time American Cup champion
Stephen Nedoroscik, Penn State: 2019 Winter Cup pommel horse champion
Robert Neff, Stanford: 2018 NCAA high bar champion
Genki Suzuki, Oklahoma: 2019 Winter Cup fourth-place all-around
Colin Van Wicklen, Oklahoma: 2019 Winter Cup vault champion and high bar silver medalist
Alec Yoder, Ohio State: 2018 U.S. pommel horse champion
Ryan Aber has worked for The Oklahoman since 2006, covering high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the Oklahoma City Barons and OU football recruiting. An Oklahoma City native, Aber graduated from Northeastern State. Before joining The... Read more ›
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Jeff Patterson is the sports editor of The Oklahoman. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, he allegedly once told his father on a childhood trip passing through Oklahoma that he would one day live there. He doesn't recall this, but he fulfilled that... Read more ›