March 22-28, 2022

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | M A R C H 2 2 - 2 8 , 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M

OU gymnastics sweep latest matches • pg 4

OUDAILY

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

‘I’m a Sooner for life’

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Former OU quarterback and Heisman winner Baker Mayfield pumps up the crowd during the game against Army Sept. 22, 2018.

OU announces Heisman statue unveiling, 2022 spring game date AUSTIN CURTRIGHT austincurtright@ou.edu

Oklahoma’s 2022 spring game will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, the program announced via press

release on March 3. Following the game, former Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy statue will be unveiled.

Mayfield became the Sooners’ sixth Heisman winner in 2017 after leading OU to a College Football Playoff appearance behind 4,627 passing yards and 49 total touchdowns.

Mayfield’s statue is the first of three set to be revealed,

along with Kyler Murray’s Heisman statue, and a sculpture of All-American brothers Lucious, Dewey and Lee Roy Selmon. The release dates for the Murray and Selmon statues have yet to be announced.

Mayfield’s statue reveal was originally slated for the 2020 spring game before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus also delayed the release of the other figures.

“I’m a Sooner for life and incredibly grateful for all of the success my teammates and I had at OU,” Mayfield said in the release. “It’s humbling and surreal to think about having a statue in the iconic Heisman Park. I can’t wait to be back in Norman and reunite with the most passionate fans in college football.”

OU previously announced on March 2 that spring practices will start March 22. The

ensuing spring game will be the Sooners’ first under new head coach Brent Venables, who was hired on Dec. 5 to replace Lincoln Riley.

“The love and support from Sooner Nation since my family stepped off the plane in Norman has been absolutely phenomenal,” Venables said in the release. “We were quickly reminded about how incredibly passionate our fan base is, and we truly

appreciate that unbridled enthusiasm – it’s one of the many things that makes OU Football so special.

“I can’t wait to see that passion on display on April 23rd, and my challenge to the fans is to fill up the stadium.

As we say all the time inside our walls, ‘Best is the standard.’ Let’s pack the Palace and make it a great day for everyone.”

On-campus dining limited for special diets Students with dietary restrictions struggle with lack of food options ALEXIA ASTON alexiaaston@ou.edu

For several years, some students at OU described finding food options on campus that accommodate their diets, such as kosher, halal or tree nut allergies, as “quite literally impossible,” which is a sentiment that has seen little change in recent years.

OU houses over 20 on-campus restaurants, ranging from chicken sandwiches at Chickfil-A, burritos and bowls at Baja Fresh and barbecue-style hamburgers and hotdogs at the Sooner Smokehouse. Yet, students like Hannah MorrisVoth cannot utilize the majority of on-campus options due to her kosher diet.

Kosher food is food that complies with Jewish dietary standards, according to Healthline. The laws include restrictions regarding preparation, processing and inspection of food. Kosher meat must be slaughtered by a shochet, or someone trained and certified to butcher animals according to Jewish law, and soaked to remove traces of blood before cooking.

OU Hillel estimates OU has 200-300 Jewish students out of its 28,052 students.

In 2019, the Berman Jewish DataBank reported that Oklahoma had 4,425 Jewish residents, with Cleveland and Oklahoma Counties holding the largest Jewish population in Oklahoma with 2,300 individuals.

A sign disclaiming exposure to potential allergens in the Dunham Residential College Dining Hall.

OU Housing and Food Services Director of Marketing and Communications Amy Buchanan wrote in an email that OU Food Services does not offer kosher menu items.

She wrote that the “rigorous standards” for food to be kosher-certified are not implemented in on-campus restaurants.

Even OU’s Jewish cultural organization, Hillel, can’t always provide kosher options in its dining room. In a statement on OU Hillel’s website, the Hillel wrote it cannot provide fully kosher options regularly due to limited access to kosher food items.

Due to the lack of kosher options at OU, English

sophomore and on-campus resident Morris-Voth said, though fully kosher before attending OU, she had to sacrifice her kosher diet to a degree.

Morris-Voth said she can only eat prepackaged, kosher-certified food on campus. She’s unable to eat vegan options like fresh fruit served

by OU dining halls as she

KALY PHAN/THE DAILY

might risk it not being inspected for insects or larvae before sale or consumption, according to kosher laws.

A c c o rd i n g t o t h e O U Housing and Food website, all students living in OU’s residence halls, residential colleges and Headington Hall are required to purchase a meal plan. When asked if students

who keep kosher are required to purchase a meal plan, Buchanan wrote if it is determined that no accommodation is available based on the student’s dietary needs, OU Food Services would document that, and the student would not be required to purchase a meal plan.

“Because each student’s dietary needs are unique, accommodations are made to fit the individual’s specific needs,” Buchanan wrote.

“Accommodations could include OU Food Services purchasing products free of an ingredient that a student is allergic to or accommodating special nutritional requirements.

There are few needs that cannot be accommodated.”

Before coming to OU, Morris-Voth said she emailed OU Housing and Food regarding kosher options. MorrisVoth was not provided alternative food options or a reduced meal plan after learning OU did not carry kosher menu items.

The regular meal plan rate at OU costs $2,466 a semester, or $5,532 a year. In addition to purchasing a full-priced meal plan, Morris-Voth spends about $400 a month for kosher-certified food.

“I keep kosher because I believe that’s what God wants me to do,” Morris-Voth said.

“I don’t keep fully kosher because of limitations, (and) because I do hate wasting money on the meal plan and not using it, I do use it in a very limited capacity. It’s just difficult, and it means that I can’t observe my religion in the way that I would like to.” see FOOD page 2

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NEWS

• March 22-28, 2022

‘He has left an indelible impact’ OU mourns loss of business college namesake Michael F. Price JILLIAN TAYLOR jillian.g.taylor-2@ou.edu

Michael F. Price, a 1973 OU business administration graduate and successful investor, died Sunday, March 13.

Price, 70, died peacefully in his sleep after a lengthy illness, according to Bloomberg.

OU President Joseph Harroz said in a release that Price was an extraordinary friend and benefactor, and his generosity transformed OU at the College of Business and across campus.

“He has left an indelible impact from which generations of Sooners will benefit,” Harroz said in a statement.

“We grieve with the Price family today, but we know that Michael’s remarkable legacy won’t soon be forgotten at OU. His is a legacy of ardent love for our university and our people, and we’re so thankful for how his entire family, including his children, made OU their home.”

Price made a historic $18 million gift to the College of Business Administration in 1997, which led to the OU Board of Regents naming the college after him. The gift was the largest single gift to a public university and higher education institution in Oklahoma at the time.

The 55,000-square-foot Price Hall opened in the summer of 2005, and Price was honored by former OU President David Boren with its dedication in the fall.

The investment was put toward eight endowed faculty positions, a library endowment, scholarships and

FOOD: continued from page one

Like Jewish students seeking kosher options, Muslim students at OU struggle to find halal options on campus. The Islamic Council of Victoria defines halal food as food permitted under Islamic law. Halal food must be “processed, made, produced, manufactured and stored using utensils, equipment and machinery that have been cleansed according to Islamic law.” For example, Muslims cannot consume pork, alcohol or carnivorous animals.

In 2015, Adam Soltani, director of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, estimated that Oklahoma’s Muslim population was approximately 30,000.

OU offers halal food options at Athens Café, Sooner Smokehouse and the grill station at the residential colleges, Buchanan wrote. Vegan and vegetarian options also are available at both dining halls.

Halal meat options are not available in restaurants in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Halal sandwich options are also provided by OU’s graband-go brand Cow on the Fly which can be found at Union Market, Acre Provisions, Xcetera, Crossroads, Flying Cow Café, The Hive, Amicus, The Bookmark and Café 201.

The lack of halal meat options available in the Oklahoma Memorial Union poses an inconvenience to commuters like Sarah A l t a m i m i , t h e O U Sh i a Student Association president and a psychology junior.

Altamimi often settles for a tuna sandwich from the Union Market or finds halal food off campus. She said this might present issues for Muslim students who don’t have vehicles.

“There are international students who came from Arab countries (or) Middle Eastern countries and they can’t find access to halal meat

VIA THE PRICE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS WEBSITE

University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business namesake and benefactor Michael F. Price.

graduate assistantships, and a masters of business administration student support system, according to the Price College of Business website.

The college also offers a Price Finance Scholar’s Program, which allows masters of business administration students to intern in New York’s financial district or with a major corporation, take a course at Stern School of Business at New York University and participate in a two-day value investing seminar at Columbia University.

Price College Dean Corey

Phelps said in the release that Price loved OU and showed this love by pushing OU to be better for students and Oklahoma by generously giving his time and expertise.

“As benefactor of the OU Price College of Business, Michael was our biggest champion, deeply involved in helping us with no regard for recognition,” Phelps said.

“We are deeply saddened

by Michael’s passing, and we grieve with his family for their loss. His legacy will live on in his children and grandchildren, in OU and the Price

on campus,” Altamimi said.

“They basically have deprived themselves of eating meat, or they have to go out of the way to another place to get that source of halal meat.”

In response, Altamimi and former SSA president and OU graduate Zille Huma began conversations with OU Student Life and OU Housing and Food last semester to increase the availability of halal meat on campus.

Though these initiatives haven’t progressed, Altamimi said she plans to continue pushing for more halal options, as increasing the availability of halal food options should be a priority.

Difficulties finding on-campus food options to cater to dietary needs extended beyond religious obligations when biomedical engineering sophomore Katelyn Maier had to steer clear of the dessert section.

Maier’s nut allergy means risking a restricted throat and going into anaphylactic shock if exposed to nuts. The risk means Maier must avoid certain on-campus restaurants and menu items to prevent a potential allergic reaction and even death.

OU Food Services does not have any peanut-free dining areas, Buchanan wrote.

However, they offer menu items that are free of peanuts and tree nuts. Buchanan wrote that when an individual self-identifies with an allergy, the dining staff follows all food allergy procedures for food preparation.

Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e O U Housing and Food Services website, OU Food staff is trained to take “every precaution in preventing cross-contact among foods” by using separate serving utensils and equipment among various food items. There are still instances when cross-contact occurs, the website reads, so it is “ultimately the responsibility of the customer to judge whether to question ingredients or eat selected foods.”

An article from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York defines peanut and tree nut allergies as a “significant health concern,” affecting

approximately 1.1 percent of the general population, or about 3 million Americans.

When Maier was deciding where to attend college, Maier met with an OU dietician who provided spreadsheets to Maier entailing which items would be served at the Couch Cafe and residential dining halls each day. The spreadsheet details each menu item and what ingredients they contain.

However, Maier still faces the risk of cross-contamination. Maier described an instance in which the Couch Cafeteria was serving pecan-crusted salmon next to a nut-free dish. Due to the risk of the tongs touching both items, Maier asked the employee serving the dishes if the tongs crossed food items. Maier said the employee had “absolutely no idea” and retrieved their manager to address Maier’s concerns.

“It was nice that they went and found somebody who knew it,” Maier said. “It was just upsetting that I had to go up the chain.”

Like Morris-Voth, Maier wasn’t offered an exemption from purchasing a meal plan despite Maier’s limited on-campus options.

For Maier, the risk of cross-contamination means life or death, a risk that lingers in the back of Maier’s mind.

“It’s terrifying. I mean, I don’t want to die,” Maier said.

“I really don’t want to die over something so stupid as someone accidentally cross-contaminating my food. … That just sucks.”

As on-campus students struggle to find food options that cater to their diets, Buchanan wrote that OU Food Services “continually evaluates food and service offerings for all guests, including those with specialty diet needs.” She wrote the department makes “every effort to accommodate all guests that visit any of our dining locations.”

College of Business, and in the future generations of Sooners his generosity will support.”

Price grew up a Long Island native and a Sooner football fan, and he attended OU over a college on the East Coast, according to the Price College of Business website. He recently pledged a $2.5 million donation to OU athletics with the Price Family Foundation.

OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione said in the release that time spent with Price was inspiring and energizing. He said he had a great way with

people and his passion for all things Oklahoma was evident.

“He was a visionary and saw greatness in many opportunities long before most could,” Castiglione said. “Moreover, his action-oriented leadership style made great things happen and in a big way. His journey to OU to play football started a legacy that will live on forever and his constant support of student-athletes will endure. Jenny, Andrew, Jon, Jordan, Charlie, Gracie, Teddy and the entire Price family are deep in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult

time.”

Early in his career, Price worked for Max L. Heine, the founder and president of Heine Securities Corporation, as a research assistant in New York. By 1982, the two were partners, and Price purchased Heine’s company following his death in 1988. He increased the value of mutual funds to more than $17 billion before selling the company to Franklin Securities in 1996.

Price was the chairman of the board of Franklin Mutual Advisers Inc. and Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc. He was also the founder and CEO of Mobile Briefs, which served as a pioneer in personalized audio broadcasting.

Price was a trustee for the OU Foundation and a member of the International Programs Center’s Board of Visitors. He was awarded an honorary degree from the institution and served as its commencement speaker in 1998.

The OU Foundation recently received a $42 million “irrevocable estate commitment” from an anonymous donor to help fund initiatives within the Price College of Business, according to the Board of Regents’ March 8-9 agenda. Jared McDuffey, OU Advancement’s executive director, told to The Daily on March 18 that the estate commitment was not made

by Price or the Price Family Foundation.

Price is survived by his wife, Jenny, six children and 10 grandchildren, according to the release.

NEWS

March 22-28, 2022 •

COMING UP AT OU Friday Softball vs. Baylor, 6:30 p.m.

The Sooners will take on the Baylor Bears at home

3

Norman Pride returns following 2-year hiatus

UPB Movies in Meacham

Saturday Baseball vs. Baylor, 2 p.m.

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

Members of the crowd wave flags at Norman Pride Parade, May 5, 2019.

Weekend event to feature outdoor activities, 5K run

Sunday Softball vs. Baylor, 12 p.m.

PEGGY DODD peggy.f.lail-1@ou.edu

Baseball vs. Baylor, 2 p.m.

– From staff reports

Jillian Taylor

Editor-in-Chief News Managing Editor Sports Editor Visual Editor Video Editor

Enterprise Editor Culture Editor Engagement Editor Copy Chief Staff Adviser

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VOL. 108, NO. X

Previous Solution

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HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2022, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2022 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last ARIES (March 21-April 19) Use common sense and keep your plans to yourself until you reach a point of no return. Control what you do and what you want. Don’t let outside influences interfere. Put your energy where it counts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Pursue what makes you feel passionate. Don’t let obstacles defeat you. Embrace a challenge with an open mind, and you’ll find a way to exceed your expectations. Align yourself with innovative people.

Corrections:

2 6 7

Norman Pride will return in May for the first time in two years since the pandemic, celebrating with a weekend of activities including a festival, a parade and the first-ever Pride Stride 5K. Nathaniel Smith, president of Norman Pride, said the organization was “going all out” this year for the return of Pride. After the cancellations due to COVID-19, Smith said his team took precautions and made outdoor events a priority.

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1 9

4 5 1 4 6

4

2 9 5 3 2 8 9 3 7 4 4 5 3 6 Instructions: Fill in the grid so7that every row, 3 every column 1 8and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that V. EASY in any row, column or box. no number is repeated

#1

“We’re doing Pride at Andrews Park for the first time. … We do have some indoor events, but those are going to be smaller crowds,” Smith said. “Our three main events are all outdoor, and we did it so we could feel a little easy, have some nice fresh air and we don’t have to require masks.”

Pride saw between 5,000 to 6,000 people attend their events in previous years, Smith said. However, following COVID-19, the organization has seen a “20 percent increase” in attendance for events held recently.

Smith said he thought people were ready to get out in the

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Put your efforts into meeting your goals. Take care of details and iron out differences before you enter into an agreement or agree to a plan that puts you in the hot seat. Read the fine print.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Branch out and see what you can do with your skills and knowledge.

Explore what’s trending, and you’ll discover something that interests you.

Step back from joint ventures.

Contracts will be misleading.

6 4

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Pay attention to your needs. Take a break, pamper yourself, or find a solution that will help encourage better health, organization and money management. Avoid shared expenses, joint ventures and unnecessary change. Romance should be a priority.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Keep the peace. Find ways to improve your life. Hone your skills and incorporate a plan that encourages the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. Don’t let anger or revenge get the better of you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Oversee everything important.

Domestic problems will surface if finances aren’t handled properly. Be up-front about your feelings, desires and expectations. Take care of important paperwork.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Know what you are up against and take care of matters swiftly. Use your imagination when it comes to money and how best to handle people who ask for too much. Be willing to do the work yourself.

7 2 9 2 4 5 1 2 3 8 6 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Expand your interests. Venture out (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) 7 happening5 in your 8AQUARIUS and discover what’s Revisit your responsibilities and find community or chosen profession. Add out how to get things done without 5 Stick to4your plan, work to your qualifications 1 or look for a6 interference. unique way to use your skills. Use and don’t stop until you are 9alone your imagination! satisfied with3 the results. 2 522)8 6PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20)7 VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

Pay attention to detail, and finish Call on someone who can offer inside 8 or help protect9you what you start.4Don’t leave 7 yourself 5 information open for criticism. Take an interest against loss. Take better care of your in what family and friends are 2 3 physical and 1emotional 8 well-being. doing. A change in routine will V. EASY require discipline.

Don’t take a risk or give in to someone putting pressure on# 2you.

community more as COVID-19 cases fall and Pride is expecting a large turnout to their events.

Pride offers several volunteer opportunities to OU students and introduced a new tier of sponsorship packages called Friends of Norman Pride. These sponsorships start at $100 and are available to anyone except for-profit businesses.

Pride weekend will begin May 6 with a Kick-off Party at 7 p.m. at EDO on Main Street in Norman. The Pride Festival will start at 12 p.m.

the following day at Andrews Park, concluding with an afterparty at the Bluebonnet Bar at 11 p.m.

Several events are set to take place on May 8, including the Pride Stride 5K run at 9 a.m. and a Drag Brunch at 12 p.m.

The day will end with the parade at 7 p.m. and an afterparty beginning at 9 p.m.

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg March 22, 2022 ACROSS 1 Opposite of rural 6 “Sadly ...”

10 Accompanying 14 ___ Polo (messaging app) 15 South Asian expat, say 16 Dark purple berry 17 Decorate 18 Minute ___ orange juice 19 Related, as a story 20 Improve society (In this clue’s answer, unscramble letters 4-7) 23 Rage 24 Got together 25 Above, to a poet 26 Studio Ghibli frame 27 Common skin condition 29 Ballpoint’s point 32 Concrete result (... letters 4-9) 35 Oodles 37 Got ___ of (threw out) 38 Highest or lowest cards 39 It’s associated with clues but not a grid (... letters 7-10) 44 Positive poem 45 Voluminous volume 46 ___ out a win 47 It’s put on display

3/22

48 Public health org.

49 Letter after sigma 52 Mix of things on your mind, or this puzzle’s scrambled words 58 “Hello!” on a ship 59 Snoozefest 60 Graceful bearing 61 Uranium containers 62 Openly declare 63 Start for “tube” or “circle” 64 “___ All That” (1999 film) 65 Sees the point of 66 “Blue Dancers” painter Edgar DOWN 1 Miso taste 2 Speedchecking device 3 Out of cash 4 Unit derived from the Old English for “open field” 5 Z-listers, say 6 Let into the club 7 Eco-friendly Nissan model 8 “In your dreams!”

9 First half of a mixtape 10 Aquifer’s contents 11 Madonna or Lady Gaga, for pop

12 Powdery mineral 13 Try to elude a seeker 21 Place to order a Reuben 22 Scuba diving spot 26 Reference in a footnote 27 Still in the game 28 Relinquish 29 ___ of the woods 30 Bruise soother 31 Suga’s K-pop group 32 Exercise a democratic right 33 Filled to the ___ 34 Passenger’s payment 35 Hullabaloo 36 Guided 40 ___+Alt+Del 41 Conference holder?

42 “Who wants dessert?” response 43 Dating site named after a love god 47 Bottomless pit 48 Munches 49 Doodad 50 On the ocean 51 App reviewers, often 52 Jelly containers 53 “This can’t be good” 54 Easy ___ (effortless game setting) 55 Peace symbol 56 Moderate gait 57 Vanished

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

3/8

© 2022 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com

Strange Notions by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

4

SPORTS

• March 22-28, 2022

Sooners soar in latest matches

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Freshman Jordan Bowers during the meet against TWU on Feb. 6.

Women win Big 12 Championship, men best California on senior night NATHAN AKER LOUIS RASER nathanchristian@ou.edu Louis.d.raser-1@ou.edu

No. 1 Oklahoma (19-2) defeated No. 15 Denver (12-7), West Virginia (14-7, 0-4) and Iowa State (9-10, 1-4) to win the Big 12 Championship on Saturday night in Denver.

OU placed first with a 198.200, marking its sixth time this season to reach a score over 198. The Sooners’ mark was also the highest score in Big 12 Championship meet history.

Denver earned second place with 197.250 while West Virginia placed third with 196.650 and Iowa State placed fourth with 196.100, respectively. Denver’s Jessica Hutchinson claimed the all-around title, scoring a 39.625, and was named Big 12

Gymnast of the Year after the meet.

Following the Sooners’ victory, fifth-year senior Carly Woodard was named Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year, freshman Jordan Bowers was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and head coach K.J. Kindler was named Big 12 Coach of the Year.

The Sooners opened the first rotation on beam, where junior Jenna Dunn started with a 9.875 and senior Olivia Trautman followed with another 9.875. Sophomore Katherine LeVasseur tallied a 9.9 in the No. 3 spot before fellow sophomore Audrey Davis added a 9.875.

Woodard led Oklahoma in the event with a 9.95, placing the Sooners first with a 49.475 heading into the second rotation.

In the next event on floor, sophomore Bell Johnson notched a 9.825 which led to a 9.9 from Woodard.

Freshman Danae Fletcher and Bowers followed with a 9.85 and 9.95, respectively,

leading to another 9.95 from junior Ragan Smith.

Freshman Danielle Sievers closed out on floor with a career-high 9.95.

At the halfway point, the Sooners held a .875 advantage over second place Denver.

Oklahoma entered the third rotation on vault with senior Allie Stern posting a 9.775.

LeVasseur tallied a 9.9 and Bowers followed with a 9.825.

On her second vault of the season, Trautman notched a 9.975. Sievers added a 9.875 and Fletcher anchored with a 9.9.

Leading into the final event on bars, OU maintained a .850 lead in first place. The Sooners put the finishing touches on the conference title by closing on their strongest event, where they’re ranked No. 1 nationally.

Sievers stared the fourth rotation with a 9.9 before LeVasseur scored a 9.925.

Smith and fifth-year senior Karrie Thomas earned 9.95s, followed by a 9.925 from Bowers. Davis capped a

superb bars performance for the Sooners with a 9.9, giving them a 49.650 on the event to finish out.

Next, the Sooners await the selection of their opponents for the NCAA South Central Regional, for which the selection committee will announce participants on March 21. The competition will be hosted by OU at the Lloyd Noble Center, making it the first regional event hosted by the school since 2015.

On the same night, the men’s team No. 2 Oklahoma ( 1 3 - 1 ) d e f e a t e d N o. 9 California (5-7) on senior night in Norman on Saturday, matching its season high.

The Sooners overcame the absence of senior captain Vitaliy Guimaraes, who’s currently competing with Team USA in Germany, to claim their 80th consecutive victory at McCasland Fieldhouse.

Freshman Fuzzy Benas claimed the all-around victory with an 84.500.

Senior Alexei Vernyi kicked the night off with a 13.100 on

floor. Benas and fellow freshman Emre Dodanli sparked the Sooners with a pair of event-high 14.200s. Senior Spencer Goodell capped the first rotation with a 13.700 to give Oklahoma an early 69.000-66.500 lead.

Freshman Raydel Gamboa stuck a 13.050 on pommel horse to begin the second rotation. Benas and junior Alan Camillus fed off the Sooners’ early momentum by nabbing a 13.550 and 13.400, respectively. Sophomore Zach Nunez earned an eventhigh 13.900 to close out the rotation.

Sophomore Daniel Simmons kept OU rolling with a career-high 13.700 on still rings. Camillus followed with a season-high 13.800, and Benas notched a 13.900.

Goodell netted a career-high 14.050 to send Oklahoma to the halfway mark with a 204.750-196.750 lead.

Simmons continued to impress on vault as he tallied a career-high 14.750. Redshirt junior Josh Corona landed a

14.600 on his first event since the Nebraska meet on Feb. 19.

Then, Benas landed a 15.000 to cap a season-high team score of 72.550 on vault.

Nunez led off with a 13.500 on parallel bars in the fifth rotation. Goodell boosted his senior night performance with a 13.600 and Camillus followed close behind with a 13.550.

Benas recorded yet another event-high 14.250 to give the Sooners a 345.800-332.250 lead heading into the final rotation.

Competing on high bar in the sixth rotation, redshirt junior Cesar Gracia nabbed a 13.900 for the third consecutive meet. Benas capped a spectacular all-around performance with a 13.600. Freeman sent the Sooners home victorious with a stellar 14.050.

Next, the Sooners will try to claim their 10th consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship at 8 p.m. CT on April 2, in Palo Alto, California.

OU wrestlers fold at NCAA Championships Sooners’ 2021-22 season ends as 9 players fall short RANDALL SWEET randall.sweet@ou.edu

No. 24 Oklahoma closed its 2021-22 season on Friday night at the NCAA Championships in Detroit.

Nine OU wrestlers competed, but none mustered a berth in Saturday’s matches.

The Sooners failed to have a representative achieve AllAmerican status. Redshirt senior Jake Woodley earned All-American honors at last season’s national tournament.

Woodley and fellow redshirt senior Joey Prata fell just short of advancing to the final day of the event and gaining All-American status, losing in the final consolation match.

As a team, Oklahoma sat in 29th place nationally with 11 team points at the time its last remaining wrestlers were eliminated.

In the 125-pound class, Prata added 1.5 points to the Sooners’ team score. After falling in his opening match on Thursday, Prata bounced back with three consecutive wins before being eliminated

by Northwestern’s Michael DeAugustino in a 2-0 decision.

133-pound senior Tony Madrigal was eliminated following losses in his first two matches. Madrigal was defeated by Northwestern’s Chris Cannon and Illinois’ Lucas Byrd 3-1.

Redshirt junior Jacob Butler went 1-2 in the 141-pound class at the national championship, adding another 1.5 points to OU’s overall score.

Butler’s lone win was a 9-0 major decision victory over Virginia’s Dylan Cedeno in the preliminary round.

In the 149-pound class, redshirt freshman Willie McDougald added 3.5 more points, notching a 2-2 record.

McDougald was eliminated

by Bedlam rival Kaden Gfeller 2-1 in the third consolation round.

Redshirt senior Justin Thomas defeated Pittsburgh’s Elijah Cleary 6-5 in the first round of the tournament.

However, he lost his next two matches, eliminating the veteran in the second consolation round of the 157-pound class after he scored one team point.

Redshirt senior Anthony Mantanona added another point to the Sooners’ total with a 2-2 record in the

174-pound class. Mantanona was knocked out of the championship in the third consolation round via a 5-1 loss to Ohio State’s Ethan Smith.

184-pound redshirt senior Keegan Moore recorded a 2-2 performance that gave OU another point. Moore was downed 11-6 in the third consolation round by Max Lyon of Purdue, removing him from contention.

In the 197-pound class, Woodley picked up another two points for the Sooners behind a 2-2 record. Woodley won his first two matches, but was unable to muster another win, falling 5-4 to Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida in the fourth consolation round.

Heavyweight Josh Heindselman scored half a point in his 1-2 effort in Detroit. In his third match against Oklahoma State’s Luke Surber, the Sooners’ redshirt sophomore fell 8-2, ending his season.

Oklahoma wraps up the season with an 8-6 record while the Sooners went 3-5 in conference play.

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

Redshirt senior 125-pound wrestler Joey Prata during the match against No. 4 Oklahoma State on Dec. 12, 2021.