Undefeated Oklahoma eyes 13th NCAA title, can they conquer elite competition and etch another dynasty chapter?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The top-ranked No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners men's gymnastics team is set to chase its 13th NCAA national championship this weekend at the 2026 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, hosted at the State Farm Center.
Oklahoma enters the competition as the clear favorite after an undefeated season and a dominant performance throughout the year. The Sooners will open their quest for another title in the first qualifying session on Friday, April 17, at 1 p.m. CT.
They face a tough field including No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 California, No. 9 Greenville, and No. 12 Springfield.The entire qualifying session will stream live on ESPN+, with expert commentary from Bart Conner, Brody Malone, and Lauren Sisler. Individual apparatus streams will also be available on ESPN+ for fans wanting deeper coverage of specific events.
The top three teams from each of the two Friday qualifying sessions will advance to the NCAA Finals on Saturday, April 18, at 6 p.m. CT, broadcast on ESPN2 with additional apparatus streams on ESPN+.
The second qualifying session, scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Friday and also streaming on ESPN+, features No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Penn State, host No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Navy, and No. 11 Army.
This setup promises intense competition as the nation's best programs battle for a spot in the finals and a chance at the ultimate prize.
Oklahoma boasts an extraordinary legacy in men's gymnastics, with 12 NCAA team championships to its name, tied for the most in history alongside Penn State. The Sooners have secured nine of those titles since the 2000 season, a span in which they have clearly established themselves as the dominant force in the sport.
Their most recent national title came in 2018 in Chicago, capping an impressive run of four consecutive championships from 2015 to 2018. Since then, Oklahoma has remained a perennial contender, finishing as runner-up three times (2019, 2021, and 2022), placing fourth in 2023, and earning third-place finishes in both 2024 and 2025.
The Sooners have qualified for the NCAA Finals in 25 consecutive championships (every one held since 2000, excluding the 2020 cancellation due to COVID-19) and have finished in the top three in 23 of the last 24 NCAA Championships dating back to 2001.
In the modern era since 2002, Oklahoma and Stanford have combined to win 16 of the last 23 national titles, underscoring the elite level of competition at the top. OU's nine titles in that timeframe edge out Stanford's seven, while Michigan has claimed four, Penn State two, and Illinois one.
This year's Oklahoma squad has been nothing short of exceptional. The Sooners own the three highest team scores in the country this season: a season-best 332.100 at the MPSF Championship on April 4, a 331.600 victory over California on March 7, and a 331.300 win against Nebraska on February 28. They enter the NCAA Championships with a perfect 7-0 record against the teams in their qualifying session, including dominant wins over Nebraska (twice), Greenville, Ohio State, and California (three times).
These head-to-head results highlight Oklahoma's consistency and ability to perform under pressure.Standout performers have fueled the Sooners' success. Redshirt senior Fuzzy Benas and senior Ignacio Yockers earned spots as two of the six finalists for the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award, given annually to the nation's outstanding collegiate gymnast.
Benas, a former CGA Gymnast of the Year (2024) and Rookie of the Year (2022), is a two-time all-around bronze medalist, eight-time All-American, six-time CGA Regular Season All-American, and a member of the U.S. Senior National Team. Yockers, meanwhile, is a two-time MPSF Specialist of the Year, a pommel horse bronze medalist, four-time All-American on pommel horse, and an MPSF pommel horse champion.
Freshman sensation Sasha Bogonosiuk was named the 2026 MPSF Freshman of the Year, while head coach Mark Williams earned MPSF Coach of the Year honors for the third straight season, his 17th such award in 27 seasons at the helm.
Bogonosiuk becomes the third consecutive Sooner to claim the conference's Freshman of the Year title and stands out as the only freshman ranked in the national top eight on two events: fourth on vault (14.267) and eighth on floor exercise (13.767).Williams, in his 27th season, has compiled an outstanding record of 623 victories (626-61-1, .911 winning percentage) since taking over in 2000.
Under his leadership, Oklahoma has won nine national championships and 19 MPSF conference titles, cementing his status as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport.In the final national rankings, Oklahoma sits comfortably at No. 1 with a 328.150 National Qualifying Average (NQA) after its record-setting MPSF performance.
The Sooners lead No. 2 Michigan (324.250), with No. 3 Stanford (322.988), No. 4 Nebraska (320.963), and No. 5 Ohio State (317.863) rounding out the top five. Oklahoma ranks first nationally on pommel horse (55.575) and high bar (53.850), and second on floor exercise (54.438), still rings (54.075), vault (55.825), and parallel bars (54.775).
Individually, the Sooners boast two event leaders: freshman Nathan Roman atop the parallel bars rankings (14.325) and senior Kelton Christiansen leading high bar (14.050). Additional strong rankings include Bogonosiuk (fourth on floor at 13.900, sixth on vault), Benas (fifth on floor, fourth on vault), redshirt freshman Colby Aranda (fourth on pommel horse), Yockers (fifth on pommel horse), sophomore Francisco Velez Belendez (sixth on still rings), junior Tas Hajdu (seventh on still rings), and others placing highly across multiple events.
Most recently, at the MPSF Championship on April 4 in Berkeley, California, Oklahoma captured its 21st conference title with a commanding 332.100 team score, the highest in the nation this season.
Roman delivered the country's top parallel bars score with a career-high 14.700, Benas won vault with a stuck 14.350, Hamilton claimed high bar with a career-high 14.300, and Aranda took pommel horse with 14.150. The Sooners also swept three team event titles and reset the national high score once again.
With its unmatched depth, proven championship pedigree, and momentum from a record-breaking season, Oklahoma is poised to make a serious run at its 13th national title.
The Sooners' combination of veteran leadership and talented freshmen creates a formidable lineup capable of withstanding the pressure of the NCAA stage. Fans can expect high-level competition this weekend in Champaign, where Oklahoma aims to add another chapter to its storied gymnastics tradition.