Bringing a medal to the USA in the Olympics after 16 years, Stephen Nedoroscik made history along with his teammates. After that, his sudden decision to try his hands or feet at Dancing With The Stars surprised his fans, but they loved every bit of what came next. It’s safe to say that Nedoroscik is a beloved star. And yet, his loss at the hands of Air Force’s Patrick Hoopes at the Olympic Team Trials last year was a hard pill for everyone to swallow. However, it looks like one Oklahoma Sooners gymnast has finally avenged the heartbreak.

The Sooners won their last NCAA Gymnastics title back in 2018. Since then, things haven’t been as successful. However, as the 2025 NCAA season begins its journey, the current team is already showing determination to turn things around from the get-go. With that, one Oklahoma star has already created a ripple by upending the very star who defeated Stephen Nedoroscik.

The Oklahoma Sooners get one back for Nedoroscik

On January 12, the Oklahoma Sooners took on Air Force for its season opener. At the McCasland Field House, the Sooners won the match 318.200-299.000, showcasing the depth in the team. However, it was the clash between the two programs on the pommel horse that stole the limelight. The official USA Gymnastics account took to X on Sunday to share its admiration at how intense the battle between the Sooners’ Ignacio Yockers and the visitors’ Patrick Hoopes turned out to be.

“This Pommel Horse battle was as good as advertised!” read the caption of the post, which is accompanied by clips of both athletes’ performance on the apparatus. Hoopes scored 14.350 and set the bar high. But when the Oklahoma athlete took his place on the pommel horse, he proved that he was just as good. No, sorry. Better. At least, on the day. Yockers posted a hefty score of 14.450 and won the individual title in the event tonight.

With that, the Sooners junior avenged Nedoroscik’s unexpected loss to Hoopes in 2024. At the team Trials, the Air Force gymnast racked up 29.450 on the pommel horse as compared to the Penn State alum’s 29.300. However, considering the experience Stephen brought to the table, he was named to the final team for the Olympics, while Hoopes was announced as a traveling alternate. While Stephen and his teammates went on to achieve greatness, the loss in the trials remained an itch for his fans, which Yockers might help to forget after tonight. However, the Sooners’ pommel horse specialist isn’t the only star to look out for in the team this year.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be at full strength soon

After being out of action for almost all of 2023, Fuzzy Benas is looking to make his mark in the NCAA scene once again. The CGA Rookie of the Year honoree underwent surgery after his freshman year and met with injuries while recovering from the same. In 2024, he got back to winning ways by bagging the NCAA All-Around bronze medal and representing the USA at the Winter Cup. Later that year, he took on more international duties as he joined Leanne Wong for the Swiss Cup. However, he will need to pull up his socks quickly: considering the emphatic show the Sooners put up tonight, it would be easy to speculate that exciting days are ahead of us.

Oklahoma dominated in all six events. From Arthur Ballon‘s 14.300 on the vault to Brandon Zepeda-Orth‘s impressive 13.500 on the H bar, it was a well-rounded performance in all rotations, and the Air Force had a hard time keeping up. In 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners finished the season with a 19-6 overall record and finished the NCAA Championship in third place. But this time, hopes of going all the way are high. What do you think their season could look like? Tell us in a comment!