After earning the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year award in 2013, Oklahoma University sophomore gymnast Haley Scaman has garnered even more impressive accolades this season.
Scaman, from Riverside, is the 2014 Big 12 Gymnast of the Year, earning first-team All-America honors on the vault and floor exercise. Currently ranked No. 2 nationally on floor and tied for seventh on vault, she has posted only one score below a 9.95 on floor since Feb. 9.
Most notably, Scaman has achieved perfection on three occasions. She recorded a perfect score of 10.0 twice on the floor exercise and once on vault. Her accomplishment marks the first time that anyone in the illustrious history of University of Oklahoma gymnastics has earned a perfect score in two different gymnastics events.
Oklahoma recently captured its seventh Big 12 championship and 12th conference title overall. The Sooners scored a conference-championship record 198.000 to defeat Iowa State (196.650) and host West Virginia (196.375) in Morgantown, W.Va.
For her part, Scaman captivated the crowd with a 9.95 floor routine en route to conference champion honors in that event, and she also posted a score of 9.925 in both the vault and bars.
The second-ranked Sooners now turn their attention to the NCAA Regional gymnastics competition at the University of Minnesota on April 5. The NCAA National Championship is scheduled for April 18-20 at the University of Alabama.
Last year, Florida (197.575) narrowly outscored Oklahoma (187.375) to win the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship at UCLA. In addition to her aforementioned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year award as a freshman, Scaman had a breakout season across the board also, earning recognition as the Big 12 floor champion, NCAA regional co-champion on floor and a member of the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team.
“Our main goal at OU is always to win a national championship,” Scaman said. “When I was younger, training was always about pushing myself. Now, my goals are more team-oriented rather than personal.”
Scaman spent her high school years at Riverside-Brookfield High School and trained at the Illinois Gymnastics Institute in Westmont.
At IGI, Scaman was a three-time national champion (vault in 2010, 2011) and (bars in 2011) and was a member of the 2011 Junior Olympic National Team.
“My training at IGI definitely instilled a sense of discipline within me,” Scaman said.
Scaman visits Riverside whenever possible to spend time with her parents Lori and Rick and siblings Gabrielle (older sister), and Hunter (younger brother).
“It’s always nice to come home and visit my family and friends,” Scaman said. “Everybody has been so supportive back home, and OU is like an extended family for me.”
