"People couldn't let go of what happened last year"-Oklahoma Sooners' Audrey Davis makes feelings known after NCAA Gymnastics Championship win
Oklahoma Sooners' Audrey Davis expressed her thoughts after the team won the NCAA Gymnastics Championship Title for the fifth time. The American athlete expressed her elation at the outstanding victory and shared how the team was truly focused on putting forward their best performance after a heartbreaking exit in the semifinals of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships last year.
In the previous season, the Sooners had a disappointing exit as the team saw multiple falls in the first few minutes of the semifinals. This brought about a lot of backlash on social media, and Audrey Davis spoke about it in a post-match press conference.
Davis said that the major setback last year helped the team look into their shortcomings and prepare in a better way. Moreover, Davis shared how she put in a lot of pressure on herself before stepping into the NCAA Championships, as she wanted the best for her team.
"I think we all hold things personally. I take things to heart. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I think that just going through this year, obviously, we are focused on our gymnastics, doing our best for each other, but then you have everybody talking behind-the-scenes about what's going on and throughout the season we were doing amazing gymnastics but people couldn't let go of what happened last year and I think that's what made us better," she said.
"Going through it, learning, growing, doing our best, and I did put a lot of pressure on myself, I was not free on Thursday. I just put a lot of pressure on myself to do the best I could for my team and I wanted to do better than I was and that's alright, sometimes things happen, but I think that today I came in here and I was like, 'You know what, you got nothing to lose. Today is the day to do your best gymnastics,'" she added.
Furthermore, she thanked her coaches and teammates for putting up a great effort throughout the season, which led the Sooners to win their seventh NCAA Championship Title.
Audrey Davis on returning to the Oklahoma Sooners for her fifth year

Audrey Davis had the opportunity to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for her fifth year of eligibility as a result of the NCAA's COVID-19 eligibility waiver. She spoke to the Norman Transcript and opened up about her decision to compete in the 2024-25 NCAA season in her final year of eligibility.
Speaking about the team's semifinal loss in the previous season and competing in her final year of eligibility, Davis said:
"I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m so excited to be a part of this season and it’s gonna be amazing."
Furthermore, her teammate, Jordan Bowers, expressed her excitement to welcome Audrey Davis back into the team and shared how her experience, as well as positive attitude, will be crucial for the team's success.