Haley Scaman excelling at Oklahoma

Many college athletes struggle with the transition from prep and club sports to competing for a big university.

Riverside native Haley Scaman has had no such troubles making her mark as a gymnast at the University of Oklahoma. Scaman, currently a junior with the Sooners, has continued to do what she did for the Illinois Gymnastics Institute in Westmont during her youth club career: win awards in piles.

Her freshman year with the Sooners, Scaman was Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors on floor exercise. Last year, things really skyrocketed for the Riverside Brookfield graduate. At nationals, she placed second on floor exercise and third on vault to add to her Big 12 Gymnast of the Year honor, and the Sooners won the national title.

“Winning the national championship last year was an indescribable feeling,” Scaman said. “There were so many emotions amongst the team, that no other individual award could even compare. College gymnastics is also more of a team sport, so even though we are going out on the apparatus solo, we are competing for the team and the university.”

Scaman said the team aspect is one of her favorite parts about college gymnastics, compared to the individual nature of club competition. Having more fans cheering the team on during meets is an added thrill, but balancing school with travel, training and competing remains one of the toughest challenges.

In the preseason, Scaman said the Sooners spend about 20 hours per week in the gym training. Once the season starts, traveling on most weekends cuts that time down.

“I think because academics and athletics are more demanding at a collegiate level, it is a little harder to balance everything while traveling each weekend,” Scaman said. “We have study table while away at meets, but it is still hard sometimes to miss teachers’ lectures.”

She may say it’s more difficult to balance academics and athletics, but the results don’t show. A business management major, Scaman is a Scholastic All-American, granted to gymnasts who attain a GPA (cumulative or yearly) of 3.5 or better.

Meanwhile, Scaman recorded three perfect 10 scores last year, two on floor and one on vault, and has a perfect 10 in each of those events this season as well.

“I remember thinking to myself the first time getting a 10, ‘is this real life?’” Scaman said. “I didn’t think it was ever really possible for me to get one. I’ve seen it happen to other people, but it felt surreal when it happened to me. There is no way you could ever get used to receiving a perfect 10. It is something that doesn’t happen all the time, so it is still exciting every time you see that special number pop up on the scoreboard.”

With Scaman putting up big numbers and a strong team around her, the Sooners are undefeated and again ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Scaman once again was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Year as her team heads into the NCAA postseason this month.

And while Scaman currently enjoys a national spotlight, she hasn’t forgotten her local roots, as an 8-year-old at Illinois Gymnastics Institute.

“The coaching staff and teammates I grew up with there have molded me into who I am today,” Scaman said. “I’ve obviously made some changes since club gymnastics, but IGI offered the building blocks to this journey I am on now.”