Three-time national champion Sievers joins Oklahoma Sooners
GARY, S.D. (BVM) — Back in November of 2020, Deuel High School senior Danielle Sievers committed to the University of Oklahoma to compete for the Sooners’ gymnastics team.
“It’s a dream come true,” Sievers said. “I’ve always wanted to compete for the University of Oklahoma.”
Sievers first got into gymnastics when she was just three years old. Her older sister Meaghan was a gymnast and Danielle was following in her footsteps. And Danielle fell in love with the sport quickly.
“In gymnastics there is always something to work on,” Danielle said. “You can always push to be better and that is what I like about gymnastics.”
Then when Meaghan wanted to get serious about her gymnastics career to be able to one day compete at the Division I college level, the decision was made to change gyms. Even though she was younger than Danielle, she had the same dream of competing at the college level so she went with her sister to All American Gymnastics Academy in Sioux Falls.
“My family has given up so much and I am so grateful,” Danielle said of her parents who would drive her and her sister to Sioux Falls every week as well as drive to gymnastics events.
Besides the long car rides, the dedication needed to reach the level of gymnastics means hard work and sacrifice. Since entering high school, she has done class online or done half days at school to allow her time each day to be in the gym.
“I’m used to going to the gym every day and spending most of my life in the gym,” Danielle said.
The time in the gym paid off. As Danielle saw her sister compete at Iowa State, she began receiving interest from Division I programs before she entered high school.
“It felt really good and really rewarding because all of my hard work was paying off,” Danielle said.
Her top choices were Oklahoma, Utah and Nebraska. She had verbally committed to Nebraska, but Oklahoma was always on her mind. Then the summer after her eighth grade year she attended a camp at the University of Oklahoma. During that time, she had a visit with the coaches, saw practice and got to walk around the campus.
“That was the moment I knew I wanted to be an Oklahoma Sooner,” Danielle said.
More than it being a perfect fit as a gymnast, there is really no better program to join than Oklahoma. Since 2004, the Sooners have made it to the NCAA Championship every year and have placed better than 10th 12 times and won national championships in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
To join such an accomplished team is quite the accomplishment and Danielle is well deserving of it. From 2017-2019, she was the Junior Olympic National Floor Champion. She also won state championships in the floor, vault and all-around in 2019 and 2017 as well as a state championship in bars in 2017.
“Dani is always striving to reach new heights in our sport,” Sooners head coach K.J. Kindler said about Danielle in a press release about Oklahoma’s 2021 recruiting class. “She sets ambitious goals and reaches them year after year. It is rare to repeat as a National Champion and Dani has achieved this for three consecutive seasons in a row on floor at the Level 10 National Championship.”
The accolades and championships are important goals to have. No doubt she will help the Sooners win some during her time with the program, but Danielle is also thrilled about the team she is about to join.
“I haven’t always had a big team for club gymnastics, so that’s what I’m really looking forward to,” Danielle said.
Being a part of a team, competing and training with friends has always been an important part of her gymnastics career. That will not change at Oklahoma, and when she steps foot on campus this fall, she’ll be ready to help those teammates.
