Jordan Bowers’ road to the top of college gymnastics started long before her NCAA all-around title and Oklahoma’s seventh national championship this month.

The OU senior and national champion revealed this week why she made her verbal commitment to Oklahoma when she was just 13 years old — a decision made before NCAA recruiting rules changed to prohibit such early commitments.

“Yes, I committed to the University of Oklahoma at the age of 13, which is kind of crazy to think about,” Bowers said in an interview with Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network. “But I have always been a Sooner fan. I’ve always loved watching OU gymnastics growing up, and I wanted to be a part of that legacy.”

Bowers said she had attended OU summer camps since she was 8 or 9 years old, describing herself as “engulfed in that culture” early on. Her bond with the program extended to the coaching staff, which has remained intact for nearly two decades.

“I had known these coaches for so long,” Bowers said. “Being a part of it has been nothing short of incredible.”

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Now in her final season, Bowers helped deliver Oklahoma's latest national title on April 19, clinching it with a 9.9375 on bars in the final rotation against top contenders like UCLA and Utah, according to Scott Bregman of Olympics.com.

Two days earlier, she won the individual all-around title with a score of 39.7125, per Dekota Gregory of StormininNorman.com, finishing ahead of U.S. Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey.

Despite committing at such a young age, Bowers said she never wavered.

“There is such a long time between me committing and going to the University of Oklahoma, but my commitment never wavered,” she said. “I had always wanted to be a part of this program and this coaching staff… They know each girl inside and out.”

Bowers became Oklahoma’s first all-around champion since 2021, and her commitment to the program — nearly a decade in the making — has paid off.