K.J. Kindler left behind half a lifetime at Iowa State last summer when she took over Oklahoma’s gymnastics program. The three-time Big 12 coach of the year had spent 18 years as a Cyclone — four as an athlete, nine as an assistant and five as the head coach.

That’s why Feb. 16 was such a surreal experience. That day, Kindler’s Sooners traveled to Iowa State for a dual meet against her former team — a scheduling coincidence that Kindler now considers a blessing.

“I can’t lie, it was strange,” she said. “It was a very competitive environment. It was hard to be in Hilton Coliseum, there’s no doubt. And it was very emotional. But it was good to get it out of the way. I’m going to be seeing Iowa State every year that I’m here for the rest of my career. So I have to get used to it.”

She’ll see the Cyclones again tonight at the Hearnes Center, site of the Big 12 Championships. Last year, Kindler guided Iowa State to its second Big 12 team title. Two months later, Oklahoma hired her to replace Steve Nunno, who had resigned.

Iowa State didn’t let her get away easily. At the time, Cyclones Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said he offered Kindler a five-year extension, a 60 percent raise, plus raises and bonuses for her coaching staff, which included her husband, assistant coach Lou Ball.

Pollard later said Kindler’s sticking point was a better practice facility, something Iowa State couldn’t offer at the time.

“It was a very difficult choice,” said Kindler, who added her husband to her OU staff. “Ultimately, when I looked at the athletic department at Oklahoma, they had what I was looking for in order to further my career.”

At Oklahoma, Kindler inherited a schedule that included just four home meets and some grueling road trips. The 10th-ranked Sooners have competed in road duals against four teams ranked among the top 15: at No. 3 Alabama, No. 5 Stanford, No. 7 Nebraska and No. 15 Iowa State.

“That experience,” Kindler said, “will help us, I assume, at the Big 12 Championships.”

So, too, will having senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann, last year’s Big 12 champion in the all-around competition. Koncak-Schumann has set career highs in three of her four events this year and shares the second-best all-around score (39.575) in the Big 12 with teammate Kiara Redmond and Nebraska’s Emily Parsons.

“She’s someone you can count on,” Kindler said.

Led by Koncak-Schumann and Redmond, the Sooners posted a season-high score of 197.175 last Saturday against Pittsburgh. It’s the highest team score by a Big 12 team this season.

Koncak-Schumann credits her success to her marriage. Her husband of nearly two years, Mark Schumann, is a veterinarian student at Oklahoma.

“When I first decided to get married a lot of people told me it would be challenging and a struggle,” said Koncak-Schumann, who turned 22 on Tuesday. “But for me, it’s been a great experience. … I’m able to go home to a husband and leave all the stress of school and gymnastics behind. I don’t have that worry, ‘OK, am I going to get a date this weekend or find a boyfriend?’ I can just relax and enjoy our life together.’ ”

— Dave Matter

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