The Best of 2009 The past year was one which produced numerous individual and team accolades for the Sooners. These are just some of the best:   The Sooner women's basketball team made its second Final Four appearance in April. Coach Coale's squad finished with a 32-5 overall record, won the Big 12 regular season title and claimed the conference's Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.   Blake Griffin swept men's basketball's national player of the year awards before departing Oklahoma for the NBA. With Griffin's selection as the NCAA's best, OU became the first school ever to produce the Heisman and Naismith winners in the same academic year.   Men's gymnast Steven Legendre captured three individual national titles, including the all-around, at the 2009 NCAA Championships. The Sooners finished with nine All-Americans overall, continuing OU's championship legacy under head coach Mark Williams.   The Sooner football team capped a roller coaster season with a 31-27 over Stanford in the 2009 Brut Sun Bowl. It marked Oklahoma's first bowl victory since 2005 and sets the foundation for even more excitement in the year to come.      2009 By the Numbers 46 First Team All-Conference Honors 27 All-Americans 10 Individual Conference Titles 5 Big 12 Players of the Year 3 Team Conference Championships 3 Big 12 Freshman of the Year 2 Big 12 Coaches of the Year 1 Athletics Director of the Year

NORMAN, Okla. -- It certainly was another exciting year in OU Athletics, with championship performances and individual award winners at every turn.
 
We close the doors on 2009 not only to take a look back at some of the year's most memorable moments, but also to remember how truly special it is be Sooner...
 
Jan. 13 - OKC Celebrates Sam Bradford Day
Four days after a loss in the national title game, the mood was positive back home as OKC honored its native son. More >>
 
Jan. 17 - Women's Gym Posts NCAA Best
Coach Kindler's squad posted the highest score in the NCAA during the 2009 season en route to a victory over TWU. More >>
 
Feb. 3 - Sooners Top National Rankings
With men's gym at No. 1 and men's and women's hoops both at No. 2, the polls reflected OU's comprehensive success. More >>
 
March 5 - WBB Sends Seniors Out with Title
OU clinched the Big 12 regular season crown in the final home game for the Paris sisters and Carolyn Winchester. More >>
 
March 7 - Two Wrestlers Earn Big 12 Crowns
Joey Fio and Kyle Terry added their names to the championship legacy at OU with victories at the conference meet. More >>
 
March 21 - Women's Gym Goes Back-to-Back
The OU women's gymnastics team won its second straight Big 12 team title, with three Sooners earning individual crowns. More >>
 
March 29 - Men's Hoops Dances to Elite Eight
Oklahoma's remarkable run ended with a loss to eventual national champion North Carolina in Memphis. More >>
 
March 31 - WBB Punches Ticket to Final Four
The Sooners advanced to the second Final Four in program history by winning the Oklahoma City Regional. More >>
 
March 31 - Paris First Four-Time All-American
Courtney Paris continued to pile up the accolades, becoming women's basketball's first four-time AP All-American. Later, she brought home the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
 
Apr. 5 - Griffin Puts OU in Uncharted Territory
Blake Griffin swept all the men's basketball national player of the year awards, making OU the first school to produce the Heisman and Naismith winners in the same academic year. More >>
 
Apr. 18 - Legendre Wins Three National Titles
Men's gymnast Steven Legendre captured the all-around, floor and vault titles to lead a contingent of Sooners who captured 11 All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Championships. More >>
 
Apr. 25 - OU Hosts Big 12 Tennis Championships
OU showed off one of the finest facilities in the country during the 2009 Big 12 Men's and Women's Tennis Championships. More >>
 
May 2 - Rowing Wins Two at First Big 12 Meet
The OU rowing team capped a successful inaugural season with a pair of wins at the first ever Big 12 Championship. More >>
 
May 6 - Constantinescu Named Big 12's Best
The first woman in Big 12 history to win every set in conference play, Ana-Maria Constantinescu was a lock for POY. More >>
 
May 8 - Softball Crowned Big 12 Champions
Led by Big 12 Player of the Year Amber Flores, the Sooner softball team collected the 2009 Big 12 regular season title. More >>
 
May 28 - Castiglione Named AD of the Year
With Oklahoma's broad-based success throughout the year, Joe Castiglione earned the nation's top honor for ADs. More >>
 
June 3 - Griffin, Paris Big 12 Sportspersons of the Year
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and Ashley Paris earned the league's top honor for sportsmanship and/or community service. More >>
 
June 13 - Claye Wins NCAA Title on 18th Birthday
Just months removed from his high school graduation, track & field's Will Claye won the NCAA triple-jump title. More >>

June 19-24 - New Coaches Arrive at Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma announced the hiring of three new head coaches: John Roddick (men's tennis), Ryan Hybl (men's golf) and Veronique Drouin (women's golf).
 
June 27 - J.T. Wise Wins Johnny Bench Award
Senior J.T. Wise was honored as college baseball's top catcher, to go along with his Big 12 Player of the Year Award. More >>
 
July 31 - Bradford is Big 12 Athlete of the Year
Sam Bradford collected the league's top honor based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship. More >>
 
Aug. 18 - Track & Field Has Record Year
Oklahoma track & field athletes broke 16 program records during the course of the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons. More >>
 
Sept. 30 - Volleyball Honors Javi Restrepo
Head coach Santiago Restrepo and his wife, Heidi, were greeted with overwhelming support from the OU community as they paid tribute to their son, Javi, who's life was taken by cancer. More >>
 
Nov. 4 - Palmer Sets New Standard for Soccer
Whitney Palmer set school records with 15 goals and 32 points en route to earning All-Big 12 and All-Region honors.
 
Nov. 14 - Men's Cross Country Runs to NCAAs
Unranked to begin the year, OU's men's cross country team finished 12th in its first NCAA appearance in years. More >>
 
Nov. 22 - Tisdale Inducted Into College Hall of Fame
The late Wayman Tisdale, who passed away in May after a courageous battle with cancer, was inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame. More >>
 
Nov. 28 - Football Shuts Out OSU for 28th Time
A nice finish to a rollercoaster of a regular season for the Sooners, OU shut out its in-state rival 27-0 in Norman. More >>
 
Dec. 31 - Football Caps Season with Sun Bowl Win
Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles were unstoppable, and the Sooner defense made it tough on Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart, ending 2009 on a high note with a Sun Bowl victory on New Year's Eve. More >>
 
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