NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma prides itself on being one of the most successful athletic departments in the nation year-in and year-out. In 2007, the Sooners continued to build a tradition of excellence on all fronts.
SoonerSports.com
takes a look back at the most memorable moments in OU Athletics over the past year. While this is in no way a comprehensive list of all the accomplishments of Sooner student-athletes in 2007, it provides a snapshot of some of the finest.
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02.24 - Men's Basketball Announces All-Century Team
In conjunction with its 100th-year-of-basketball celebration, the University of Oklahoma announced its 15-member men's All-Century Team. Sooner fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite OU greats during the season, and the results were announced prior to the final home game. Center Wayman Tisdale (1983-85) was the leading vote-getter. |
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03.17 - Hazewinkel Earns Fourth All-America Honor
Senior wrestler Sam Hazewinkel capped off his career by securing his fourth All-America distinction with a runner-up finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships. He won the Big 12 125-pound title for the third time and finished his career with a 131-10 record. A communications major, Hazewinkel was also named to ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-America first team. |
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03.31 - Courtney Paris Named AP Player of the Year
Courtney Paris became the first OU basketball player to be named the AP National Player of the Year. A consensus All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Paris averaged 23.5 poits, 15.9 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game while collecting a double-double in all 33 contests. She set seven NCAA records during the season. |
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04.13 - Abdullah-Simmons Claims NCAA All-Around Crown
Junior Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons turned in the best performance of his career to claim the NCAA all-around national title in men's gymnastics. The Sooners narrowly missed out on their bid to three-peat as a team, but OU did lead the nation with 11 total All-Americans. With NCAA titles on the floor and high bar, Jonathan Horton passed Bart Conner for most titles in a career. |
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05.12 - Softball Wins Big 12 Championship
The OU softball team captured the 2007 Big 12 Championship by defeating Texas Tech, 6-3. Led by four All-Americans, the Sooners began the season 23-0, the best start in school history, and finished with a 55-8 overall record, the second highest winning percentage in school history. Coach Gasso earned her 800th career win as OU claimed its seventh regional championship. |
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05.13 - Men's Track Wins First Big 12 Championship
The OU men's track and field team won its first conference title in 29 years by capturing the Big 12 Outdoor Championship. Second-year head coach Martin Smith's squad also captured the NCAA Midwest Region title. A record 14 Sooners advanced to the NCAA Championships, with seven earning All-America honors. Smith was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year. |
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05.29 - Aaron Ivey Named Academic All-American of the Year
Senior Aaron Ivey was named ESPN the Magazine and CoSIDA's Academic All-American of the Year, the most prestigious award bestowed on any college baseball player. He earned a 4.0 GPA in every semester at OU while majoring in Energy Management. An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Ivey led the Sooners in stolen bases and ranked second in batting average. |
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05.31 - Pendleton Named Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year
Carl Pendleton, who forfeited his senior season of football eligibility to care for his 11-year-old stepbrother, was named the Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year. Pendleton graduated in December, 2006 with a 3.81 grade point average in sociology with a minor in religious studies. A native of Sapulpa, Okla., Pendleton played in 38 career games for the Sooners with 22 starts. |
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08.27 - Koncak-Schumann Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
Brittney Koncak-Schumann was named the Big 12 nominee for the coveted NCAA Woman of the Year award. An Academic All-American, she served two years as president of the OU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was a member of the Big 12 and NCAA SAAC. She capped off her stellar career in 2007 by earning first team All-America honors on vault. |
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11.14 - Volleyball Secures Second Straight 20-Win Season
The Sooner volleyball team recorded its second straight 20-win season with a 3-2 victory over Baylor at McCasland Field House. It marked the 13th 20-win season in program history. Fourth-year head coach Santiago Restrepo led the Sooners to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, OU's first back-to-back appearances since 1988. |
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12.01 - Football Captures 41st Conference Title
Oklahoma throttled then-No. 1 Missouri, 38-17, to capture the 41st conference title in program history and became the first Big 12 repeat champion. The Sooners ran all over the Tigers for three touchdowns, threw two more, and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton provided one of his signature game-changing plays to fuel Oklahoma to victory. |
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04.14 - Horton's Two Titles Move Him Past Bart Conner
04.27 - Women's Gymnastics Posts Program-Best NCAA Finish
05.02 - Men's Golfer Schutte Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
05.21 - Ricketts One of Three Softball Player of the Year Finalists
05.23 - Outfielder Aaron Baker Named Top Big 12 Freshman
06.09 - Sooner Track & Field Ends With 14 All-Americans
10.06 - OU Football Rumbles Past Texas in Red River Rivalry
11.20 - Tennis Breaks Ground on New Facility
11.25 - Volleyball Makes Second Straight NCAA Appearance
12.21 - Nicole Nelson Named New OU Soccer Coach
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This story was first released earlier this week in the
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