University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners to Hold Parade of Champions Saturday Afternoon
September 05, 2024 | Baseball, Athletics, Men's Gymnastics, Track and Field, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics
NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department will hold its second annual Parade of Champions on Saturday afternoon ahead of OU's football game against Houston. Complete with OU Spirit, the Sooner Schooner and the Pride of Oklahoma Drumline, the parade will begin at 3:45 p.m. and is free to the public.
Similar to celebrations of Super Bowls, World Series and NBA Championships, OU's Parade of Champions will celebrate the Sooners' conference and national titles, as well as some OU Olympians, from the past year. Featured in the parade will be OU's 2024 national champion softball team, along with individual and team conference champions: baseball, women's basketball and women's gymnastics squads, which all won Big 12 Conference championships, along with men's gymnastics and track and field individual conference champions.
The parade will originate from The Baked Bear on Campus Corner and continue south on Asp Ave. to Oklahoma Memorial Union. It will end in time for fans to participate in the football team's Walk of Champions at 4:30.
Softball won its NCAA-record fourth consecutive national championship in June, and eighth in program history. The Sooners swept Texas in the Women's College World Series Championship Series en route to a 59-7 overall record. In 2024, OU also opened state-of-the-art Love's Field, drawing an NCAA-record 108,156 fans. With five NFCA All-Americans, the Sooners captured their ninth Big 12 Championship, defeating the Longhorns in the final. The 2024 senior class made history as the winningest in NCAA softball history, boasting a record of 235-15 and claiming the national title each season.
Women's basketball captured its second consecutive Big 12 regular season championship and first outright crown since 2009. Led by head coach Jennie Baranczyk, the Sooners posted a 15-3 record in league play that featured three top-10 wins and sweeps over Texas and Oklahoma State. Baranczyk was named Big 12 Coach of the Year, Skylar Vann earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors, and both Vann and Payton Verhulst received All-America recognition as Oklahoma advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Baseball claimed its first Big 12 regular season title, winning a program-record 23 games in league play, including a conference-record six series sweeps. Head coach Skip Johnson was named Big 12 Coach of the Year while three Sooners earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades and sophomore Easton Carmichael was named an All-American by the NCBWA. The team made its 41st NCAA tournament appearance and hosted a regional at L. Dale Mitchell Park for the first time since 2010.
Women's gymnastics secured the Big 12 Championship in record-breaking fashion, posting an astounding score of 198.950 – the highest mark in NCAA history – to secure the program's 20th conference title. Three Sooners combined for a program-record five perfect 10s, powering the team to its third consecutive Big 12 crown. Senior Audrey Davis and sophomore Faith Torrez brought home three individual national titles, as the duo shared the beam title and Davis claimed the uneven bars championship.
Three men's gymnasts won MPSF individual event conference titles last season: Kelton Christiansen (horizontal bar), Emre Dodanli (floor exercise) and Ignacio Yockers (pommel horse). This summer, Dodanli competed in this summer's Olympic Games for his native Turkey in the team competition and individual finals qualifying.
Track and field alumnus and summer Olympian Vernon Turner, along with current track athletes B.J. Green and Ralford Mullings, will represent the track and field program Saturday. Turner and Mullings competed at this summer's Olympic Games, with Mullings finishing in the top 10 in the discus throw final and Turner representing his home state of Oklahoma in the high jump competition. Green claimed both the Big 12 indoor and outdoor triple jump titles and was an NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American.
OU's football game against Houston will kick off at 6:45 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. For more gameday information click here.
Similar to celebrations of Super Bowls, World Series and NBA Championships, OU's Parade of Champions will celebrate the Sooners' conference and national titles, as well as some OU Olympians, from the past year. Featured in the parade will be OU's 2024 national champion softball team, along with individual and team conference champions: baseball, women's basketball and women's gymnastics squads, which all won Big 12 Conference championships, along with men's gymnastics and track and field individual conference champions.
The parade will originate from The Baked Bear on Campus Corner and continue south on Asp Ave. to Oklahoma Memorial Union. It will end in time for fans to participate in the football team's Walk of Champions at 4:30.
Softball won its NCAA-record fourth consecutive national championship in June, and eighth in program history. The Sooners swept Texas in the Women's College World Series Championship Series en route to a 59-7 overall record. In 2024, OU also opened state-of-the-art Love's Field, drawing an NCAA-record 108,156 fans. With five NFCA All-Americans, the Sooners captured their ninth Big 12 Championship, defeating the Longhorns in the final. The 2024 senior class made history as the winningest in NCAA softball history, boasting a record of 235-15 and claiming the national title each season.
Women's basketball captured its second consecutive Big 12 regular season championship and first outright crown since 2009. Led by head coach Jennie Baranczyk, the Sooners posted a 15-3 record in league play that featured three top-10 wins and sweeps over Texas and Oklahoma State. Baranczyk was named Big 12 Coach of the Year, Skylar Vann earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors, and both Vann and Payton Verhulst received All-America recognition as Oklahoma advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Baseball claimed its first Big 12 regular season title, winning a program-record 23 games in league play, including a conference-record six series sweeps. Head coach Skip Johnson was named Big 12 Coach of the Year while three Sooners earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades and sophomore Easton Carmichael was named an All-American by the NCBWA. The team made its 41st NCAA tournament appearance and hosted a regional at L. Dale Mitchell Park for the first time since 2010.
Women's gymnastics secured the Big 12 Championship in record-breaking fashion, posting an astounding score of 198.950 – the highest mark in NCAA history – to secure the program's 20th conference title. Three Sooners combined for a program-record five perfect 10s, powering the team to its third consecutive Big 12 crown. Senior Audrey Davis and sophomore Faith Torrez brought home three individual national titles, as the duo shared the beam title and Davis claimed the uneven bars championship.
Three men's gymnasts won MPSF individual event conference titles last season: Kelton Christiansen (horizontal bar), Emre Dodanli (floor exercise) and Ignacio Yockers (pommel horse). This summer, Dodanli competed in this summer's Olympic Games for his native Turkey in the team competition and individual finals qualifying.
Track and field alumnus and summer Olympian Vernon Turner, along with current track athletes B.J. Green and Ralford Mullings, will represent the track and field program Saturday. Turner and Mullings competed at this summer's Olympic Games, with Mullings finishing in the top 10 in the discus throw final and Turner representing his home state of Oklahoma in the high jump competition. Green claimed both the Big 12 indoor and outdoor triple jump titles and was an NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American.
OU's football game against Houston will kick off at 6:45 p.m. CT at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. For more gameday information click here.
Players Mentioned
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/ Baseball
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/ Men's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Men's Gymnastics
Throws
/ Track and Field
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
AA
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