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What was Oklahoma’s best sports moment of 2024? We explore 24 from preps to pros

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What was Oklahoma’s best sports moment of 2024? We explore 24 from preps to pros

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From preps to the pros, 2024 was filled with all sorts of memorable Oklahoma sports moments. 

There were team titles and individual achievements, wins on both the local and international stages and across all levels. 

In chronological order, here are our 24 best Oklahoma sports moments of 2024: 

OSU beat Michigan to earn its first tennis national championship. After winning the indoor title, the Cowgirls went on to win the outdoor Big 12 championship. OSU, which hosted the outdoor NCAA Championships, lost to Tennessee in the super-regional round. 

Javian McCollum stepped back and swished a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give OU an 84-82 win over OSU in the final Big 12 Bedlam men’s basketball game. McCollum’s overtime dagger stunned the Stillwater crowd. 

Kinzie Hansen’s walk-off home run against Miami (Ohio) opened Love’s Field in dramatic fashion. OU, in its first game at its new home, extended its winning streak to 68 games. The new stadium is a jewel … but it still might not be big enough to handle the crazy support behind OU softball. 

Jalen Montonati scored 34 points to lead Owasso to an overtime win against Edmond North in the Class 6A boys state championship game. Dayton Forsythe led the Dale boys to their third consecutive Class 2A title. The Douglass boys, in a packed Big House, rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Weatherford in the Class 4A title game. The Putnam West girls beat Edmond North 41-40 to win the gold ball in Class 6A. The Bethany girls dominated Class 4A, winning every state tournament game by double digits. The El Reno girls won the Class 5A state championship, finishing the season as the only undefeated team in the state. 

With a score of 198.950 in the Big 12 Championship, the Sooners recorded the highest score in college gymnastics history — breaking a 20-year-old record. 

The Lions fell just short in the title game, but what a magical season it was for coach Chris Wright and the Langston men. Langston played for a national championship just two seasons removed from a 1-27 season. 

Fix became OSU’s first and only five-time All-American. He finished as the four-time national runner-up, an NCAA record. 

More: Where Oklahoma State athletics rank among nation’s top 75 most valuable sports programs

The Thunder swept the Pelicans in Round 1 — OKC’s first playoff series win since the 2015-16 season. OKC advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, losing to Dallas in six games. The Thunder was the youngest team in NBA history to nab the No. 1 seed. 

Mark Daigneault was named Coach of the Year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting and was named first-team All-NBA. SGA was also third in Clutch Player of the Year voting. Chet Holmgren finished second for Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie first team. Cason Wallace was All-Rookie second team. 

OSU’s 9-3 victory gave the Cowboys their fourth-ever Big 12 Tournament title and first since 2019. Even sweeter was the fact that it came against the top-seeded Sooners. 

More: Celebrate OU softball winning NCAA-record fourth straight WCWS title with our new book

OU swept Texas in the championship series, becoming the first team in college softball history to four-peat as national champions. Rylie Boone, Kinzie Hansen, Nicole May, Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman graduated having won a championship ring in each of their four seasons. 

More: Celebrate OU softball winning NCAA-record fourth straight WCWS title with our new book

The Sooners made a big show of it, sending dignitaries across the state to celebrate OU’s formal entrance into the Southeastern Conference. 

Yukon’s Vernon Turner competed for Team USA in the high jump. UCO grad Derek Loccident made the U.S. Paralympic Team. The U.S. sitting volleyball team, which trains at UCO, also competed in the Paralympics. Several Sooners and Cowboys made Olympic rosters, as did Thunder guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort for Team Canada. 

The USL Club formerly known as Energy FC is coming back. As part of its rebirth, the club will include a women’s team. Professional soccer is returning to Oklahoma City in a big way. Construction for a new stadium district in lower Bricktown is set to break ground early in 2025. 

It was a game Arkansas dominated, but OSU somehow won. The Razorbacks had a 351-77 yardage advantage at halftime, but the Cowboys stormed back with big plays to force overtime and steal the win. 

The new name pays homage to Oklahoma’s own Mickey Mantle, the “Commerce Comet.” Formerly the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the team is still the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers and will remain so through at least 2030. 

Lutz’s Cowboys beat Doug Gottlieb’s Green Bay squad 89-76 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Getting a win over Gottlieb, who had long campaigned for the OSU job, was a nice start to Lutz’s tenure. 

The Bronchos, making their first Division II playoff appearance in two decades, beat Ouachita Baptist 38-31 in overtime at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond. It was UCO’s first playoff win in 25 years. UCO lost in the second round of the playoffs, finishing 11-2. 

More: Where OU athletics rank among nation’s top 75 most valuable sports programs

Sooner fans rushed the field early, not knowing what to do with themselves amid such a shocking victory. OU didn’t just beat ‘Bama. The Sooners blew out the Crimson Tide by three touchdowns. OU got bowl eligible, and in doing so, the Sooners spoiled the Crimson Tide’s chances of a College Football Playoff berth. 

The former Thunder star, still an icon in these parts, is teaming up with Christian Kanady’s group in developing the area that will surround the new soccer stadium. Westbrook’s investment is expected to be at least $10 million. 

Four of the first six Oklahoma high school state championship football games were decided by one point: Lincoln Christian 28, Sulphur 27; Washington 7, Millwood 6; Bixby 43, Owasso 42 (OT); Choctaw 26, Muskogee 25. What a weekend of football. 

The Thunder got manhandled by the Bucks in the championship game, but OKC had memorable wins against Dallas and Houston en route to the Cup final in Las Vegas. 

OU football needed a reason for hope in 2025 after a terrible 2024. In stepped John Mateer, widely regarded as the best quarterback in the transfer portal. After hiring Washington State Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Mateer would follow Arbuckle from WSU to OU. Still, Mateer’s commitment was a much-needed win for the Sooners. 

More: From Baker Mayfield to Ben Arbuckle, why John Mateer is transferring to OU football

Jacie Hoyt, 10 days after giving birth to a baby daughter, returned to the sidelines and coached the Cowgirls to an 81-75 win against Iowa State. 

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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