Category: TEAMS

Celebrity Sooners: Oklahoma’s most famous fans and alumni

We see some of them striding the sideline while others work behind the scenes. Here are some of the most famous alumni and fans of the Oklahoma Sooners.

A university with a long and distinguished history as the University of Oklahoma is bound to have a distinguished group of alumni and fans. We’re not simply talking about athletes, because the Oklahoma Sooners have some of the most recognizable athletes going in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Trae Young.

But outside the lines, the Sooners are well represented by alumni and fans as well. There are actors, CEOs of major corporations, owners of professional sports teams, pro wrestlers, musicians, a Miss America, and an astronaut.

We took the liberty to compile some of the most famous personalities with connections to the University of Oklahoma. We mostly stayed away from sports figures, but several former Sooners have become famous for something other than the sport they played at the university, so they’re worth mentioning.

Instant Analysis: Auburn beats Mississippi Stats 81-68 in overtime

Auburn has clinched a SEC regular-season championship.

Auburn will get to hang a banner.

The Tigers watched as their 19-point first half lead evaporated in the second half but K.D. Johnson took over in overtime to defeat Mississippi State 81-68 on Wednesday night.

With the win Auburn improved to 26-4 overall and 14-3 in SEC play. Even more importantly, the win clinched a share of the regular-season title. It is just the fourth time Auburn has won the regular-season title and second time in the past five seasons.

Here are our immediate takeaways from the win.

Sooners Wire Team of the Week: OU Track and Field

Oklahoma left the 2022 Big 12 Indoor Championships in Ames, Iowa, with four individual titles and several school records.

Oklahoma made it a memorable trip to Ames, Iowa, for the 2022 Big 12 Indoor Championships. The Sooners men’s and women’s track and field teams left with four individual titles to earn the Sooners Wire Team of the Week Award.

Payden Montana

Junior Payden Montana threw a 56-8 (17.27m) in women’s shot put to capture her first conference title. The Berwick, Pa., native’s previous OU indoor best was 55-5.75 in 2021 at the K-State Winter Invite.

Vernon Turner

Redshirt senior Vernon Turner took home the gold in men’s high jump, clearing at 7-3.75. His all-time indoor best came at the Tyson Invitational in 2018 when he registered a jump of 7-7.75, but this has to feel sweet after three previous second-place finishes at the Big 12 Indoors. Here’s a look at the All-American’s winning jump.

Olivia Lueking

Freshman Olivia Lueking captured the women’s pole vault title with a height of 14-6. Her vault was a new program record, a meet record and a facility record.

Rayvon Allen

Redshirt senior Rayvon Allen tied his personal best and snagged his first Big 12 Indoor Champion title with a leap of 25-10 in the men’s long jump. Allen is Oklahoma’s outdoor program record holder with a long jump of 26-10.5 in 2021.

Other school records

Redshirt senior Isaiah Levingston finished the men’s 600-yards with a school record time of 1:08.18 in the prelims. Senior Kristo Simulask finished in second place in the men’s heptathlon after recording a personal best and a new school record of 5,727 points.

“The conference championship is like no other meet on the season. It provides the unique opportunity for the highest competition environment that cannot be duplicated otherwise. Our teams fought event after event to prove that we are one of the best teams in this league. It was such a blessing to see the programs rise to the occasion. From the conference champions, new record setting performances, and every point tallied this weekend, our Sooner pride shines through,” Oklahoma head men’s and women’s track and field coach Tim Langford said.

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Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Team of the Week: OU Women’s Tennis makes history, taking out No. 1 Texas en route to National Championship berth

In the ITA Indoor National Championships, the Oklahoma Sooners women’s tennis team made history, taking out No. 1 Texas on their way to the National Championship match.

In a new feature here at the Sooners Wire, we will be highlighting team and player of the week from Oklahoma Athletics.

In our first installment of the ‘Team of the Week” award, there were several compelling options. OU softball started the season right where they left off the 2021 campaign with a run-rule win to open the season and then went 4-0 in the Mark Campbell Invitational. Women’s gym had a memorable week of their own, putting on several perfect performances in their win over George Washington.

While they had fantastic weeks, it was the No. 8 Oklahoma women’s tennis team that stood out above the crowd. Over the weekend, they did something that no Sooners women’s tennis team has ever done, and that’s take down the No. 1 team in the nation. What’s extra delicious is that the No. 1 team in the nation was Red River Rivals the Texas Longhorns.

According to SoonersSports.com, it was the first time since 2003 that the Sooners had beaten the Longhorns in team play. They did so in a route on Saturday, with a four matches to one win over Texas in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships.

On Sunday, the Sooners beat No. 5 Pepperdine 4-2 to move onto the final of the ITA National Indoor Championships.

Over the weekend, Carmen Corley, Ivana Corley, Anchisa Shanta, and Emma Staker stood out to help the Oklahoma Sooners reach the national championship match against the No. 2 team in the country, the North Carolina Tar Heels. The action gets underway at noon from Madison, Wisconsn and can be streamed live here via Play Sight.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Will Nolan named SEC Freshman of the Week

More SEC honors for Auburn athletes.

Auburn’s Will Nolan was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a win at Georgia Tech.

Nolan, who is from Derbyshire, England, beat Georgia Tech’s Angel Guerrero 6-4 and 6-1 to clinch Auburn’s first road win of the season. He is now 5-0 in singles and has not lost a single set. He is also 2-0 in doubles.

β€œWill has been an unbelievable addition to our team this year,” head coach Bobby Reynolds said. β€œHis carefree but intense on-court personality has given him confidence to anchor this team at No. 6. He battled through adversity this past week with an illness that kept him from practicing, but he assured the coaches he was ready to battle vs. Georgia Tech.

β€œHe’s a player who wants the match to come down to his court and thrives in big moments and in the spotlight.”

With the win, Auburn improved to 5-0 on the season and is now ranked No. 24 in the Tennis Channel/USTA Top 25 and No. 24 in the ITA rankings. It’s the first time the Tigers have been ranked since 2013.

Auburn has two home matches this weekened. They will face South Alabama Friday at 2 p.m. and Tulane on Sunday at noon. Entry is free and free pizza is being given away.

Twitter reacts to the Jaguars firing Urban Meyer as coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars fired Urban Meyer after a 2-11 record. Here is how Twitter reacted to the news.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got a fresh start Thursday morning with the firing of coach Urban Meyer.

The move happened in the middle of the night, and comes after a string of embarrassments that range from his 2-11 record to getting shutout 20-0 at the hands of the Tennessee Titans in Week 14 to a story about how he allegedly kicked kicker Josh Lambo.

Like Jaguars owner Shad Khan when firing a coach, Twitter never sleeps, and the coaching change by Jacksonville was just what football fans needed as one jolt of excitement before bedtime. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter.

Nation’s No. 4 LB Jalon Walker is officially a Georgia Bulldog

Jalon Walker is a DAWG

Jalon Walker, who ranks as the nation’s No. 41 overall player and No.4 ranked linebacker according to 247Sports, has signed his national letter of intent and is officially a Georgia Bulldog.

Walker, out of Salisbury, North Carolina, about a 45 minute drive from Charlotte, has been committed to UGA since March.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder is a three-sport athlete, also playing basketball and competing in track and field.

Walker’s ability to get off the edge quickly is apparent on film. He is disruptive and makes key tackles on special teams. He could see the field on special teams right away at Georgia.

Walker frequently finds his way into the opposing backfield.Β  He is a big-hitter with good speed. His tape is very impressive and shows why he was recruited by the top college football programs in the country.

Patriots QB Mac Jones says he was too focused to grant interview with Peyton Manning

New England Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones explained why he turned down an interview with Peyton Manning ahead of the popular ManningCast for Week 13.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones made history on Monday night in the 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Not only did the rookie from Alabama play a complete game throwing just three passes, but he also is the only quarterback to date to turn down an interview with Peyton Manning ahead of the popular ManningCast alternate commentary of ESPN Monday Night Football.

Jones told his side of the story on “Merloni & Fauria” on WEEI 93.7 in Boston Tuesday.

β€œI texted him or whatever,” Jones said. “I am not going to get into any details, but I think we were just focused on the game. The Patriots do a great job of just helping me stay focused on what I need to stay focused on. I was like that in college, too.”

Peyton isn’t the only Manning in Jones’ cell phone. According to the first round pick, Archie Manning, Peyton’s dad, was a resource for him as he was working through the draft process.

“They’re great people,” Jones said. “I’ve been in contact with them throughout the whole process, even Archie, too. He’s a great resource to me.”

Peyton and Archie aren’t the only famous people in Jones’ contacts list, but the 23-year-old wasn’t forthcoming about who else might be in his phone.

“I think if I ever get a chance to get advice from people who have done really well in the NFL or just successful people, I just try to pick their brain and stuff like that. Just being in a situation growing up watching a lot of great players and getting a chance to meet them or talk to them, I always use that to my advantage.”

The Patriots are 9-4 and possess the No. 1 seed in the AFC. With the Patriots’ on a Week 14 bye, Jones intends to stay low key and relax at home in New England.

Auburn soccer adds β€˜very talented class’ for 2022

A strong class for Auburn soccer.

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn soccer, and head coach Karen Hoppa have announced the program’s 2022 signing class, which includes six student-athletes who are set to join the Tigers next fall.

β€œWe are thrilled to announce our 2022 class,” Hoppa said. β€œThis is a very talented class that will make us better at every position.”

The class includes three defenders, two forwards, and one goalkeeper. Two signees hail from Georgia and Texas and one apiece are natives of Virginia and New Jersey.

β€œWe cannot wait for them to get to the Plains and join our successful group of returning players,” Hoppa added. β€œThe 2022 season cannot get here soon enough.”

The players who will join the Tigers in 2022 are listed below.

Player Pos. Hometown Club Team High School
Hayden Colson D Denton, Texas FC Dallas John H. Guyer
Dylan Driver F Macon, Ga. Concord Fire Platinum Stratford Academy
Olivia Fout F Virginia Beach, Va. Richmond United Cape Henry Collegiate
Erin Houston D Kennesaw, Ga. Tophat SC Harrison
Taylor Richards GK Plano, Texas FC Dallas Plano Senior
Helene Tyburczy D Ramsey, N.J. Cedar Stars Academy Ramsey

Hayden Colson will make her way to Auburn from Denton, Texas, and is one of two signees to compete for FC Dallas.

A center back who can also play holding midfielder, Colson is regarded by Top Drawer Soccer as a four-star recruit and is the 117th rated player in the 2022 Girls IMG Academy Top 150. She is also considered the 13th rated player in Texas.

Earlier this year, Colson was invited to the U.S. U18 Women’s National Team Virtual Camp and earned ECNL First Team All-Conference accolades. Also a standout at John H. Guyer High School, she was previously named the 5-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Area. Colson also runs track and was a 4×100 state qualifier and 2021 Austin TGCA All-State honoree.

Dylan Driver comes to the Plains from Macon, Georgia, and is a product of Concord Fire 04 ECNL Platinum.

A dangerous goal scorer, Driver was recently named to the 2021 U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Regional Best XI Team after leading Concord Fire to the regional championship and pacing the league in points, goals and assists. She was previously named to the 2020-21 U.S U17 Piedmont Conference Best XI and is a 2020 Georgia State Cup Champion.

At the high school level, Driver holds Stratford Academy’s school record for goals (eight) and points (17) in a game and had tallied 83 goals and 54 assists in her career. She was named 2021 GHSA Super 11 Second Team and a finalist for the GHSA Player of the Year. She also competes in track & field as well as equestrian.

Olivia Fout is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and competes at the club level for Richmond United.

A strong and physical wide forward, Fout excels for both Richmond United and Cape Henry Collegiate, where she was named First Team All-State, the Tidewater Conference Tournament MVP and the 2020-21 Cape Henry Team MVP. Fout was also an all-state performer following her freshman season at Floyd E. Kellam High School.

Erin Houston is set to join the Auburn Family from Kennesaw, Georgia, where she competes for Tophat SC.

A versatile defender who can play anywhere on the back line, Houston has been recognized on the Girls Academy Southeast Top 30 Players list and was a Girls Academy League team representative from 2020-21.

Following a breakout performance at Harrison High School in 2021, Houston was named the Cobb County Player of the Year and Region 3-7A Player of the Year.

Taylor Richards, who is the younger sister of Auburn’s junior forward Sydney Richards, comes to Auburn from Plano, Texas, and joins Colson as a product of FC Dallas.

An athletic goalkeeper, Richards has earned the Southern Region Golden Glove Award and has helped lead FC Dallas to both the Southern Regional Championship as well as a National Championship semifinal appearance. Also a standout at Plano Senior High School, she earned First Team All-District 9-6A honors and has been named Plano Senior’s MVP on a pair of occasions.

Rounding out the 2022 signing class, Helene Tyburczy will make her way to campus from Ramsey, New Jersey, where she competes for Cedar Stars Academy.

A true center back, Tyburczy is a three-time U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Training Camp participant and five-time ODP East Region Team selection. She has also been named a U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Interregional Tournament All-Star and Youth Girls All-East Region selection by United Soccer Coaches.

At the high school level, Tyburczy is a 2020 All-East Region, two-time All-State, and three-time All-Conference performer as well as the 2020 North Jersey Player of the Year. She has helped lead Ramsey High School to three league and state sectional championships as well as a state finals appearance.

Auburn soccer falls to Samford in NCAA Tournament

Congrats on a good season, ladies!

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn fell to Samford 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.

The two teams took a scoreless tie into halftime, but Samford (16-3-2) scored a pair of goals in the middle of the second half to hand Auburn (12-7-1) just its third home loss of the season.

β€œWe’re certainly disappointed with the loss. It’s not the way we wanted to send out our seniors,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. β€œWe’re obviously very young, and I think there’s a lot our team can learn from this. We’re looking forward to next year already.”

Winners of the Southern Conference regular season and tournament championships, Samford advances to the second round in Durham, North Carolina to take on the winner of tomorrow’s contest between Brown and St. John’s.

β€œLike coach said, we’re a very young team so we’ve continued to grow,” said Hannah Waesch. β€œJust building on some of our strengths and continuing to work on our weaknesses. Growth has been a big theme of this season.”

Auburn was the aggressor in the first half, outshooting the Bulldogs 7-1 and tallying six corner kicks to Samford’s zero in the opening stanza. The Tigers had a chance to take the lead into half as Olivia Candelino found space inside the box but her shot skipped wide of frame.

Coming out of halftime, the Bulldogs were the first to get on the scoreboard on Mary Raymond’s goal in the 61st minute. Sixteen minutes later, Taylor Yount doubled Samford’s lead before the visitors bled out the final 14 minutes of the contest.

Auburn nearly cut the deficit to one on a pair of looks in the final stages, but Samford goalkeeper Morgan McAslan made the saves to preserve the two-goal advantage.

Auburn finished with 15 shots but could never find the back of the net. Anna Haddock led the way with seven shots, two of which were on frame. Samford finished with six shots but was able to capitalize on one-third of its chances.

Sixteen Tigers saw action in the contest, including 12 who appeared in a NCAA Tournament game for the first time.

This is a release from Auburn Athletics.