Top moments of 2022 for the Oklahoma Sooners
2022 was an incredible year for the Oklahoma Sooners. Several teams competed for national championships along the way.
The women stole the show this year with Oklahoma softball and gymnastics winning national championships. Women’s basketball made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in Jennie Baranczyk’s first season at the helm.
Not to be outdone, Skip Johnson’s crew rallied at midseason to go on an improbable run to the College World Series.
So as we flip the final page on 2022, what were some of the top moments from Oklahoma Athletics.
Softball goes back-to-back
OU softball coach Patty Gasso (center) poses for a photo after beating Texas 10-5 Thursday night for the NCAA title. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Patty Gasso’s crew went wire to wire as the No. 1 team in the nation and did so in dominating fashion on the way to their second straight national championship. It was a tremendous feat for the Oklahoma Sooners, who picked up their sixth national championship all time.
The Sooners lost three games all season and just one in the NCAA tournament. It was a dominant run that included 40 run-rule wins on the season.
My first ever reel! It was difficult to fit so many record-breaking moments with my personal favorite shots into one video, but as expected, the memories of the 2022 National Champions are hard to encapsulate. This was fun…same time next year? @OU_Softball
(full video on my IG) pic.twitter.com/cJUGjtEops— Alexis Martinez (@a1exismartinez) August 21, 2022
Jocelyn Alo takes her throne
Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo (78) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of a softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Texas A&M in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May 22, 2022. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
On the road to their second straight national championship, the Oklahoma Sooners crowned a new home run queen. Jocelyn Alo passed fellow Sooner Lauren Chamberlain for the all-time home run record in an emotional weekend series in her home state of Hawaii.
Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo’s 96 home runs are the MOST in NCAA softball history! pic.twitter.com/zFsAQd9tMK
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 12, 2022
Women's Gym Wins Another
Apr 16, 2022; Fort Worth, TX, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners gymnastic team celebrates with the NCAA national championship trophy after coming in first place in the 2022 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship at Dickies Arena. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma women’s gymnastics picked up their fifth national championship in a tightly contested final. Oklahoma was in fourth place after the first rotation but posted the highest team scores on the vault, beam, and bars to win by less than 0.5 points and capture that national title over Utah, Florida, and Auburn.
Head coach K.J. Kindler led her squad to 21 straight wins to close the season and a 31-2 record on the season.
Champions 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/lbgxffQLT4
— Oklahoma Women's Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 16, 2022
College World Series Run
Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks designated hitter Brady Slavens (17) celebrates with catcher Dylan Leach (15), second baseman Robert Moore (1) and right fielder Chris Lanzilli (18) after scoring against the Ole Miss Rebels during the fifth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners went on an improbably run to the College World Series. After an 18-12 start to the season, the Sooners went 27-12 over their final 39 games, including a 12-4 record in the playoffs.
A 3-0 start to the College World Series ended with two straight losses at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels, but it was an incredible run for Skip Johnson’s crew.
Sooners earn commitment from Jackson Arnold
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With the coaching change came changes at the quarterback position for 2022 and the future. Caleb Williams transferred and Malachi Nelson flipped his commitment.
With Jeff Lebby’s arrival in Norman, the door opened for then-four-star Jackson Arnold to find a home with the Sooners. Lebby recruited Arnold when the Sooners’ offensive coordinator was still at Ole Miss. He became the first 2023 commitment of Brent Venables’ tenure. And it’s proven to be a critical commitment.
Arnold had a tremendous 2022 winning the Elite 11 MVP and earning five-star status. The five-star quarterback went on to help Denton Guyer to the Texas 6A state semifinals after 4,400 yards and 57 touchdowns on the season.
His commitment back in January, and that he never wavered off that commitment, allowed the Sooners to focus efforts elsewhere on the recruiting trail.
Sooners Clobber Cornhuskers
Sep 17, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables reacts after the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma’s first trip to Lincoln since 2009 had the build that you’d expect for a game featuring long-time Big 8 and Big 12 rivals. After a tightly-contested matchup in Norman the year prior, the Sooners absolutely blew the doors off of the Cornhuskers in the return trip.
The 49-14 win over their former rivals was an incredible moment in the 2022 season. Though the Big 12 schedule proved more formidable for the Sooners, this win on the road over Nebraska shouldn’t be forgotten.
Brent Venables first Early Signing Period
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The early signing period went off without a hitch. Well, sort of.
Oklahoma signed every player they had committed to the 2023 recruiting class heading into the first day of the signing period and picked up a signature from late-rising defensive lineman Markus Strong.
They were the projected favorite to land five-star safety Peyton Bowen and four-star EDGE Tausili Akana. Akana ultimately chose Texas and Bowen initially chose to flip from Notre Dame to Oregon.
However, it wasn’t all she wrote with Bowen, who signed with the Sooners on the second day of the early signing period.
Bowen’s signature gave the Sooners the best recruiting class they’ve had in the 247Sports database and three five-star players in the cycle. They signed 16 four and five-star players, 10 of which were on the defensive side of the ball.
It was the culmination of the work Venables and his staff put in over the last year and proved that this coaching staff can recruit.
Brighter days are ahead.
Other notable moments
Men’s gymnastics had a fantastic season and finished second to Stanford in the 2022 national championships.
Men’s golf made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament before falling 3-2 to Arizona State.
Women’s tennis also had a great run, finishing as the runner-up in the ITA National Indoor Championships, the Big 12 tournament, and the NCAA Tournament.
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