Oklahoma State University Athletics
A Look Back At OSU Athletics, 2008-09
June 19, 2009 | General
June 19, 2009
The 2008-09 year marked another strong showing from Oklahoma State athletics and its 18 different men's and women's programs.
OSU captured a school-record five Big 12 Conference championships as soccer, men's cross country, men's and women's golf and equestrian each brought home conference titles.
Along those lines, 81 OSU athletes earned All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2008-09.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls enjoyed plenty of postseason success at the national level as well as 16 of OSU's 18 sports competed in postseason play. Eleven of OSU's teams were nationally ranked at some point during their respective season, with seven of those climbing into the Top 10.
For the ninth time in school history and first time since 2004, OSU earned a berth in a football bowl game and in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The Cowboys played in the 2008 Holiday Bowl and advanced to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament on the hardwood.
OSU was also one of just 10 schools in the nation to play in a football bowl game, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and an NCAA baseball regional.
German Fernandez highlighted OSU's list of individual accolades in '08-'09 as the freshman capped his year by claiming the individual title in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He became the 169th individual NCAA champion in OSU history.
Among Fernandez's numerous awards were Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Outstanding Performer of the Year and 2008 Big 12 Cross Country Individual Champion, and he also broke junior world, Big 12 and NCAA records in the indoor mile at the Big 12 Championships.
Another of OSU's top athletes this year was men's tennis star Oleksandr Nedovyesov, who highlighted his junior season by earning 2009 ITA National Player of the Year honors. Nedovyesov was also named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year for the second-straight season.
Yolanda Odenyo was key in leading OSU to its first-ever regular season conference title in soccer as she became the program's all-time leading scorer en route to 2008 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. She was also a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, given to the nation's top collegiate player, and a finalist for several other player of the year awards.
OSU equestrian also had one of its sport's top athletes as junior Ally Blais claimed the individual national championship in the equitation on the flat discipline at the Varsity Equestrian National Championship.
The Cowgirl softball program returned to the national spotlight by earning its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005 and advanced to the regional championship game with a pair of wins over nationally ranked Florida State.
The men's golf team continued its tradition of excellence as the Cowboys won five tournaments, including their third consecutive Big 12 title. Morgan Hoffman captured the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation's top freshman, and Mike McGraw was the recipient of the Dave Williams Award, given to the nation's top head coach.
Fernandez, Nedovyesov, Hoffman and Odenyo were among 15 OSU athletes to earn All-America honors in 2008-09. Included in that list are four-time All-American Ryan Vail (men's track and cross country), three-time All-Americans Odenyo (soccer) and Pernilla Lindberg (women's golf) and two-time All-Americans Nedovyesov, Jared Rosholt (wrestling), Andrea Riley (women's basketball) and Rickie Fowler (men's golf).
Vail also continued a strong showing in the classroom as he was named a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American for the second-straight year. OSU had four other student-athletes -- Odenyo, Karin Kinnerud (women's golf), Jessica Jarrell (soccer) and Jamie Markaverich (soccer) -- earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors.
