As summer winds down, students put away their sandals, frisbees and volleyballs, and prepare to cheer on Sooner athletes as fall sports begin. But before students don their crimson gameday gear, they should catch up on the headlines of the summer.

Cross Country

Head coach Martin Smith announced the 2009 cross country signing class Thursday, Aug. 6, in preparation for the upcoming season. Among the class were five men and two women from six states. Alex Muntefering of South Dakota highlights the group, claiming five state titles.

The cross country team opens the season Sept. 5 at the Golden Hurricane Invitational in Tulsa. On Sept. 26, the team will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete in the Roy Griak Invitational.

Golf

Ryan Hybl, brother of former quarterback Nate Hybl and former assistant coach at the University of Georgia, became the men’s golf head coach June 22.

While Hybl served on the Georgia staff, the Bulldogs finished in the top 10 for five years at the NCAA Championship.

The team won Southeastern Conference crowns in 2006 and 2009 along with an NCAA East Regional Championship in 2008. Georgia also produced 14 All-Americans, 14 first-team All-SEC players, the 2006 SEC Player of the Year and the 2006 and 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year.

Two days after Hybl was hired, Veronique Drouin, another former assistant coach at Georgia, was hired as the head coach of the women’s golf team.

During Drouin’s first full season at Georgia, 2006, the Bulldogs won two prestigious events: the Golf Daytona Beach Fall Preview and the SEC Championship. Drouin also served as interim head coach during the 2007 Central Regional and NCAA Championships, leading the Bulldogs to second and eighth place finishes, respectively.

Rowing

Incoming freshman Rebecca Staff took first place in the Canadian National Junior Trials June 12 in Welland, Ontario. Staff and team will compete at SMU Sept. 19.

The OU rowing team picked up a new member right before the school year.

Marina Traub was announced last Friday as the new assistant coach of the Sooner squad. Traub comes to OU from the University of Alabama where she was the assistant coach for three years.

Volleyball

The Sooner volleyball team is ranked seventh in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced the league office Thursday, Aug. 13.

The Sooners begin 2009 at the Mizuno Invitational at Rice University beginning Aug. 28. OU faces Houston Baptist, Rice, Nicholls State and Central Arkansas in the tournament.

Oklahoma will host Missouri in its home opener Sept. 19.