Whitney Palmer

Classroom

Whitney Palmer was faced with significant academic challenges from the moment she stepped on campus, but she made a commitment to achieving academic success equal to her soccer success and is on track to graduate in May 2011. She was named to the President’s Honor Roll one semester and the Dean’s Honor Roll one semester. She is a two-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree and a two-time Sooner Scholar. Palmer is an outstanding role model for anyone who is facing similar challenges. She has demonstrated that if a person is given resources and is willing to commit to the goal of academic success and work toward that goal, you can achieve. Her work ethic in academics is equal to what she shows in her physical training.

Character

Palmer has been the face of Sooner soccer since arriving on campus as a freshman. She was one of the first major soccer signees for the program, which went through a complete coaching staff change after her freshman year, and she continued to be the face of the program despite the major change in culture. She was one of the first signees/players of the previous coaching group to accept the new system and has blossomed in the system. She will end her Sooner career as one of the most popular, most respected and most honored soccer players in school history because of what she has achieved and the challenges she has overcome to achieve her goals on the field and in the classroom.

Community

Palmer makes regular visits to the OKC Children’s Hospital. She helps with soccer camps at the local YMCA and helps with OU’s free soccer clinic for area youth. She volunteers at an Oklahoma City homeless shelter and helps her team with the annual United Way “Fill the Bus” drive to gather clothes and books for the start of the new school year.

Competition

Palmer was named to the NSCA Central Region second team in 2009 (only third Sooner player to earn that honor). She spent a week last spring training at the U.S National U-23 team camp. She was named to the 2009 All-Big 12 first team, a school first since 2005 and was named to the 2008 All-Big 12 second team and was a member of the 2007 All-Big 12 Newcomer team. Palmer finished the 2009 season ranked eighth in the country with 15 goals (a school record for a season) and 16th with 32 points (also a school record). She holds five OU school records and ranks in the top five in six others. She is one of only three Sooners in program history to collect All-Big 12 honors in first three years. She ranks second all-time in school history with 29 goals and third in school history with 61 points. Palmer was named to the U-23 U.S. National Select team in 2007. She has started 56 of a possible 57 games in her Sooner career.