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When it came to big sports stories with local ties, this year delivered. Locally, nationally and internationally, Hampton Roads athletes made a big splash. Here's a look at some of the local stories that made headlines in 2009.
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Football returns to ODU
Few knew what to expect when Old Dominion started playing football in the fall. Football hadn't been played there since 1940. In essence, everything was brand new. The interest was there, as 19,782 people showed up to watch ODU beat Chowan 36-21 in its first game, Sept. 5. The Monarchs head into 2010 with a six-game winning streak after going 9-2 in their initial foray into the Football Championship Subdivision.
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Lady Monarchs' streak ends at 17
For 17 years, nobody beat Old Dominion's women's basketball team in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, as the Lady Monarchs used the tournament as the stepping stone to the NCAA Tournament every year. But the injury bug helped prove that all good things come to an end. ODU finished 17-13 and bowed out in the CAA semifinals, losing 61-42 to eventual tournament champion Drexel.
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Kingsmill loses LPGA
Rumors ran rampant, but it became official in September: Anheuser-Busch decided not to renew its title sponsorship of the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, ending the seven-year run of one of the most popular tournaments on the LPGA Tour. The decision brought to an end nearly three decades of professional golf at Kingsmill.
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Vick is out, Plax is in (jail)
Newport News native Michael Vick completed his sentence for dogfighting in July after spending 18 months in federal custody. Vick returned to the NFL quickly, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in August. In September, Virginia Beach's Plaxico Burress began serving his 2-year sentence for a weapons charge. The wide receiver, who played a major role in the Giants' 2008 Super Bowl victory, could be released from prison as early as spring 2011.
Related: Buress just a memory now | Vick: I won't disappoint as an Eagle
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Another South Hampton Road's athlete is gunned down.
In January, Maury High two-sport standout Charles Humphrey, 18, became the seventh local athlete in 10 months to be killed or injured by gun fire. The sad trend caused HBO to take notice - the cable network produced a piece on the area in April.
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Eastern Region Basketball Tournament finds a new home
Year after year, hundreds of basketball fans are left out in the cold at the Eastern Region Tournament, held annually at Churchland High. After more fans were squeezed out again in March, Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim offered to host the tournament at Scope in 2010 -- rent-free. The region principals unanimously voted to accept his offer.
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Ocean Lakes football team goes from 6-0 to 0-6
Ocean Lakes High, perennially one of the best football teams in the state, found out in October that it had to forfeit its six victories because of violations involving an ineligible athlete. They appealed but lost. Before the forfeits, the Dolphins had an 18-game regular-season win streak and were ranked in the top 10 in the state. They still went on to win their final four games, finishing the season 4-6.
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King's Fork boys, Princess Anne girls capture state titles
In March, the Princess Anne girls basketball team won the Group AAA state tournament championship, beating Oakton 71-61. The title came a year after coach Darnell Dozier had been criticized for his remarks following his team's 2008 semifinal loss. On the same day the PA girls won, King's Fork mounted an incredible comeback, rallying from 19 points down at the half to beat William Fleming 49-47 for the boys state title. The five-year old program became the first Suffolk school to win a Group AAA title.
Related: Cavaliers' state title makes amends | King's Fork takes home first state crown
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Bruce is enshrined
Booker T. Washington grad Bruce Smith achieved the NFL's highest honor in August when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The legendary defensive end played 19 seasons in the NFL, amassing a record 200 sacks along the way. Ted Cottrell, Smith's former defensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills, introduced him at the ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
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Harvin makes the leap
The Minnesota Vikings got Percy Harvin, a former Landstown High standout, with the 22nd overall pick of the NFL draft. Harvin, out of the University of Florida, had slipped in the first round after he tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine. Still, the Vikings' "gamble" seems to have paid off. Harvin has played in 13 games, catching six touchdown passes from quarterback Brett Favre. He also has been a key performer on special teams, returning two kicks for TDs. He has been mentioned as a candidate for rookie of the year.
Related: Vikings insert new pages in playbook for rookie Harvin
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Merritt brings home gold (again)
Portsmouth's LaShawn Merritt continued his dominance in the 400 in August, beating rival Jeremy Wariner at the world championships to capture gold in Berlin. Merritt has taken the world and Olympic titles from Wariner. Also in August, Merritt was part of the 1,600 men's relay team that won gold at the world championships.
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Oscar Smith wins in national spotlight
Group AAA Division 6 state champion Oscar Smith kicked off its defense of its 2008 title with a nationally televised game Aug. 28 against Venice (Fla.). Led by record-shattering quarterback Phillip Sims, Oscar Smith didn't disappoint. In a game televised by ESPNU, the Tigers made a national statement, beating the Indians 27-13 in front of 8,000 fans.
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Hampton Roads natives dot All-Star lineups
This year's All-Star Game featured four baseball players with South Hampton Roads ties - Hickory High's David Wright, Great Bridge's Justin Upton, High, Old Dominion's Justin Verlander and Kellam High's Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman and Upton were first-time participants in the event, which features the best in Major League Baseball.
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