Iowa State Cyclones Nominees
The Iowa State Cyclones have put forward two student-athletes for the 2025-26 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Awards. These nominees are Mercyline Kirwa, a freshman from the cross country and track and field teams, and Joshua Jefferson, a senior from the men’s basketball squad. Each institution within the conference has nominated one female and one male athlete for consideration, with the winners scheduled to be announced on July 23.
Mercyline Kirwa demonstrated notable achievements in her first collegiate season. She secured the NCAA outdoor national champion title in the 10,000 meters and was the national runner-up in the 5,000 meters. Her contributions were significant to the Cyclones’ performance, as the team achieved its best finish in program history, placing sixth in the Women’s NCAA Outdoor Championship. Kirwa personally contributed 18 points to this success.
Furthermore, Kirwa won the Big 12 title in both the indoor 5,000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters, earning her three All-American honors for the 2026 season. Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Kirwa is involved in community initiatives, supporting the Run Your City Ames youth running program.
On the men’s side, Joshua Jefferson had a productive season in men’s college basketball. He averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Jefferson was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and also received All-American recognition. He was a finalist for both the Karl Malone Award and the Lute Olson Award.
Jefferson made history in the Big 12 by recording multiple triple-doubles in league play, a first for any player in the conference. His senior year was cut short due to an injury during the Round of 64 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Despite this, he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 28 pick in the NBA draft. As part of an agreed-upon trade, Jefferson is set to play for the Brooklyn Nets.
BYU Cougars Nominees
BYU has also announced its candidates for the Big 12 Athlete of the Year awards: men’s basketball player AJ Dybantsa and track and field athlete Jane Hedengren. Both athletes competed for their institution during the 2025-26 school year and met the criteria of good academic standing and participation in a league-sponsored sport.
AJ Dybantsa, a freshman, earned recognition as a Consensus First Team All-American from various organizations including AP, CBS Sports, Sporting News, USBWA, NABC, and the Wooden Award. He was named the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team. Dybantsa led NCAA Division I in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game and accumulating 894 points, which ranks as the third-most by a freshman in NCAA Division I history. He was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and was also named to the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team.
Jane Hedengren, also a freshman, achieved significant success in cross country and track & field. She won NCAA indoor national championships in both the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. Hedengren was named the 2026 USTFCCCA Indoor National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and the Women’s Mountain Region Track Athlete of the Year. She earned First Team All-America honors in cross country with a runner-up finish at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country National Championship and was recognised as the 2025 Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year. Hedengren holds NCAA all-time marks in the indoor 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and outdoor 5,000 meters, and was part of the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team with a 3.77 GPA.
Other Big 12 Nominations
Other institutions in the Big 12 Conference have also announced their nominees. From Cincinnati, Quinton Coats from baseball and Juliette Laracuente-Huebner from track and field were nominated. Coats, a sophomore, appeared in 60 games, with a batting average of .339, an on-base percentage of .420, and a slugging percentage of .677. He recorded 119 hits, including 34 home runs, and contributed 95 RBIs and 85 runs scored. Laracuente-Huebner, a multi-event athlete, is a 4-time NCAA All-American and a three-time Big 12 Championship winner, earning the 2026 Big 12 Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Further nominees announced alphabetically by school include Sydney Stewart and Jay Friend from Arizona, Kenzie Brown and Jonny Kudlow from Arizona State, Tyler Isgrig and Devin Badenhorst from Baylor, and Sierra Humphreys and Themus Fulks from Central Florida. The winners of the Big 12 Athlete of the Year Awards will be announced on July 23.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
