Jessica Beard (Texas A&M track and field) and Taylor Jungmann (Texas baseball) have been named 2010-11 Big 12 Conference Athletes of the Year, the league office announced.
Nominees are submitted by each Big 12 institution and selected, based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship, by a media panel as well as fan voting conducted through the Big 12's social media sites.
In her career at Texas A&M, Beard finished no lower than fourth in the eight NCAA Championships she contested in the 400 meters (indoor and outdoor). Her tally includes two gold medals, three silver, and two bronze. Her fourth-place finish occurred during her freshman outdoor season when she placed behind three seniors.
Beard also played an integral part in Texas A&M winning three consecutive NCAA Outdoor team championships (2009, '10 and '11) along with seven Big 12 team championships (three indoor, four outdoor) during her four seasons with the Aggies. By winning the 2011 NCAA titles in the 400 during the indoor and outdoor season, as well as anchoring the winning 4x400 relays at both national championships, Beard became just the third female in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. In winning both NCAA 4x400 titles in 2011, Beard moved the Aggies from third to first place on each of her anchor leg efforts.
The Euclid, Ohio, native also dominated the 400 meters in Big 12 Championships, winning seven of eight finals she competed in. After becoming the first female to win four consecutive titles in one event during the Big 12 Indoor meet, Beard just missed becoming only the second athlete (male or female) to win eight consecutive conference titles in one event when she placed second in the 400 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship in 2011.
Beard's Aggie career included 16 All-America honors, second best in school history to the 19 attained by Porscha Lucas. She also ran on four national champion relay teams, once in the 4x100 and three times in the 4x400. She was a member of a collegiate record set by A&M in the 4x200 while winning the 2010 Penn Relays title.
In rewriting the Aggie school records for the 400, Beard set career best marks of 50.79 (indoor) and 50.56 (outdoors). Among the top 10 performances in the 400 at A&M, Beard holds all 10 indoor marks and eight of the top outdoor marks. Her time of 51.15 to win the 2010 Big 12 Indoor 400 also established an American record in the event on an over-sized indoor track. Beard also ranks fourth on the A&M list in the 200 meters indoors with a 22.95 and fifth on the outdoor list with a best of 23.02.
The sprinter closed out her career with the Aggies by placing fourth in the 2011 USA Championships with a collegiate leading time of 51.06, making the relay pool for the United States team that will compete at the IAAF World Championships this summer in Daegu, South Korea.
She is one of three finalist for The Bowerman award, which recognizes the top female collegiate track and field athlete by the coaches association and was one of four nominees for the Honda Sports Award in track and field.
Beard was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll three times and was a 2009 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection. She participates in community service projects through Aggie Athletics Involved and is a member of FCA.
Jungmann received the Dick Howser Trophy as the nation's top collegiate baseball player after leading the Longhorns to the 2011 College World Series. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Pitcher of the Year (NCBWA).
The 6-6 junior righthander claimed All-America First Team honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA. He was a unanimous selection as Big 12 Pitcher of the Year while helping Texas to a share of the Big 12 regular season title. Jungmann was also an All-Big 12 First Team member and named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Team. He earned three Phillips 66 Big 12 Pitcher of the week accolades in 2011 and was tabbed National Pitcher of the Week by the NCBWA on February 22.
Jungmann threw the only complete-game shutout in the nation on the opening weekend of the season and was the only pitcher nationally to pitch complete-game shutouts the first two starts of the season. Both accomplishments also set Texas program records. He ranked third among all NCAA pitchers with 13 wins and was fourth in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.17), ninth in strikeouts (126) and 11th in ERA (1.60). Jungmann went 8-0 with a 1.12 ERA in nine Big 12 Conference starts. In his only 'no decision' he worked nine shutout innings in a 15-inning 1-0 win over Oklahoma State.
The Temple, Texas, native was a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and named to the 2011 Academic All-Big 12 First Team. He was the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Other female candidates for Big 12 Athlete of the Year included Brittney Griner (Baylor women's basketball), Emma Coburn (Colorado cross country; track and field), Kelse Bolte (Iowa State women's basketball), Diamond Dixon (Kansas track and field), Petra Niedermayerova (Kansas State tennis), Chelsea Thomas (Missouri softball), Natalie Willer (Nebraska track and field), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma women's basketball), Natalja Piliusina (Oklahoma State cross country, track and field), Juliann Faucette (Texas volleyball) and Rose Tanui (Texas Tech cross country).
Male nominees were Robert Griffin III (Baylor football), Alec Burks (Colorado men's basketball), Jonathan Reader (Iowa State wrestling), Marcus Morris (Kansas men's basketball), Jacob Pullen (Kansas State men's basketball), Lars Vikan Rise (Missouri track and field), Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska wrestling), Quinton Carter (Oklahoma football), Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State football), Von Miller (Texas A&M football) and Julian Wruck (Texas Tech track and field).
| Year |
Female |
Male |
| 2010-11 |
Jessica Beard, Texas A&M |
Taylor Jungmann, Texas |
| 2009-10 |
Lisa Koll, Iowa State |
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska |
| 2008-09 |
Destinee Hooker, Texas |
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma |
| 2007-08 |
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska |
Chase Daniel, Missouri |
| 2006-07 |
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska |
Ben Askren, Missouri |
| 2005-06 |
Cat Osterman, Texas |
Vince Young, Texas |
| 2004-05 |
Cat Osterman, Texas |
Derrick Johnson, Texas |
| 2003-04 |
Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State |
Jason White, Oklahoma |
| 2002-03 |
Cat Osterman, Texas |
Nick Collison, Kansas |
| 2001-02 |
Stacey Dales-Schuman, Oklahoma |
Cael Sandercon, Iowa State |
| 2000-01 |
Greichaly Cepero, Nebraska |
Josh Heupel, Oklahoma |
| 1999-00 |
Erin Aldrich, Texas |
Charles Howell, Oklahoma State |
| 1998-99 |
Suziann Reid, Texas |
Ricky Williams, Texas |
| 1997-98 |
Vera Ilyina, Texas |
Grant Wistrom, Nebraska |
| 1996-97 |
Nanceen Perry, Texas |
Jacque Vaughn, Kansas |