The Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year Awards began in 2000-01 to annually recognize student-athletes who displayed an extraordinary degree of sportsmanship and/or community service during the academic year. A male and female are honored each year.
The following student-athletes have been nominated for 2014-15 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year. Criteria for the award includes examples of sportsmanship and ethical conduct, citizenship within the campus and community as well as academic achievement. The female nominees will be featured on Wednesday, June 24 and the two winners named on Thursday, June 25.
Collin Brence, Baylor Football, Sr, Plano, Texas • Spent three-years as a walk-on special teams and scout team player prior to earning a scholarship and starting every game as a senior in 2014.
• Participated on Baylor's Sports Ministry trips to Zambia (2014) and Brazil (2015).
• Local community involvement includes FCA, My Brother's Keeper Homeless Shelter and Mart Juvenile Detention Center.
• 2015 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Scholar-Athlete and Capital One Academic All-America second team in 2014.
Kyven Gadson, Iowa State Wrestling, Sr, Waterloo, Iowa • 2014-15 Big 12 SAAC Chair and attended the 2015 Black Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.
• 2014-15 Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup semi-finalist
• Participated as one of four student-athlete panelists in the Big 12's third "State of College Athletics" Forum in Washington, D.C.
• 2015 Big 12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
JaCorey Shepherd, Kansas Football, Sr, Mesquite, Texas • 2014 Lee Roy Selmon Community Spirit Award and Haier Achievement Award winner.
• 2015 University of Kansas Men of Merit honoree.
• United Way of Douglas County 2014 Wallace Galluzzi Outstanding Volunteer and KU's Galen Fiss Award winner for exemplary service to community and campus.
• Finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and a Senior CLASS Second Team selection.
James Fraschilla, Oklahoma Men's Basketball, Sr, Dallas, Texas • Used his ability to hit trick shots on the basketball court to raise funds for Hayden's Hope, an organization in memory of Hayden Nowkhah who died 39 days after his birth.
• Active on OU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and ended his collegiate career as one of the few students to serve SAAC in an officer role for three years.
• Traveled with Sooners for Haiti three times to work in conjunction with Mission of Hope.
• 2014-15 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team.
Preston Morrison, TCU Baseball, Sr, Waxhaw, N.C. • Leader on the team who helped acclimate two freshmen catchers.
• Involved in most of the community service projects performed by the TCU baseball team over the course of four seasons.
• Assisted with the 2014-15 Super Frog Reading Challenge.
• Active participant in the baseball team's commitment to pediatric cancer patient Micah Ahern, who the team supports through an organization called Team Impact.
Clark Lammert, Texas Tech Men's Basketball, Sr, San Antonio, Texas • Member of the 2015 Big 12 Sportsmanship Committee that is working to study and reform sportsmanship in the league.
• Founder and program coordinator for the Red Raider Reach Program, a community service initiative he started in 2015 to increase involvement at local children's hospitals.
• 2014-15 All-State "Good Works Team" honoree.
• 2014-15 Academic All-Big 12 First Team and set to graduate with a Master's degree in December 2015.
Andy Bevin, West Virginia Men's Soccer, Sr, Napier, New Zealand • Served as team captain three out of four seasons.
• Community service activities include volunteering in reading programs at local elementary schools and appearances at local soccer day camps.
• Applying for WVU's Order of the Augusta, the University's most prestigious student honor for those with significant contributions and achievements in scholarship, leadership and service.
• Graduated in just seven semesters and named 2014 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Men's Soccer.