General

Oklahoma’s 2022-23 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Nominees

The 2022-23 Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominees will be featured each day at 10 a.m. CT and 2 p.m. CT, listed in alphabetical order by school through Friday, July 28.

Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete of any classification that competed for their institution during the school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and had to be from a league-sponsored sport.

The 10 schools that competed during the 2022-23 academic year are eligible.

The winners will be announced Monday, July 31. Stay tuned to Big12Sports.com and the league’s social media platforms to see the rest of the candidates.

This morning’s featured candidates are Oklahoma’s Vernon Turner and Jayda Coleman.

Oklahoma Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
Vernon Turner, Track and Field
RS-Sr., Kansas City, Mo.
Accomplishments
  • Named the 2023 Big 12 Men’s Outdoor Performer of the Year.
  • Won the Big 12 men’s Indoor (7-5.75) and Outdoor (7-6.50, tied his own school record) high jump titles.
  • Finished as the men’s high jump runner-up at the NCAA Indoor (7-3.0) and Outdoor (7-5.25) Championships.
  • Pursuing a master’s degree in public relations and is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree.
  • Volunteered at Norman high schools, teaching students about the importance of human relations.
Oklahoma Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Jayda Coleman, Softball, Outfielder
Jr., The Colony, Texas
Accomplishments
  • Started every game for the 61-1 Sooners that won the program’s third straight national championship. OU’s .984 winning percentage set an NCAA Division I softball record, as did its 53-game winning streak.
  • Named the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year and earned her third consecutive First Team NFCA All-America honor.
  • Led the Big 12 in runs scored (71), home runs (17), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.321).
  • Led 2023 Women’s College World Series players with five runs scored while earning WCWS All-Tournament Team honors.
  • Selected to the OU President’s Honor Roll (4.0 semester GPA) in the fall and to the Dean’s Honor Roll (3.5+ semester GPA) in the spring.
Previously Announced Nominees
Baylor - Adam Flagler and Dominika Silvestri
Iowa State - David Carr and Ashley Joens
Kansas - Jalen Wilson and Rylee Anderson
Kansas State - Deuce Vaughn and Emma Robbins