General

Texas’ 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 afternoon’s featured candidates are Texas’ Eliot Spizzirri and Julien Alfred.

Texas Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
Eliot Spizzirri, Tennis
Jr., Greenwich, Conn. 
Accomplishments
  • The 2023 ITA Men’s National Player of the Year.
  • Selected as the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year.
  • Led Texas to its second NCAA semifinals appearance in the last three seasons and its third top-four ranking in the last four years.
  • An ITA All-American in both singles and doubles, finished 2023 ranked No. 1 in singles and No. 2 in doubles by the ITA.
  • One of six Division I men’s tennis players to be named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-America First Team.
Texas Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Julien Alfred, Track and Field
Gr., Castries, St. Lucia
Accomplishments
  • Finished the 2023 season as a five-time NCAA Champion and led UT to its fifth NCAA women’s outdoor track and field title (first since 2005).
  • In 2022-23 she secured five collegiate records (60m & 200m indoor; 4x100m, 4x200m & sprint medley relays outdoor) and two other all-conditions records (100m & 200m outdoor) for a total of seven events with the fastest times in NCAA history.
  • Is a The Bowerman Finalist, was named the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and was recognized as the Big 12 Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete and Performer of the Year.
  • Named the 2023 USTFCCCA’s Division I Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
  • Is an ambassador for the St. Lucia National Bank, serving youth in the area to help expose interest in sports and helped distribute Christmas gifts to the region.

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
Oklahoma - Vernon Turner and Jayda Coleman
Oklahoma State - Fouad Messaoudi and Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
TCU - Max Duggan and Messiah Bright