Softball

Arizona’s 2024-25 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Nominees

The 2024-25 Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominees will be featured in alphabetical order by school starting Monday, July 14, through Wednesday, July 23, at 11 a.m. CT and 2 p.m. CT.

Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete of any classification who competed for their institution during the 2024-25 school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and must have participated in a league-sponsored sport.

The 16 full-membership schools that competed during the 2024-25 academic year are eligible.

The winners will be announced Thursday, July 24. 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 Arizona’s Colton Smith and Devyn Netz.

Arizona Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
Colton Smith, Tennis
Sr., Tenino, Washington
Accomplishments
  • Named the 2025 Big 12 Tennis Player of the Year.
  • Ranked as the No. 5 individual nationally in the ITA rankings while going a perfect 16-0 individually in dual matches where he played the No. 1 spot in the Wildcat lineup.
  • Named Arizona Athletics’ Sapphire Award winner as the most outstanding male athlete for the 2024-25 academic year.
  • Presented with the Arizona Athletic Director’s Leadership Award for outstanding performance and commitment on and off the court.
Arizona Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Devyn Netz, Softball
Sr., Sierra Madre, Calif.
Accomplishments
  • Selected as the 2025 Big 12 Softball Player of the Year while leading Arizona with 22 victories and 118 strikeouts in the circle. As a hitter, she finished second on the Wildcats and third in the league with 19 home runs.
  • Along with earning First Team All-Big 12 and Defensive Team Honors, she was named a First Team NFCA All-West selection and Softball America All-American.
  • Drafted by the Athletes Unlimited Softball League as one of 12 collegiate players selected.  
  • Honored as a 2025 CSC Academic All-District member while also volunteering throughout her career with Special Olympics of Arizona, Team IMPACT and the Little League Softball Jamboree.