The 2025-26 Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominees will be featured in alphabetical order by school starting Monday, July 13, through Wednesday, July 22, 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 2025-26 school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and must have participated in a league-sponsored sport.
The 16 full-member institutions that competed during the 2025-26 academic year are eligible.
The winners will be announced Thursday, July 23. Stay tuned to Big12Sports.com and the league’s social media platforms to see the remaining candidates.
This afternoon’s featured candidates are Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown and Jonny Kulow.
Arizona State Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Kenzie Brown, Softball
Sr., Lake City, Ill.
Accomplishments
- Second Team All-American across multiple organizations, including the NFCA, Softball America and D1Softball.
- All-Big 12 First Team selection and 2026 Big 12 Softball Tournament Most Valuable Player.
- Earned three Big 12 Pitcher of the Week selections throughout the 2026 season.
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree who graduated cum laude (3.66 GPA, Interdisciplinary Studies, BA) and is earning her MS in Organizational Leadership.
Arizona State Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
Jonny Kulow, Men’s Swimming
Sr., Lander, Wyo.
Accomplishments
- Three-time NCAA champion during the 2026 season (200 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay).
- 2026 Bob Bowlsby Award winner and eight-time Big 12 champion throughout his career.
- Named to the U.S. National Team for 2025-26.
- Graduated summa cum laude (4.00 GPA) with a B.S. in medical microbiology while earning the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award.
The full list of nominees for each school can be found below.
2025-26 Big 12 Athletes of the Year Nominees
Arizona - Sydney Stewart and Jay Friend
Arizona State - Kenzie Brown and Jonny Kulow