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Cross Country

BYU’s 2025-26 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Nominees

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 BYU’s Jane Hedengren and AJ Dybantsa.

BYU Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Jane Hedengren, Cross Country and Track & Field
Fr., Provo, Utah
Accomplishments
  • Won NCAA indoor national championships in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters.  
  • Named the 2026 USTFCCCA Indoor National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and the Women’s Mountain Region Track Athlete of the Year.
  • Earned First Team All-America honors in cross country with a runner-up finish at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country National Championship and was named the 2025 Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year.  
  • Holds the NCAA all-time marks in the indoor 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and outdoor 5,000 meters and was named to the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team with a 3.77 GPA.
BYU Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
AJ Dybantsa, Men’s Basketball
Fr., Brockton, Mass.
Accomplishments
  • Consensus First Team All-American, earning recognition from AP, CBS Sports, Sporting News, USBWA, NABC and the Wooden Award.
  • Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection.
  • Led NCAA Division I in scoring at 25.5 points per game while totaling 894 points, the third-most by a freshman in NCAA Division I history.
  • Drafted by the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and earned a spot on the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team.

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
Baylor - Tyler Isgrig and Devin Badenhorst
BYU - Jane Hedengren and AJ Dybantsa