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 morning’s featured candidates are Iowa State’s Mercyline Kirwa and Joshua Jefferson.
Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Mercyline Kirwa, Cross Country and Track & Field
Fr., Baringo, Kenya
Accomplishments
- Won the NCAA outdoor national championship in the 10,000 meters and finished as the national runner-up in the 5,000 meters.
- Scored 18 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to help Iowa State earn the best women’s team finish at an NCAA Championship in program history with a sixth-place finish.
- Captured Big 12 titles in the indoor 5,000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters while earning three All-America honors during the 2026 track and field season.
- Earned All-Big 12 Cross Country honors and helped support the Run Your City Ames youth running initiative through community service activities.
Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
Joshua Jefferson, Men’s Basketball
Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.
Accomplishments
- All-American and All-Big 12 First Team selection who was a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy and a finalist for the Karl Malone Award and Lute Olson Award.
- Became the first player in Big 12 history to average 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
- Recorded multiple triple-doubles in Conference play and became the first player in Big 12 history with multiple triple-doubles during league competition in the same season.
- Selected in the first round of the NBA Draft with the 28th overall pick and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies after earning three appearances on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
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
UCF - Sierra Humphreys and Themus Fulks
Cincinnati - Juliette Laracuente-Huebner and Quinton Coats
Colorado - Maddie Shoup and Hunter Swanson
Houston - Michelle McLeod and Kingston Flemings
Iowa State - Mercyline Kirwa and Joshua Jefferson