(big12sports.com) Each institution nominated one male and one female athlete of any classification that competed for their institution during the 2023-24 school year. Student-athletes were required to be in good academic standing and had to be from a league-sponsored sport.

The 14 schools that competed during the 2023-24 academic year are eligible.

The winners will be announced Wednesday, June 26. 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 Iowa State’s David Carr and Sydney Willits.

Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year Candidate
David Carr, Wrestling
Sr., Canton, Ohio
Accomplishments

• 2024 NCAA Championship at 165 pounds (his second career national title).
• He scored 22.5 team points at the NCAA Championships, leading ISU to its best finish (fourth) and highest-point total (68.5) since 2010.
• Compiled a 27-2 record, including 14-0 in duals and a 10-2 mark against top-10 opponents.
• Graduated in May with his master’s in higher education with a 3.81 GPA and was named a 2024 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American along with making the Fall 2023 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year Candidate
Sydney Willits, Track and Field
Jr., Glenview, Illinois
Accomplishments

• The long jump NCAA Indoor National Champion after improving her record by a full foot and the school record by six inches (22-1 ½, 6.74m).
• She was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year.
• Earned Honorable Mention All-America honors after finishing 18^th in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor National Championship.
• Holds a leadership position in the SAAC Event Subcommittee at Iowa State while working towards her degree in kinesiology and health.

2023-24 Big 12 Athletes of the Year Nominees
Baylor – Johnny Keefer and Alexis Brown
BYU – Kenneth Rooks and Brecken Mozingo
UCF – RJ Harvey and Rayniah Jones
Cincinnati – Ty Gingerich and Juliette Laracuente-Huebner
Houston – Jamal Shead and Kelly-Ann Beckford
Iowa State – David Carr and Sydney Willits