8:32 am | July 26, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
Irving, Texas – Oklahoma standouts Maggie Nichols (gymnastics) and Baker Mayfield (football) were selected as 2017-18 Big 12 Athletes of the Year. Mayfield is the fifth OU male athlete to win the award and Nichols is the fifth Sooner female to earn the honor. This marks the seventh time an institution has swept the awards and the second for Oklahoma (2015-16, 2017-18).
Nominees are submitted by Big 12 institutions and selected, based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship, by a media panel as well as fan voting conducted through Big12Sports.com.
Nichols achieved numerous accolades for the Sooners in 2017-18. Most notably, the sophomore was the NCAA All-Around Champion and Co-Individual National Champion on bars and the floor. She became the first gymnast in NCAA history to record a “Gym Slam”, which is a perfect 10 on every event, in back-to-back years. Additionally, Nichols tied the NCAA Championships record in the all-around with a 39.8125 score. She earned five All-America accolades in 2018 (First Team: bars, beam, floor, all-around; Second Team: vault).
The Little Canada, Minnesota, native guided the Sooners to 10 consecutive weeks of being ranked No. 1 nationally and a 13-1 regular-season record. OU won its seventh-straight Big 12 title and ninth-consecutive NCAA regional before finishing NCAA Runner-Up. For a second consecutive year, Nichols was a finalist for the Honda Sport Award.
Nichols, along with fellow survivors, was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2018 ESPYS. She went public in early January as “Athlete A” – the first gymnast to come forward about the sexual abuse inflicted by Larry Nassar. The abuse began when she was 15 years old, when she was a rising star on the United States national team, aiming for a spot at the Olympics.
Just days before the 2018 season began, Nichols decided to let the world know that she too was a victim, releasing her statement to the public. Her incredible courage and bravery has led Nichols to become an inspiration to her peers and thousands of little girls who have looked up to her since her days as a national team member.
Mayfield earned Male Athlete of the Year after capping a memorable career at OU. The senior accomplished many individual feats including ranking second all-time in FBS history with a 175.4 passing efficiency rating. He also ranked in the top-10 in FBS history in yards per attempt (9.7), tied for fourth in TD passes (131), fifth in total offense (15,690 yards) and seventh in passing yards (14,607).
The senior signal caller set the FBS record for consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes thrown in his final 27 contests. He owns Big 12 career records in yards per pass attempt, consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass (40) and touchdowns responsible for (153). Overall, Mayfield completed his Oklahoma career with a 33-6 record as a starter for the Sooners.
The Austin, Texas, native became the sixth Big 12 player and sixth Sooner to take home the Heisman Trophy. The unanimous first-team All-American won nine national awards and was tabbed the 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year. In his senior campaign, Mayfield guided Oklahoma to its 11th Big 12 Championship title and helped OU clinch a berth to the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the second time in three seasons
In April, Mayfield was the top pick of the 2018 NFL Draft after being selected by the Cleveland Browns. He became the 81st first-round selection since the Big 12’s inception and is the second Sooner QB taken as the top choice, joining Sam Bradford in 2010.
Other female candidates for Big 12 Athlete of the Year included Aline De Lima (Baylor), Celia Barquin Arozamena (Iowa State), Sharon Lokedi (Kansas), Nina Schultz (Kansas State), Vanessa Shippy (Oklahoma State), Anna Walsh (TCU), Bianca Turati (Texas), Gabriela Talaba (Texas Tech) and Amy Cashin (West Virginia).
Male nominees were Cody Bradford (Baylor), Joel Lanning (Iowa State), Hussain Al Hizam (Kansas), Dean Wade (Kansas State), Viktor Hovland (Oklahoma State), Alex Rybakov (TCU), Kody Clemens (Texas), Keenan Evans (Texas Tech) and Jevon Carter (West Virginia).
Big 12 Athletes of the Year
2017-18 Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
2016-17 Kadeisha Buchanan, West Virginia Frank Mason III, Kansas & Will Licon, Texas
2015-16 Paige Parker, Oklahoma Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
2014-15 Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
2013-14 Odyssey Sims, Baylor Bryce Petty, Baylor
2012-13 Keilani Ricketts, Oklahoma Collin Klein, Kansas State
2011-12 Brittney Griner, Baylor Robert Griffin III, Baylor
2010-11 Jessica Beard, Texas A&M Taylor Jungmann, Texas
2009-10 Lisa Koll, Iowa State Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2008-09 Destinee Hooker, Texas Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2007-08 Sarah Pavan, Nebraska Chase Daniel, Missouri
2006-07 Sarah Pavan, Nebraska Ben Askren, Missouri
2005-06 Cat Osterman, Texas Vince Young, Texas
2004-05 Cat Osterman, Texas Derrick Johnson, Texas
2003-04 Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State Jason White, Oklahoma
2002-03 Cat Osterman, Texas Nick Collison, Kansas
2001-02 Stacey Dales, Oklahoma Cael Sanderson, Iowa State
2000-01 Greichaly Cepero, Nebraska Josh Heupel, Oklahoma
1999-00 Erin Aldrich, Texas Charles Howell, Oklahoma State
1998-99 Suziann Reid, Texas Ricky Williams, Texas
1997-98 Vera Ilyina, Texas Grant Wistrom, Nebraska
1996-97 Nanceen Perry, Texas Jacque Vaughn, Kansas
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