Iowa State Cyclones Reveal Big 12 Athlete of the Year Nominees

Which Iowa State Cyclones players were nominated for the Big 12 Athlete of the Year award?

Jan 24, 2015; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Big 12 logo on the court before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones at the United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones had plenty of student-athletes who went above and beyond in the classroom and in their athletic discipline during the 2025-26 school year.

However, there are two who stood out amongst their peers in Ames: Mercyline Kirwa, a freshman on the cross country and track and field team, and Joshua Jefferson, a senior on the men’s basketball squad.

They have been nominated by Iowa State for the 2025-26 Big 12 Athlete of the Year Awards. Every school in the conference has nominated one female and one male for consideration for the award, and the winners will be announced on July 23.

Kirwa, in his first collegiate season on the cross country and track and field teams, accomplished some impressive feats. She was the NCAA outdoor national champion in the 10,000 meters and was the national runner-up in the 5,000 meters.

Mercyline Kirwa, Joshua Jefferson nominated by Iowa State

Iowa State’s Mercyline Kirwa wins the women’s 10,000 meters during the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 11, 2026, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cyclones finished in sixth place in the Women’s NCAA Outdoor Championship, which was the best finish in program history. It was Kirwa who helped buoy that success, recording 18 points on her own.

She also won the Big 12 title in the indoor 5,000 meters and outdoor 10,000 meters, helping her earn three All-American honors for the 2026 season. Kirwa is also active in the community, helping support the Run Your City Ames youth running initiative.

On the male side, Jefferson was an easy choice. He put together one of the most productive all-around seasons in recent men’s college basketball history, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, he was also an All-American while finishing as a finalist for the Karl Malone Award and Lute Olson Award. He recorded multiple triple-doubles during the season, becoming the first player in Big 12 history to do that in league play.

Joshua Jefferson gets the nod as Iowa State’s Big 12 male athlete of the year nominee pic.twitter.com/NAVBq3NoEk

— Nick Ziegler (@NickZiegler20) July 17, 2026

An unfortunate injury cut his senior year short just a few minutes into the Round of 64 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. But that didn’t keep him from living out his dream and hearing his name called at the NBA draft.

With the No. 28 pick, he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves and got to shake hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on stage. That pick was part of an agreed-upon trade, so Jefferson will be playing with the Brooklyn Nets at the next level.

Kirwa and Jefferson will be going up against a lot of worthy recipients for the Big 12 Athlete of the Year Award, but have strong cases themselves.