The Big 12 Conference announced each school’s male and female candidates for Big 12 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, and WVU’s nominees represent two of the Mountaineers’ highest profile programs.
Former WVU center turned Pittsburgh Steelers second round pick Zach Frazier represents WVU as a nominee for Male Athlete of the Year while rising senior JJ Quinerly, the star guard for WVU’s women’s basketball team, is the Mountaineer nominee for Female Athlete of the Year.
Frazier’s nomination comes after leading WVU as captain of the 9-4 Duke’s Mayo Bowl Champions. He earned spots on nine All-America teams in 2023 and was a member of the All-Big 12 First Team for the second season in a row. Frazier also was a semifinalist for both the Wuerffel Trophy and Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
Quinerly led the Mountaineers to a 25-8 record under first-year head coach Mark Kellogg. WVU’s season included a run to the NCAA Tournament, which ended with a memorable loss to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Quinerly was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 19.8 points, 2.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 steals as a junior.
Winners for each award will be announced Wednesday, June 26 by the Big 12.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
