Koll and Suh Named 2009-10 Big 12 Athletes of the Year

by Big12Sports.com

Lisa Koll (Iowa State cross country; track and field) and Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska football) have been named 2009-10 Big 12 Conference Athletes of the Year, the league office announced.

Nominees are submitted by each Big 12 institution and selected, based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship, by a media panel as well as fan voting conducted on Big12Sports.com.

Koll won the Honda Award as nation's top track and field athlete and is one of three finalists nationally for the Broderick Award honoring the premier female student-athlete. The senior distance runner is a four-time NCAA champion with three of those titles coming in 2009-10 (indoor 5,000-meters, outdoor 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters). She also earned All-America honors in cross country with a 12th-place national finish. On March 26, 2010, Koll set the all-time collegiate record in the 10,000 meters (31:18.07), ranking her as the sixth-fastest performer in U.S. History. She was the Most Outstanding Performer at the Big 12 indoor and outdoor championships after winning the 5,000- and 3,000-meter runs during indoors and capturing the 5,000 and 10,000-meter titles at the outdoor meet. Koll's 10,000 meter win marked the first time in Conference history that an athlete had won the same event four times. She placed second at the 2010 USA Track and Field Championships in the same event. Koll is the Big 12 Championship record-holder in the 5,000 meters (indoors and outdoors) and the 3,000 meters indoors. During her collegiate career, Koll earned All-America honors 11 times and won nine Big 12 titles.

The Fort Dodge, Iowa-native graduated summa cum laude in three years with a bachelor's degree in biology. Koll is in her second year of veterinary medicine school at ISU. She is a four-time Academic All-American and seven-time first team Academic All-Big 12 honoree. Her other academic recognition includes Phi Beta Kappa (2007-08), NCAA CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year (2009) and USTFCCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2008 and 2010). She earned the top two percent award in the ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2006, 2007, 2008) and was a member of Chi Alpha Sigma.

Koll was also active in the community as she visited elementary schools to interact with students, was a volunteer in the Iowa State Wildlife Clinic and worked with the Feral Cat Alliance. She participated in the Des Moines Relay for Life and delivered Thanksgiving food baskets to underprivileged families.

Suh became the first defender named the Associated Press National Player of the Year. He was also selected Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team. In addition, the defensive lineman collected the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award. He is the first player to sweep the Nagurski and Bednarik awards since 2000; and only the second to sweep the Outland and Lombardi awards since 1996. Suh was a finalists for the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp National Player of the Year and the Lott Trophy. The unanimous first team All-America selection also captured CBSSports.com's National Defensive Player of the Year. Suh ranks second in NU school history in tackles for loss (57), including 24 in 2009. He is fourth in the school record book in sacks (24), with 12 coming last season. Suh also holds Cornhusker defensive lineman career records for pass breakups (15) and blocked kicks (6). He is the only Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles in consecutive years. Additionally, he tied the school record with seven tackles for loss in the 2009 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship, including 4.5 sacks. Suh was the No. 2 pick overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, selected by the Detroit Lions. 

A native of Portland, Ore., Suh graduated in December 2009 with a degree in construction management from the UNL College of Engineering. He was a 2009 Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Academic Honor Roll Selection. Suh was a regular contributor to team hospital and elementary school visits and numerous outreach events associated with the Nagurski, Lombardi and Outland events. He recently donated $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska, including a $2 million gift to Athletics and a $600,000 gift to the UNL College of Engineering.

Other female candidates for Big 12 Athlete of the Year included Lenka Broosova (Baylor women's tennis), Emma Coburn (Colorado cross country; track and field), Lauren Bonds (Kansas cross country; track and field), Beverly Ramos (Kansas State cross country; track and field), Sarah Shire (Missouri gymnastics), Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska women's basketball), Amy Backel (Oklahoma track and field), Caroline Hedwall (Oklahoma State women's golf), Destinee Hooker (Texas volleyball), Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M track and field), Gladys Kipsang (Texas Tech cross country; track and field). 

Male nominees were Joe Pawelek (Baylor football), Jake Varner (Iowa State wrestling), Jordan Scott (Kansas track and field), Nick Martini (Kansas State baseball), Aaron Senne (Missouri baseball), Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma football), Russell Okung (Oklahoma State football), Colt McCoy (Texas football), Curtis Mitchell (Texas A&M track and field), Omo Osaghae (Texas Tech track and field).

Big 12 Athletes of the Year