🏊♀️ Kate Steward Named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
IRVING, Texas – University of Kansas senior Kate Steward has been named the 2022 Big 12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Big 12 Conference announced on Tuesday.
Steward becomes the fifth Jayhawk to win the prestigious honor, including the third-straight. Steward joins David McCormack, who was named the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year as this year’s recipients from KU, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
Steward, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, holds a 4.0 GPA in Elementary Education and is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award recipient and a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District first team member.
“We are so happy with Kate continuing the tradition of Jayhawks earning Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “She has worked diligently during her career in both the classroom and pool to reach all of her goals. Kate’s journey has inspired us in that hard work does pay off.”
This season, Steward was also honored as the Dr. Marlene Mawson Exemplary Women Student-Athlete recipient, awarded to one Kansas student-athlete who plays an integral role on her respective team and demonstrates strong character and leadership qualities, while also being a strong competitor in the classroom and in the field of play.
In the pool, Steward led an outstanding Kansas career that consisted of three individual Big 12 Championships and five school records. In 2022, Steward qualified for her first NCAA Championships, where she finished off her career in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke.
Steward becomes the fifth Jayhawk to be named the Big 12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, including the third straight. Steward follows Manon Manning (2021), Haley Downey (2020), Deanna Marks (2014) and Rebecca Swank (2013) to earn the prestigious award.
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was created back in 2012-13 with a recipient being named from each conference-sponsored sport. In order to be considered for the award, the Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominees must be a junior or senior (athletic and academic standing), have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 20% of the team’s scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
