Alexander Named Big 12 Sportsman of the Year

Dallas -- Kansas State women's basketball standout Kim Woodlee and Nebraska football running back Dan Alexander have been name the first female and male Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year the league office announced Thursday.

Woodlee and Alexander were chosen by a panel of conference administrators and media which cover the Big 12 throughout the year. Nominated by the athletic departments, voting for the honor was based on the following criteria: (1) must be a member of an intercollegiate athletics team during the 2000-01 academic year; (2) must be in good academic standing; (3) must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of a sports-competition setting; (4) must have demonstrated consistently good sportsmanship and ethical conduct in his/her daily participation in intercollegiate athletics; and (5) noteworthy act or acts of sportsmanship must have occurred during the 2000-01 academic year.

Alexander has possessed outstanding sportsmanship on and off the field. The senior co-captain from Wentzville, Mo., graduated in Business prior to playing his last college football game. Alexander rushed for 1,154 yards, second in the Big 12 and 21st nationally, and eight touchdowns in 2000, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. He is the only football player named to all-five Nebraska's Brook Berringer Citizenship Teams for dedicated and consistent community service. A Big 12 Community Champion, Alexander was recognized by the Student Involvement Office for his extensive volunteer work with hospital visits, workings with disabled children and families, serving food to the homeless, speaking at banquets, serving as the featured "School is Cool" assembly speaker, and countless church activities.

Woodlee exemplified sportsmanship through her teammates while carrying a grueling course load and participating in community service projects. Prior to 2000-01 season, Woodlee and Wildcat roommate Kristin Rethman took the incoming freshmen, five in all, and would work on the upcoming season's playbook during the evening hours. During her senior campaign, the pre-medicine major from Beersheba Springs, Tenn., broke the Kansas State record (female and male) with 285 career treys which includes 78 her senior season. Off the court Woodlee was even more impressive. She was honored as a Big 12 Community Champion, a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and a two-time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll member. Her community work included volunteering with the Big 12 reading challenge, Make a Difference Day, Special Olympics, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the emergency Bread Basket, and Help Feed Hunger and Feed Hunger.

Woodlee and Alexander will be honored at an awards ceremony in conjunction with the 2001 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship on Dec. 1, at Texas Stadium in Irving.