The Big 12 Conference announces its Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients for the 2014 winter sport season, and West Virginia University senior Jess Harlee earns the honor for women’s basketball.

 

Harlee was selected as the award winner based on a vote of each respective sport’s head coaching group, with coaches not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.

 

A Bel Air, Md., native, Harlee maintains a 3.93 GPA in industrial engineering and is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team member. She was a 2013 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award recipient and was, most recently, chosen as WVU’s Student Organization Services’ Kenneth D. Gray Student Leadership Award honoree.

 

A team co-captain, Harlee was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the last two seasons and was also a nominee for the WBCA/All State Good Works Team.

 

Harlee has been named to WVU’s Dean’s List in each semester enrolled. She was twice named the Industrial Engineering Student of the Year and has secured a position with an engineering firm following graduation at WVU.

 

Harlee joins Frances Silva of women’s soccer and Sarah Martinelli of cross country, as the third student-athlete at WVU to earn the award in their respective sport this season.

 

In order to be eligible for the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior in athletic and academic standing, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher, have participated in at least 60 percent of the team’s scheduled contests and have had a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.

 

Editor's Note: Photo by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.