The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Alex Watson named Big 12 Female Sportsperson of the Year
06.17.2021 | Rowing
Watson is the seventh Longhorn to be named Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year.
IRVING, Texas – University of Texas Rowing's redshirt senior Alex Watson has been named the 2020-21 Big 12 Conference Female Sportsperson of the Year, the league office announced on Thursday.
The Sportsperson of the Year Awards began in 2000-01 to annually recognize the inspirational stories of student-athletes who display outstanding achievement in areas that include sportsmanship, overcoming extraordinary challenges and community service during the academic year. The winners are selected by a media panel.
Watson is the seventh individual from Texas to earn the prestigious distinction and it is the second consecutive year in which a Longhorn has been honored following Andrew Jones' (Men's Basketball) selection in 2019-20. Other UT selections include Imani McGee-Stafford (Women's Basketball, 2014-15), Nate Boyer (Football, 2012-13), Kylie Doniak (Soccer, 2011-12), Sam Acho (Football, 2010-11) and Ahmard Hall (Football, 2004-05).
"I am immensely proud and happy for Alex, and she is a most deserving recipient of this award after everything she has been through and achieved during her career at Texas," said Texas head coach Dave O'Neill. "Individual contributions are often difficult to recognize in our sport, but our team could not have accomplished what we did without her hard work, technical skill and outstanding leadership. It was an honor and privilege to be her coach."
In August 2017, the Leicester, Great Britain native was diagnosed with Lemierre syndrome, a bacterial infection in the throat that led to sepsis. Her infection was resistant to antibiotics and the doctors struggled to formulate a treatment that would help. Nodules began forming on her throat and at one point she stopped breathing. Doctors were unable to operate on her throat as her heart rate spiked, and they opted to place her in an induced coma for three days. When she was revived, she was in the ICU for a week and in the hospital for another six days. As she recovered, Watson was unable to eat, drink, walk or talk, and she lost 25-30 pounds.
Once released from the hospital, Watson eased her way back on to the water and was back to doing full workouts in February 2018. She did not miss a race during the 2018 season, earning a spot in the Varsity Eight and helping the Longhorns to a third-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships.
Watson has since become the emotional leader of the Texas Rowing team, displaying the resilience, grit and determination the team keys off of during practices and competitions. Following her illness, teammates and staff became inspired by the physical and mental strength Watson displayed from being in a hospital and near death at the beginning of the school year to rowing in the top boat at the NCAA Championships the following spring.
Common phrases included "This one's for Watson" and "Do it for Wats." Whatever struggles they may have been going through were viewed as nothing compared to what Watson had returned from. They rallied behind the fact that their teammate went through something so much harder and still came back with a humble, workhorse mentality. Her teammates note that she was a constant positive presence in the boat and everything they did that season was in her honor.
Watson earned All-Big 12 honors in 2019 and helped guide the Longhorns to a runner-up result at the 2019 NCAA Championships, the best finish in program history. She was a finalist for the 2020 Honda Inspiration Award, presented to the most inspiring women's student-athlete in all levels of college athletics by Honda and the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards.
In 2021, Watson was named the Big 12 Rower of the Year and helped guide Texas to the first NCAA National Championship in program history as a member of the First Varsity Eight that won the Grand Final and secured the title for the Longhorns. A 2021 All-Big 12 honoree, Watson was an integral member of the Longhorns' sixth consecutive conference championship team. Rowing at six-seat for most of the season, Watson and the Varsity Eight went undefeated during the season in eight races.
Off the water, the nutrition major was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, graduating in 2021 and earning first-team accolades with a 4.0 GPA.
BIG 12 SPORTSPERSONS OF THE YEAR – TEXAS
2020-21 - Alex Watson, Rowing
2019-20 - Andrew Jones, Men's Basketball
2014-15 - Imani McGee-Stafford, Women's Basketball
2012-13 - Nate Boyer, Football
2011-12 - Kylie Doniak, Soccer
2010-11 - Sam Acho, Football
2004-05 - Ahmard Hall, Football
