FRISCO, Texas – BYU women’s track and field distance runner Meghan Hunter was named the female winner of the Bob Bowlsby Award from the Big 12 Conference, as announced by Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark at Big 12 Football Media Days.
Named in recognition of former commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the award is bestowed to two student-athletes, one male and one female, who represent the absolute best in the Big 12 for their leadership and excellence, on and off the field of competition.
The honor was established by the Big 12 Board of Directors as the conference’s most prestigious individual accolade. The winners were determined by a vote of the conference’s athletic directors.
Meghan Hunter grew up with a dream: to run collegiately. After committing to run for @BYUTFXC, it looked to be coming to fruition.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 18, 2024
However, her dream hung the balance following a car crash, leaving her with a broken neck. Mental battles also followed the accident, including… pic.twitter.com/zUIl8iApIz
In her senior season at BYU, Hunter won the 800m at the outdoor Big 12 Championships, breaking both program and meet records in the process. Additionally, her time of 1:58.99 ranks her as the No. 3 all-time performer in NCAA outdoor track and field history.
At the 2025 Husky Classic, Hunter and teammates Carmen Alder, Tessa Buswell and Riley Chamberlain had a historic performance as they broke not only the BYU record but the NCAA record in the Distance Medley Relay, crossing in 10:37.58.
Hunter earned her third First Team All-American honor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this year, clocking a 1:59.03 for the fourth sub-two-minute performance of her career to give her third place in the 800m.
In the classroom, Hunter maintained a 3.95 GPA while earning a master's degree in communication disorders. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders in 2023. In June 2025, she was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. Additionally, in 2024, Hunter earned Academic All-Big 12 honors and received the reputable Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award.
Hunter’s path to success was marked by resilience. Shortly after signing her letter of intent with BYU in 2019, she was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in a broken neck, leaving doctors unsure if she would ever run again. Through intense physical and mental rehabilitation, she regained her athletic ability and became a source of inspiration for teammates and coaches alike.
Even with a busy schedule as a student-athlete, Hunter has actively served in her local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She does motivational speaking, sharing her inspirational story. In connection with her field of study, Hunter has volunteered extensively in equine therapy, conducted hearing loss screenings, worked with elderly individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges, administered speech therapy and participated in research on dyslexia, aphasia and alternative communication devices.
Hunter becomes the second consecutive BYU student-athlete to receive this award, following women's soccer's Bella Folino in 2024.