IRVING, Texas - Baylor student-athlete Jonathan Tijerina has been named the 2014 Big 12 Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as selected by the league's coaches.

Tijerina, a biology major from Marshall, Texas, maintains a 4.0 GPA and competed in seven meets for the Bears in 2014. He was a scoring runner in six of those seven outings, including a season-high ninth-place finish at the UTA Season Opener. He was BU's second runner to finish at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships.

The senior has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team each of the last three seasons and is a regular on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection.

Tijerina joins Blake Niccum (2012) as scholar athletes for the men's cross country team.

Nominees must be a junior or senior in athletic and academic standings, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2, participation in at least 60 percent of the team's scheduled contests, and a minimum of one year in residence at the institution in order to qualify.

To stay current on all things Baylor cross country, follow the team on Twitter: @BaylorTrack.