Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State Honors Top Student-Athletes of Spring Semester
06.29.2022 | Athletics, Academic Services
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State athletics department and Office of Student-Athlete Development honored four student-athletes as the spring 2022 student-athletes of the semester. Those honored were Liyana Durisic (women's golf), Isaac Judge (wrestling), Conor Knopick (wrestling) and Sydney Willits (women's track and field).
Liyana Durisic – Women's Golf
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Major: Kinesiology
Durisic is Iowa State's career leader in stroke average (73.04). The sophomore won her first career tournament with a 3-under par (210) effort at the Wolverine Invitational, becoming the first Cyclone medalist since Celia Barquin Arozamena won the 2018 Big 12 Championship. This season, Durisic was second on the team with a 73.03 stroke average while firing four rounds in the 60s.
Isaac Judge – Wrestling
Hometown: Tama, Iowa
Major: Management
Redshirt junior Isaac Judge was a mainstay in the Cyclone lineup last season, recording five falls and a 15-14 record overall. Judge is a two-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree and he finished sixth at the 2022 Big 12 Championships while wrestling at 165 pounds.
Conor Knopick – Wrestling
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Major: Apparel, Merchandising & Design
Knopick redshirted his initial season with the Cyclones after a highly decorated prep career at Omaha's Millard South High School. Knopick was ranked the No. 29 overall prospect in the class of 2021, including No. 5 nationally at 138 pounds.
Sydney Willits – Women's Track and Field
Hometown: Glenview, Illinois
Major: Kinesiology
Willits concluded her freshman year by qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships West Preliminaries in the women's long jump. She ranks sixth in school history for the event with a best jump of 20-0 1/2. Willits finished eighth in the heptathlon at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships with her score of 5,038 points fifth-best in ISU history.
The Iowa State Athletics Office of Student-Athlete Development had the opportunity to nominate student-athletes that exemplified strong academics throughout the semester. The staff voted on the spring 2022 student-athletes of the semester.
