The Larson family of Newton, Iowa, has been named the 2011 Cyclone Family of the Year.

“I’m very humbled by the award,” David Larson said.

David attended Iowa State as an undergraduate student and earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1977.

“I’m grateful for what Iowa State has done for me,” he said.

David and his wife, Diane, have three daughters, all of whom have attended Iowa State.

“My daughters were brought up that Iowa State was the place to go,” David said. “They understand where my wife’s and my loyalties are.”

David and Diane’s daughters are, from oldest to youngest, Carrie, Stephanie and Angie. At Iowa State, Carrie earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. Stephanie and Angie are both current ISU students. Stephanie is a fourth year student in veterinary medicine, and Angie is a first year graduate student in food science.

“We grew up around Iowa State. Our parents were such avid fans,” Angie said. “I always wanted to go to Iowa State.”

Angie said she and Stephanie had applied for the Cyclone Family of the Year award in the past and had not been chosen to receive it. She said they decided to apply for the award because of their family’s loyalty to the Cyclones.

“We felt that we were such huge Cyclones fans and it was such a huge part of our lives,” Angie said. “We felt that we always have been around Iowa State and we were deserving of the award.”

Angie said that, in order to apply for the award, each family must write an essay and go to an interview. This year, Angie and Stephanie decided to go to the interview together.

“My sister and I were comfortable since we had such common ground with the interviewers,” Angie said. “We just of kind of had some random conversations about Iowa State, like from the ’90s.”

In late April, the week before her graduation, Angie said she was notified that her family would be the 2011 Cyclone Family of the Year.

“I was surprised and excited and honored to be picked out of all the families,” Angie said.

Angie explained that she only told her sisters, not her parents, about receiving the award.

David said he didn’t know that his daughters applied for the award until his family received it. He said his daughters presented the award to him and his wife when their family was at Aunt Maude’s Restaurant celebrating Angie’s graduation.

“We were giving Angie all her graduation presents, and they handed one to Diane and myself,” David said.

The present was an ISU picture frame with a certificate announcing the Larson family as the 2011 Cyclone Family of the Year, David said.

“It took about 30 seconds to sink in for what it meant,” David said. “I knew it was a big deal. I was like, ‘Is this for real?'”

During family weekend, the Larson family intends to travel to Ames and spend time with extended family, Angie said. She said her family will also be announced as the Cyclone Family of the Year at halftime of the Iowa State-Texas football game.

In addition to attending family weekend events, David also has a fraternity reunion, he said.

“A bunch of old friends are flying in,” David said. “It’s going to be fun, a lot of fun.”

For families interested in becoming the next Cyclone Family of the Year, Angie has some words of advice.

“Go ahead and go for it, and just try to have fun,” she said. “It’s definitely a lot of fun.”