Two Husker Seniors Earn Academic All-America Honors

Nebraska soccer seniors Meghan Anderson and Shannon Tanaka earned second-team Verizon Academic All-America honors, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Thursday.

Anderson, a criminal justice major, was a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 1999, 2000 and 2001. She owns a 3.525 grade-point average. On the field, Anderson became Nebraska's all-time leading scorer in 2001 with 146 career points en route to earning All-America honors.

Tanaka, an advertising major, was a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 1999, 2000 and 2001. She owns a 3.945 GPA. Tanaka, who started each of Nebraska's last 72 games, finished the season with eight points on three goals and two assists.

The Verizon Academic All-America teams are selected by a vote of the 1,800-member CoSIDA. To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who are named to district teams prior to being voted upon the national level. This marked the first season that a women's soccer-only academic All-America team was released.

Four Huskers were selected to the Verizon Academic All-District VII Women's Soccer Team, which was released in January. Anderson and Tanaka earned the honor, along with junior defender Breanna Boyd and senior defender Becky Preston.

The Huskers, who started spring practice on Friday, Feb. 1, will play their first game of the spring against the Region III team on Feb. 22 in Austin, Texas. Nebraska, which finished its 2001 season at 17-5-1 with a loss at Portland in the NCAA Tournament's round of 16, will be without the services of departed seniors Anderson, Danica Carey, Preston, Kelly Rheem, Tanaka and Najah Williams.