Three Huskers Earn Academic All-District Honors

Lincoln -- Three Nebraska female student-athletes earned first-team Verizon Academic All-District VII honors as members of the At-Large University Division Team announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Rachel Spiry (rifle), Jennifer French (gymnastics) and Amanda Sutcliffe (golf) claimed three of the 11 spots on the All-District VII team and will advance to the national ballot to be considered for academic All-America honors as voted on by members of CoSIDA.

Spiry was one of only two student-athletes on the all-district team to carry a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, joining Wyoming junior golfer Alison McGuire. A mathematics major from Lincoln, Spiry claimed second-team academic All-America honors last season.

French, a junior exercise science major from Greensboro, N.C., carries a 3.96 GPA in the classroom. She has also helped the Huskers to three straight NCAA Super Six appearances as a team, competing on balance beam and floor at nationals this season and was a second-team All-American in 2001.

Sutcliffe, a senior marketing major from Gunnedah, Australia, owns a 3.747 GPA, and helped the Husker golfers to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Regional tournament this season.

The Verizon Academic All-America At-Large Team represents athletes from crew, gymnastics, skiing, fencing, ice hockey, swimming, water polo, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, golf and rifle.