Four Huskers Earn Academic All-District VII Honors

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln- Four Nebraska student-athletes claimed spots on the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII At-Large Team announced on Thursday, May 26.  The quartet of Huskers were among 20 all-district honorees who will advance to the national ballot for academic All-America honors as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Nebraska Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Year Richelle Simpson headlines the group of talented seniors, while fellow women’s gymnastics All-American Jamie Saas and All-Big 12 women’s tennis player Gitte Ostermann give the Huskers three strong academic All-America candidates on the women’s team.  Wrestler Matt Murray adds a fourth solid candidate for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors on the men’s side.

 

Simpson, the 2003 NCAA All-Around and floor exercise champion and a nine-time All-American, has stockpiled honors both in the gym and in the classroom this season.  The native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada earned the Huskers’ first-ever AAI American Award and claimed a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following her senior season.  She is also an NCAA Woman-of-the-Year nominee. She captured her second Big 12 Conference all-around title and was named the 2005 South Central Region Co-Gymnast of the Year.  Simpson earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Nebraska in May, carrying a 3.882 grade-point average.

 

Saas, a native of Aurora, Ill., earned second-team All-America honors on balance beam for the Huskers as a junior in 2004 and helped the Huskers reclaim the Big 12 Conference title in 2005.  A two-time All-Big 12 selection and a three-time academic all-conference pick, Saas also joined Simpson as the only seniors on the 2005 squad that powered Nebraska to the eighth NCAA Super Six Finals appearance in school history.  Saas graduated with her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science (special education/deaf education) in December 2004 with a 3.772 GPA, and competed during her senior season with her degree in hand.

 

Ostermann concluded perhaps the finest career in Nebraska women’s tennis history by propelling the Huskers to the best season in school history in 2005.  The senior from Luneberg, Germany led Nebraska to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and also earned her second straight bid to the NCAA Singles Tournament.  The 2005 Central Region Senior Player of the Year and an All-Big 12 selection in both singles and doubles, Ostermann finished her career tied for fourth on NU’s career win list with 121 combined singles and doubles victories.  She completed the spring with a 17-4 singles mark, after earning her bachelor’s degree in advertising in December with a 3.80 undergraduate GPA and owns a 3.67 GPA as a graduate student.

 

Simpson, Saas and Ostermann were among 40 total student-athletes from 17 schools nominated for the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII Women’s At-Large squad.  The 10 student-athletes, which included one graduate student, five seniors and four juniors, compiled an average GPA of 3.84.

 

Murray was one of 10 student-athletes overall to advance to the national ballot on the men’s side.  The native of Colby, Kan., finished second nationally at 141 pounds in 2004.  He has also been a standout in the classroom for the Huskers, owning a 3.796 grade-point average as a mathematics major.

 

Thirty-three male student-athletes were nominated for the men’s academic all-district team in the sports of fencing, golf, ice hockey, rifle, swimming, tennis, water polo and wrestling.  Five seniors and five juniors earned spots on the all-district squad with a combined cumulative GPA of 3.76.