Huskers Earn Five Academic Awards

Lincoln - A league-leading five Huskers earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors when the conference announced its classroom accolades for women's golf in conjunction with the opening of the Big 12 Championships in Lincoln on Monday.

Jackie Beste (Sauk Centre, Minn.), Elli Brown (Meridian, Idaho), Chelsea Gehring (Aberdeen, S.D.), Chrissie McArdle (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Sara Sackett (Cambridge, Neb.) all claimed spots on the first-team academic All-Big 12 squad for the Huskers. 

Sackett and Beste, both seniors, each captured their third consecutive spots on the first-team academic All-Big 12 team, while McArdle and Brown both earned their first appearance on the first-team. Gehring claimed her second first-team All-Big 12 award.

The Huskers were the only team in the conference to place five student-athletes on the first-team academic All-Big 12 squad, continuing their rich tradition of academic excellence in women's golf. Overall, the league honored 42 women's golfers with first- or second-team academic All-Big 12 awards.

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the academic all-league women's golf squad consisted of 36 first team members combined with six on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.