Selig, Green Add Academic All-America Honors

LINCOLN?A pair of Nebraska women’s track and field athletes were honored for their excellence both academically and athletically Thusday, as senior Ashley Selig and sophomore Jenny Green were named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It is the first such honor for each athlete.

Selig and Green joined senior Aaron Plas and junior Nate Probasco on the academic All-America squad, as both Husker men’s athletes garnered honors from CoSIDA on Tuesday. The four honorees tied Nebraska’s single-season high, also set in 2002 and 2004.

Selig became only the fifth Husker women’s track and field athlete to be named a first-team academic All-American, and the first since Tia DeSoto in 2004. A five time NCAA All-American, Selig has compiled an impressive resume during her four years at Nebraska. She owns three Big 12 Conference championships and claimed the 2005 NCAA indoor pentathlon crown.

In addition to her athletic accomplishments, the Lincoln, Neb., native has been one of NU’s most involved student-athletes in the community. She has volunteered for activities such as the Special Olympics and American Education Week, while also serving as the president for Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during the past academic year. For her efforts in the classroom and on the track, Selig was awarded the Huskers’ Female Student Athlete of the Year Award during the spring. She graduated in May with a 3.63 grade-point average in exercise science.

Green, who was named to the third team, is the first Husker women’s sophomore track athlete to garner academic All-America attention. The Grand Island, Neb., native returned from a redshirt season this season to claim the 2006 Big 12 indoor pole vault championship, her third career conference title.

A two-time NCAA All-American, Green has also been very active off the track. She was voted as a representative on NU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council for this year, while she will serve as Vice President for 2006-07. She also won the Huskers’ 2006 Hero Student-Athlete Leadership Award. A first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 2006, Green carries a 3.83 GPA in advertising.

This year’s four Husker track and field honorees brings Nebraska’s season-ending total of student-athletes recognized by CoSIDA to 11 across all sports, including seven first-team selections. NU, which now boasts respective totals of 233 overall honorees and 117 first-team selections, continues to lead the nation in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans for all sports, while Notre Dame ranks second with 176 honorees.