Bird Earns Nebraska Hero Award

Sophomore Mary Kate Bird captured one of Nebraska's top individual Life Skills awards on Monday, when she was honored at the third annual Hero Leadership Recognition Breakfast at Memorial Stadium.

Bird, a native of Kansas City, Mo., led the community efforts of the Nebraska women's golf team this season. The Life Skills Hero Awards honor Nebraska student-athletes across all teams who demonstrate outstanding leadership and citizenship while becoming role models in the process. NU student-athletes contributed more than 3,300 hours of community service in 2008. 

Bird also led the Huskers on the course and in the classroom in 2008-09. She earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors and posted Nebraska's top stroke average this season. Unfortunately, Bird was injured in the final regular-season competition and was unable to compete at the Big 12 Championships for the Huskers over the weekend.

Bird was one of the 30 Husker student-athletes honored for their individual contributions to Nebraska's outreach efforts on Monday, including track and field and cross country student-athlete Betsy Miller, who earned the Gerard Scholarship of Excellence. The award represents Nebraska’s highest individual honor in its nationally prominent Life Skills program.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Miller, a senior from Lodgepole, Neb., is the second winner of the Gerard Scholarship, which is Nebraska's top individual Life Skills award and includes a scholarship for postgraduate study made possibly by Ivan Gerard of Omaha.

Nebraska's 30 Hero Award Winnners

• Mary Kate Bird ? Women’s Golf
• Anthony Blue ? Football
• Aaron Brandt ? Men’s Track and Field
• CJ Bray ? Swimming and Diving
• Patrick Burke ? Men’s Track and Field
• Christine Costello ? Rifle
• Brad Doering ? Men’s Cross Country
• Amanda Gates ? Volleyball
• Erin Hannon ? Women’s Track and Field
• Roy Helu Jr. ? Football
• Kaleena Henning ? Bowling
• Tyler Hitchler ? Men’s Track and Field
• Alex Hupp ? Softball
• Mariah Hutchinson ? Swimming and Diving
• Nick Krenk ? Men’s Basketball
• Blake Lawrence ? Football
• Liz Marsh ? Women’s Cross Country
• Kellen McClure ? Men’s Track and Field
• Chantae McMillan ? Women’s Track and Field
• Marcus Mendoza ? Football
• Cory Montgomery ? Women’s Basketball
• Carly Peetz ? Soccer
• Josh Rusler ? Men’s Gymnastics
• Rob Sanders ? Wrestling
• Wiveca Swarting ? Women’s Tennis
• Nick Sullivan ? Baseball
• Brett Sundberg ? Men’s Golf
• Francois Van Impe ? Men’s Tennis
• Brittney Williams ? Women’s Gymnastics
• Victoria Zimmerman ? Women’s Track and Field