Sanders Earns Nebraska Hero Award

Lincoln - Senior Robert Sanders captured one of Nebraska's top individual Life Skills awards on Monday, when he was honored at the third annual Hero Leadership Recognition Breakfast at Memorial Stadium.

Sanders, a 149 pounder from Blanding, Utah, finished his athletic career this March as a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Nebraska wrestling team. In the classroom, he was named to the Academic All-Big 12 team twice and to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll five times.

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. 

Sanders 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.

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
• Robert 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