Nebraska Expands Academic Tradition with Nation-Leading 277 All-Americans

Lincoln - Husker student-athletes produced another stellar year at the University of Nebraska, continuing NU's tradition of academic success. Nebraska increased its nation-leading total of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports to 277 with a Big 12-leading eight honorees in 2009-10, while also setting conference records with 178 academic All-Big 12 selections and 687 selections to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll during the year.

Nebraska's Academic All-America success continues to set the standard for the approximately 1,400 NCAA member institutions. The Husker football team leads all individual sport programs in the nation with 98 all-time Academic All-America awards, while the NU volleyball progam has captured more CoSIDA Academic All-America awards (36) than any other women's team across all sports in the nation. The Husker softball program trails only the volleyball team in its number of CoSIDA Academic All-America awards (27) across all female sports.

Griffin, Brester Capture Prestigious Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarships

Cooper Becomes Nebraska's 60th Two-Time CoSIDA Academic All-American

Nebraska Leads Conference with Record 178 Academic All-Big 12 Selections

Huskers Honor 278 at Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet

Innovative Life Skills Program Continues to Set Standard in Community

2009-10 Academic Highlights

* 277 All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports [leads nation]

• 98 Football Academic All-Americans (leads all sports, all time)
• 36 Volleyball Academic All-Americans (leads all women's sports, all time)
• 27 Softball Academic All-Americans (No. 2 among all women's sports, all time)

* 8 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (3 first-team, 2 second-team, 3 third-team)

• First-Team: Kori Cooper (Volleyball), D.J. Belfonte (Baseball), Nicholas Gordon (Track & Field)
• Second-Team: Shay Powell (Soccer), Robin Mackin (Softball)
• Third-Team: Kaitlin Arntz (Swimming & Diving), Bjorn Barrefors (Track & Field), Natalie Willer (Track & Field)

* Dr. Prentice Gautt Big 12 Conference Postgraduate Scholarship Winners ($7,500 each)

• Kelsey Griffin (Women's Basketball), Craig Brester (Wrestling)

* 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Winner - Kelsey Griffin (Women's Basketball)

* Big 12-Leading 178 Academic All-Big 12 Selections Across All Sports (3.0 GPA or above)

* Big 12-Leading 152 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Picks Across All Sports (3.2 GPA or above)

* Big 12-Leading 687 Student-Athletes Honored on Big 12 Commissioner's Fall and Spring Honor Rolls (3.0 GPA or above) 61 more honorees than 2008-09; 208 more honorees than 2005-06

* 80 Student-Athletes Earned Perfect 4.0 GPAs in either the Fall or Spring Semester (led Big 12)

* 121 Student-Athletes Earned Degrees from August 2009 through May 2010

• (August 2009--14; December 2009--37; May 2010--70)

* 94 percent - Nebraska's Exhausted Eligibility Graduation Rate (1993-2002) (Leads Big 12)

* Male Student-Athlete of the Year - Craig Brester, Wrestling (Mechanized Systems Management)

* Female Student-Athlete of the Year - Kelsey Griffin, Women's Basketball (Biological Sciences)

* Men's Herman Award Winner - Men's Cross Country Team (3.34 Cumulative GPA in 2009)

* Women's Herman Award Winner - Women's Cross Country Team (3.709 Cumulative GPA in 2009)

* Life Skills Team Award Winners - Men's Gymnastics; Women's Swimming and Diving