Rodriguez, Moore Take Top Honors at “A Night at the Lied”

Lincoln – A legendary Husker completed a rare sweep, as Nebraska Athletics celebrated “A Night at the Lied” Sunday evening. The event highlights the accomplishments of Husker student-athletes over the past year, culminating with the presentation of the Most Outstanding Female and Male Student-Athletes.

For the second time, a Husker student-athlete won both the Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete and Female Athlete of the Year, as Lexi Rodriguez (Volleyball) was tabbed for both awards.

Rodriguez and Micaylon Moore (Men’s Track and Field) took home the most coveted awards at the 35th annual event, as they were selected as the 2025 Most Outstanding Female and Male Student-Athlete. To be considered for the award, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better, performed with distinction in a varsity sport, demonstrated a commitment to service and leadership, and acted in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.

Rodriguez was a four-time AVCA All-American, becoming just the third Husker to earn that distinction. A three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, she totaled a school-record 1,897 digs along with 545 set assists and 73 service aces as a Husker. Rodriguez also was the fifth Husker in school history to be a four-time first-team all-conference honoree. In the classroom, Rodriguez is a three-time Academic All-American, a six-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a five-time member of the NU Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She graduated with a degree in advertising and public relations in 2024 and is working on her master’s degree. She is the seventh Husker volleyball player named Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete and the first since Mikaela Foecke in 2019.

Rodriguez completed one of the most decorated careers in Husker volleyball history in 2024, leading the Huskers to a 33-3 record, a Big Ten title and an NCAA Semifinal appearance. She was named the AAU Sullivan Award winner, presented annually to the most exceptional athlete at the collegiate, Olympic, or other similarly elite level in the United States. A finalist for the AVCA Player of the Year and the Honda Sport Award, Rodriguez started all 36 matches and averaged 3.88 digs per set along with 127 set assists and 16 services aces. She anchored a defense that led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.143). A first-team All-American, she was the first AVCA Central Region Player of the Year, marking the first time a libero was named regional player of the year. She had four matches with 20-or-more digs, including a season-high 22 against Ohio State and Dayton. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Rodriguez helped NU to a 19-1 Big Ten record, dropping just eight sets in 20 matches.

Moore has been the epitome of student-athlete excellence throughout his collegiate career. On the track, he is a three-time All-American in the triple jump, finishing second in the triple jump at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track Championships with a jump of 16.52m (54-2 ½). He was the Big Ten Indoor Champion in the triple jump in 2025 and is a seven-time Big Ten medalist, competing in the triple and long jump events. His performances helped Nebraska win back-to-back Big Ten outdoor titles in 2023 and 2024.  In the classroom, Moore was an Academic All-American in 2024, a four-time member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and a four-time Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, finishing as a national finalist and second runner-up in 2023. He won the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Scholarship earlier this year. He is a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a member of the Innocents Society.  Moore graduated in 2024 with a degree in biological sciences and currently carries a 4.0 GPA in graduate school at NU. His extensive work in the community includes the NoFilter Service Abroad trip to Ecuador, the B1G Lift Trip to Selma, Ala., over 50 two-hour shifts at St. Elizabeth Hospital and serving as a motivational speaker for schools 20 times as a Huskers. He was Nebraska’s male nominee for the inaugural Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community and Impact Award, one of 18 student-athletes selected.

University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold announced that Rodriguez and Moore will be Nebraska’s Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients in 2025. The conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."

Ridge Lovett (Wrestling) earned Male Athlete of the Year after leading the wrestling team to an NCAA runner-up finish this season. Lovett went 25-2 at 149 pounds becoming the first Husker to sweep both the Big Ten and NCAA titles in the same season. At the NCAA Championships, he posted five wins over ranked foes, culminating with a 1-0 decision over top-ranked Caleb Hanson of Virginia Tech in the championship match. Lovett became Nebraska’s first NCAA champion since Jordan Burroughs in 2011. At the Big Ten Championships, he outscored his four opponents by a combined 47-8 with two major decisions and a technical fall. Lovett had 15 bonus-point wins among his 25 victories on the year and went 15-2 against nationally ranked opponents. Lovett, who was NU’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2022, finished his career as a four-time All-American and posted a 102-21 record.

Britt Prince (Women’s Basketball) was chosen as the Female Freshman Athlete of the Year, as she guided the Husker women’s basketball team to a 21-12 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Prince was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, averaging 13.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while pacing NU in both assists (3.8 apg) and steals (1.7 spg). The honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick finished seventh on NU’s freshman scoring list and became the first freshman in school history to record 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in a season. She scored 20 or more points six times, highlighted by a 22-point, seven-rebound, five-assist, six-steal performance in a road win at Iowa that earned Prince Big Ten and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors.

Christopher Minto (Wrestling) was tabbed as the Male Freshman Athlete of the Year after earning All-America honors in his first season of competition. Minto went 24-6 at 165 pounds, posting 15 bonus-point wins for a Husker team that went 11-3 and garnered runner-up finishes at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships. At the NCAA Championships, he defeated four ranked wrestlers, including a pair of top-five opponents, on his way to All-America honors. His performance at NCAAs helped the Huskers earn runner-up honors for the first time in program history.

A total of seven student-athletes received the Outstanding Scholar Award, which is presented to individuals who have graduated in the previous year or are up for graduation and have better than a 3.90 cumulative sGPA. The list of honorees included Roni Hietaranta (Men’s Tennis), Lishanna Ilves (Women’s Track & Field), Barret Liebentritt (Football), McKenna Lovehaug (Women’s Cross Country), Abbey Schwarz (Soccer), Emma Spence (Women’s Gymnastics) and Haidyn Warner (Softball).

The Herman Team GPA Award highlights academic performance in the classroom over the previous two completed semesters. The men’s cross country team under Coach Megan Elliott won the Herman Award for a record 12^th time with a team GPA of 3.716.  The women’s rifle team, under the direction of Coach Richard Clark, claimed its fourth Herman Award with a team GPA of 3.816, the highest recorded team GPA for any Husker program in more than 30 years.

Life Skills presented the Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award on Sunday. This award, named in honor of the late Husker punter Sam Foltz, was presented to 27 student-athletes across all sports who exhibit strong leadership qualities, commitment to service and ability to encourage/empower peers.  The Life Skills program also named a trio of winners across all sports of its most prestigious individual award - the Heart & Soul Award. The 2025 Heart & Soul winners were Genesis Gibson (Women's Gymnastics), Katie Kuenemann (Women's Gymnastics) and Micaylon Moore (Men's Track & Field) for their extensive work in the community during the course of their college careers.

Life Skills also honored the members of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team, as a total of 433 student-athletes were recognized. The Husker “Good Works” team was created in 2014, and the 433 recipients are the most throughout the history of the award. Special recognition went to 16 programs who had 100 percent of their roster honored this year, including bowling, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, rifle, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis, wrestling, and volleyball.

Overall, a total of 356 Huskers earned academic medallions at “A Night at the Lied”. Gold medallions (134) were presented to those for earning highest academic honors (3.750-4.000 grade-point average). Silver medallions (88) were awarded to those capturing high honors (3.500-3.749 GPA), while bronze medallions (134) were presented to student-athletes with honors (3.000-3.499 GPA).

“A Night at the Lied” Winners for 2025

Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete & Big Ten Medal of Honor: Lexi Rodriguez, Volleyball

 Most Outstanding Male Student-Athlete & Big Ten Medal of Honor: Micaylon Moore, Men's Track & Field

 Female Athlete of the Year: Lexi Rodriguez, Volleyball

 Male Athlete of the Year: Ridge Lovett, Wrestling

 Female Freshman Athlete of the Year: Britt Prince, Women's Basketball

 Male Freshman Athlete of the Year: Christopher Minto, Wrestling

 Women’s Herman Team GPA Award: Rifle (3.816 GPA)

 Men’s Herman Team GPA Award: Cross Country (3.716 GPA)

 Outstanding Scholar Awards (7): Roni Hietaranta, Men’s Tennis; Lishanna Ilves, Women’s Track & Field; Barret Liebentritt, Football; McKenna Lovehaug, Women’s Cross Country; Abbey Schwarz, Soccer; Emma Spence, Women’s Gymnastics; Haidyn Warner, Softball

Heart & Soul Awards (3): Genesis Gibson, Women's Gymnastics; Katie Kuenemann, Women's Gymnastics; Micaylon Moore, Men's Track & Field

Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (27): Jahmal Banks, Football; Katelyn Barth, Women's Gymnastics; Derek Branch, Football; Brooke Bream, Women's Golf; Drew Christo, Baseball; Kendall Coley, Women's Basketball; Grace Corbett, Rifle; Jeff Grace III, Men's Basketball; Jalyn Gramstad, Football; Lauren Homecillo, Women's Gymnastics; Madison Lloyd, Swimming & Diving; Reed Malleck, Men's Golf; Olivia Mauch, Volleyball; Sydney McCracken, Swimming & Diving; Cami Merickel, Women's Cross Country; Cade Moran, Men's Track & Field; Rebecca Pecora, Women's Track & Field; Teddy Prochazka, Football; Scott Robertson, Wrestling; Niko Schultz, Men's Track & Field; Abbey Schwarz, Soccer; Kayla Verstraete, Bowling; Cece Villa, Soccer; Arianna Walker, Women's Track & Field; Haidyn Warner, Softball; Allison Weidner, Women's Basketball; Henry Zimmerman, Men's Track & Field