NEBRASKA’S ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
For Head Coach Dan Kendig and the Nebraska women's gymnastics program, academic success
is as paramount as athletic accomplishments. With 10 gymnasts capturing 14 CoSIDA Academic
All-Americans and 27 women capturing 78 NACGC Scholastic All-America Awards since 1994, the
Huskers have maintained a high standard of academic excellence and set high expectations at the
University of Nebraska.
Since 1988, 10 Husker gymnasts have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition, while
Nebraska boasts a nation-leading 307 academic All-America honors across all sports.
Mary Ocel was the first NU gymnast to earn academic All-America status, garnering third-team
honors in 1988 with a 3.9 GPA. Jane Clemons earned a third-team spot in 1990 with a 3.663 GPA
in addition to her Big Eight all-around title that year. In 1993 and 1994, Nicole Duval was named
a third-team academic All-American before garnering first-team accolades as a senior, becoming
the only Husker to ever earn the scholastic honor three times. Duval also became the first Husker
gymnast to be named Nebraska’s female student-athlete of the year in 1994-95.
Joy Taylor, the 1996 Academic All-American Gymnast of the Year, graduated with a 4.0 GPA
in biological sciences in 1996. A two-time academic selection, she was the first Husker female
gymnast to earn both athletic and academic All-America honors in the same season. Her teammate,
Kim DeHaan, who was a first-team academic selection, followed in Taylor's footsteps by earning
scholastic and athletic honors in the same season.
Bree Dority O’Callaghan captured third-team academic All-America and second-team All-America
honors on the uneven bars in 2001. She graduated in August 2003 with degrees in economics and
finance.
In 2002 and 2003, Jen French was named to the academic All-America second team, while her
teammate Libby Landgraf was named first-team academic All-American in 2004, becoming the
eighth honoree.
Richelle Simpson, who was NU’s female student-athlete of the year in 20014-05, was named
to the second team and earned a multitude of national awards in her junior and senior seasons,
including the NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award.
Emily Wong is the most recent Husker to earn academic All-America honors, earning a secondteam selection in 2013.
Nebraska’s 10 academic All-Americans have combined to earn 14 awards.
Mary Ocel
Third team • 1988
Joy Taylor
Jane Clemons
Third team • 1990
Kim DeHaan
Second team • 1995
First team • 1996
First team • 1996
Jen French
Libby Landgraf
Second team • 2002, 2003
First team • 2004
Nicole Duval
Third team • 1993, 1994
First team • 1995
Bree Dority O’Callaghan
Third team • 2001
Richelle Simpson
Second team • 2005
Emily Wong
Second team • 2013
NATIONAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
NCAA Top Ten Award
2004-05........................Richelle Simpson
NCAA Woman of the Year
1994-95............................... Nicole Duval
........................................ (State Winner)
1996-97............................ Shelly Bartlett
................................... (National Finalist)
2004-05........................Richelle Simpson
................................... (National Finalist)
NU Student-Athlete of the Year
1994-95............................... Nicole Duval
1996-97............................ Shelly Bartlett
2004-05........................Richelle Simpson
2006-07........................ Stephanie Carter
NACGC/W Scholastic All-Americans
(Since 1997)
1996-97 (4)....................... Shelly Bartlett
...................................... Courtney Brown
............................................ Kim DeHaan
............................................Misty Oxford
1997-98 (3)..................Courtney Brown
....................................Laura Ohlendorf
......................................... Misty Oxford
1998-99 (4)..................Courtney Brown
........................................... Bree Dority
................................ Laurie McLaughlin
....................................Laura Ohlendorf
1999-2000 (5)..................... Bree Dority
............................................ Jen French
........................................... Arica Lamb
............................................ Jess Wertz
...................................Nicole Wilkinson
2000-01 (6).......................... Gina Bruce
............................................ Jen French
....................................... Alecia Ingram
..................................... Libby Landgraf
........................ Bree Dority O'Callaghan
............................................ Jess Wertz
2001-02 (7).................